Zendaya has really come a long way as an actress. From her major Marvel role as MJ in the Spider-Man movies to the acclaimed TV drama Euphoria (which is set to return amid the 2026 TV schedule). With all of the A-lister's success, some may forget that she got her start on Disney Channel. That network brought the Emmy winner notoriety as a performer, but she's now getting real about why she has a “really complicated relationship” with her former status as a child star (and I totally get it).
Back in the 2010s, teenage Zendaya was essentially a Disney Channel phenom, having led the shows Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover and starred in the sci-fi DCOM Zapped. Despite having success at such a young age, the 29-year-old shared with The Mirror her completely understandable take on the costs and benefits of finding stardom so early in life:
