Zendaya Leaned On the Fashion World to Break Away from Her Disney Life

Disney has been popular over the years for its consistency in producing successful movies and acting stars. Its performers are also usually selected by talent and star power. However, some have been successful way past expectations, one of which is Zendaya.

The actress, singer, and fashion icon starred in various television shows and films of the channel and proceeded to make a name in Hollywood. Her blockbuster features include her hit HBO series, "Euphoria," "Dune," and the "Spider-Man" homecoming trilogy.

Her career peaked in adulthood rather than during her adolescence, even if she had a lot going on then. She also became the youngest woman to be awarded an Emmy for Best Actor in a drama series in 2020, and her fans were very proud of this achievement.

Fans have also wondered how the ex-Disney star managed to break out of the Disney part of her life, as this is a feat that is notoriously difficult to achieve. So, how did she break out of the Disney mold? Keep scrolling below to find out.

Even if the timing and good instincts helped the "Euphoria" star a lot in leaving her Disney skin behind, the 25-year-old also credited fashion for assisting her in creating a breach between her stardom at the moment and herself as a Disney star.

She was reportedly very interested in creating a name for herself outside the network and was happy that she could achieve that through many ways, including modeling and the world of fashion.

"I wanted to create who I was as a person outside of my Disney character," Zendaya expressed in an interview with actress Issa Rae. She said, "Fashion helped with that. My stylist, Law Roach, and I created a world beyond what I was known as through clothes." She continued.

She also expatiated further on the influence that Fashion had on her career and said, "Another thing that I feel like helped me create an avenue in a lane of my own that was outside of Disney Channel was fashion."

Zendaya has had several interviews revolving around her career and how she rose to stardom after leaving Disney behind. She had one with the French-British monthly international magazine, Marie Claire, about her career transformation.

She has also featured on the cover of several of their magazines, where she spoke about her life in general. In the interview, she told them the linear progression of her career. "I had to hone in on what Zendaya wanted and drive straight toward that," she explained.

"There's something liberating about making decisions for yourself. A huge part of it was to take my time," the actress continued. She also mentioned in the interview that it was very helpful for her to trust her gut and believe in herself.

During a sit-down with Issa Rae, Zendaya also explained how she built her fashion reputation, notwithstanding the negative responses she got for her fashion choices at a point. She explained that she liked to dress up and show up at random places, even while she was criticized.

"Yeah, I would show up to s*** I had no business being at just so I can get the look. You know what I'm saying?" "I was called for years like a seat filler," she shared. "'She just shows up to everything.' You know what I'm saying," she said.

Also, she ignored the critics and listened to her voice instead. "I was like 'Yeah, but I look good though, so how about that. Still on the best dressed list," she said. She then explained that she created a mark by dressing well, even to events she wasn't necessarily invited to.

Her decision to part with her Disney self through Fashion turned out great for her, and supporters are also eager to see more of her work, both in the acting and the fashion industry.

Zendaya's big Disney break happened when she was 14 years old. She starred in the network's series "Shake It Up," which ran from 2010 to 2013. In the show, she played Rocky Blue alongside Bella Thorne, who played Ceecee.

She also appeared in a few Disney Channel Original films during this period, including "Frenemies" in 2014 and "Zapped" in 2012. Later on, she starred in another series titled "K.C Undercover," from 2015 to 2018. In this series, she portrayed a smart teenager and spy. Unknown to some fans, she was also a producer of the show. However, her intention to leave Disney wasn't sudden. She revealed this in an interview with Cosmopolitan when she was 19.

She explained that she wanted more representation on Disney. "The only way I was going to come back to the Disney Channel was if I was in a position of more power. One thing that is really important to me is diversity on the channel," she said.