Zendaya on Child Stardom and Industry Influence: ‘I’ve Seen It Be Detrimental to People’

Zendaya during a photo session for the "Challengers" movie ahead of its premiere in Paris on April 6. Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images

Award-winning actress, singer, and dancer Zendaya grew up in the spotlight as a child star and has seen firsthand the toll it can take on one in the industry.

During a roundtable discussion on Jan. 3 with The Hollywood Reporter, the 28-year-old revealed the “complicated relationship” she has with child stardom, and how to survive to thrive in modern-day Hollywood.

Zendaya was joined by other famous faces, including Angelina Jolie, Mikey Madison, Tilda Swinton, Zoe Saldaña, and Demi Moore.

“I’ve seen it be detrimental to people. I’m so grateful that this is how it turned out. I wouldn’t change it, but there are things that I wish I lived out privately, you know?” she said.

Zendaya had her breakthrough role in 2010, when she starred for three years on the Disney Channel series “Shake It Up” at just 14 years old, and on the show “K.C. Undercover” until 2018.

“Because you’re figuring out who you are in front of the world. And you’re like, ‘I’m trying to do this right. I want to make everyone happy, but I don’t really know who I am yet. I have no idea what I’m doing,’” she said.

She continued her appearances in various Disney Channel projects, along with becoming a finalist on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2013, before making the transition to the big screen with starring roles in “The Greatest Showman” and as MJ in three “Spider-Man” films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

With over 60 award nominations and 37 total wins, Zendaya earned critical acclaim for her roles in the “Dune” franchise, “Challengers,” and the HBO drama series “Euphoria,” where she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Her success is sometimes accompanied by trouble defining herself outside of her work. Despite some challenges, she is thankful for the opportunity to continue doing what she loves.

“I love my job so much. I’m so grateful that I get to do this for a living. And I think, ‘What if it was all taken away?’” she said.

“I’ve been working since I was a kid, and I was like, ‘Wait, who am I when I’m not working? Do I have a life? What do I even like to do? What are my hobbies? Like, who is Zendaya outside of this?’”

There are a number of other child stars who share similar sentiments after growing up in the spotlight, and have overcome obstacles while entering adulthood.

Both Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears were part of the Disney family in their early careers, and have attributed their substance abuse and mental health issues to the pressures of being in the public eye.

“The Sixth Sense” star Haley Joel Osment and his sister Emily, best known for the Disney series “Hannah Montana,” were also thrown into the entertainment business at a young age, eventually taking a break from Hollywood despite reaching stardom themselves.