The young actor landed her breakout role on the Disney Channel when she was only 12 years old.
Believe it or not, it was the first show she appeared on ever.
“I just popped up out of nowhere,” she toldAllure.
(Honestly, we can’t imagine anybody else starring alongsideZac Efronin “The Greatest Showman.”
He even once toldNorwegian FilmWebTVthat she’s his favorite on-screen kiss.)
Read on for a fewsurprising facts about Zendaya.
Zendaya is a vegetarian
Animals have always held a special place in Zendaya’s heart.
In fact, she still remembers the exact moment she found out where meat comes from.
It was that very day that the performer decided to become a vegetarian.
However, it wasn’t easy for the then-11-year-old.
The very first week she gave up meat, she had recurring dreams about hamburgers falling from the sky.
“And I still remember the dream so clearly,” she told People.
Luckily, these nightmares eventually ended, and the actor has remained a vegetarian ever since.
There was one time, however, when the actor was asked to eat meat.
This was something she simply couldn’t stomach literally.
At that moment, she spoke with the show’s writers.
“We decided to make Rocky a vegetarian as well,” she explained during an interview withPETA.
The switch certainly made these meaty scenes much easier for her to handle.
“I am a vegetarian who doesn’t like vegetables too much,” she toldUs Weekly.
“Makes it challenging!”
However, that wasn’t always the case.
To help get her out of her comfort zone, her mother toldVoguethat she had her repeat the grade.
It definitely doesn’t seem like a problem for her now!
From that day forward, this entertainer seemingly changed the toy industry for the better.
“My … how times have changed.”
Way back in 2009, Zendaya showed off her dance moves in a Sears commercial which starredSelena Gomez.
“It’s funny where things evolved from and it’s cool to start small.”
And, speaking of small, she started dancing when she was quite small, too.
Zendaya got her start at the age of 8 in a hip hop group calledFuture Shock Oakland.
“After that, I did Hula, random I know,” she explained toDream Magazine.
“But hip hop is definitely my strong suit.”
(After all, how many Zendayas do you know?)
In an interview withPopstar!, the actor explained the origin of her unique name.
It turns out, Zendaya is a combination of both her parents' heritages.
Behind the scenes, though, “everyone calls me Daya,” she toldGlamour.
“I was like, ‘I love this,'” she toldPeople.
It was that year that Tommy Hilfiger personally asked the 22-year-old to design a collection with him.
Unfortunately for fans, the limited-time collection is no longer available today.
Growing up, Zendaya’s parents always encouraged her to play basketball.
In addition, “my dad was my P.E.
teacher,” Zendaya toldEssence.
“So I definitely didn’t have a break because his classroom was the gym at the school.”
“I was over it.
I was like this is not for me,” she told Essence.
“I want to go play on the stage.
I want to act,” and we all know how this story ends.
Her go-to is one she’s seen a million times, too.
“It’s just calming to me.”
She turns to the magical series most often after an extremely emotional day on set.
Zendaya was hired to be strictly one of the dancers on set.
It seems as though all of the kids cast were some of the best in the business, too.
To try and top their talent, “I decided to do a front flip,” she explained.
“Never did one before in my life, other than inside my living room playing around.
Thank God I landed it!
It could have been terrible.”
News), so, because of that, she didn’t wear any at all to her audition.
Funny enough, director Jon Watts didn’t even recognize her.
Audiences everywhere have loved Zendaya as the sarcastic character, and she’s truly enjoyed playing her.
Her dog has his own social media accounts
Zendaya may be her dog Noon’s No.
The actoradopted the puppyin 2015, and he lives just as much of an incredible lifestyle as his owner.
We’d assume it was Noon himself, but, you know, he doesn’t have thumbs.
Zendaya, on the other hand, likes to do her own makeup for events.
“I would be orange,” she toldByrdie.
However, it hasn’t all been bad.
After working with various makeup artists, Zendaya has learned a few tricks of the trade.
Though it was a well-deserved award, the actor herself was in awe of her accomplishments.
She even kept the trophy in her bed when she went to sleep that night.
“Not even gonna lie!”
“It was just nice to roll over and see her.
After all, Zendaya herself is just getting started.
