Despite Zendaya's resounding success in the HBO series Euphoria, this young actress has been building her career for many years. She's making a name for herself as one of today's most talented actresses, and is the youngest ever to win two Emmy statuettes! Both the public and critics are consolidating the fame of Zendaya's films and TV shows.
Beyond Euphoria, she has a career full of successes - such as Tom Roland's Spider-Man franchise - and today we're going to introduce you to Zendaya's 9 best films and series! We'll take a look back at her career from her earliest work to her most recent, following her professional development and the different film genres in which she has acted. Discover the best Zendaya movies and TV shows below!
At the Rhythm
At the Rhythm was the actress's first work on TV, being a series in the comedy genre originally produced by the Disney Channel. Scripted by Chris Thompson, Zendaya plays a teenage girl alongside Bella Thorne and the two are best friends! The plot takes place backstage at the Shake It Up show, where both are part of the team of dancers and have fun adventures between shows.
The series premiered in 2010 and has only three seasons, with the last one released in 2014. Along with the episodes, Zendaya has also released songs in solo and duet versions with Bella Thorne, taking advantage of the show's success to leverage this musical passage of the show. With a 4.9 approval rating from fans on IMDb, it is among the Zendaya films and TV shows that can be watched via Disney+, where the series is available in its catalog.
Agent K.C.
Agent K.C. is another Disney Channel series, but this time its director is Corinne Marshall. Zendaya is the protagonist, where she plays a student who excels in mathematics who, by chance, discovers that her parents are not ordinary people... They are spies! So she ends up being called to be part of this familiar and unconventional team.
The series aired from 2015 to 2018 and had three seasons, which are available on Disney+. This is another of Zendaya's movies and TV shows that scored well, with a 6.4 rating on IMDb, and is considered by many to be a "fun family show". In addition to the good reception, Zendaya also won an award at the Kids' Choice Awards!
Challengers
Moving on to cinematography, Challengers is a dramatic comedy directed by Luca Guadagnino, known for his work on Suspiria. The production of this film was directly impacted by the Hollywood writers' and actors' strike in 2023, but managed to be completed and made its premiere in 2024.
The plot follows a tennis coach who signs her husband (and student) up for a tennis event, where he will face his wife's former boyfriend on the courts. The screenplay was written by Justin Kuritzkes and is one of Zendaya's movies and TV shows that can be watched on Prime Video, with a 7.2 rating on IMDb!
Malcolm & Marie
Malcom & Marie is one of Zendaya's films and TV shows that was originally produced by Netflix. The visuals of the film stand out for being entirely in black and white, even in the year 2021. The plot follows the life of a couple, where they are constantly reflecting and fighting. He (David Washington) is an up-and-coming film director and she (Zendaya) is an actress who has left her career.
Written and directed by Sam Levinson, the entire movie takes place over the course of one night and, even though it was shot at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it earned Zendaya nominations for two awards: Critics' Choice Movie Awards and the Black Reel Awards, in the category of Best Actress. The film has an IMDb rating of 6.6 and is available in the Netflix catalog.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The franchise inspired by the comic book hero Spider-Man starring Tom Holland begins with the movie Homecoming, in which Zendaya plays Michelle Jones. The plot is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and follows the routine of Peter Parker (Spider-Man) after the events of Captain America: Civil War, where Peter helped Iron Man, despite being only a teenager.
Premiering in 2017, this is one of Zendaya's films and TV shows where the actress shone in the Marvel world, sharing space with other actors like Michael Keaton and Jon Favreau. With a 7.4 rating on IMDb, the film is available on the Netflix and Claro TV+ catalogs.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the second film in the franchise starring Tom Holland and also directed by Jon Watts, released in 2019. This time the plot takes us on a school trip where Peter Parker's class takes a trip to Europe, where the young hero is recruited by Nick Fury himself to fight villains. Spider-Man fights alongside another hero called Mysterio and uses the powerful tool given to him by Tony Stark: his new costume!
With Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal in its cast, this is among Zendaya's highest-grossing films and TV shows, grossing around US$ 1.132 billion at the worldwide box office. With an IMDb score of 7.4, Spider-Man: Far From Home is available on the following platforms: Disney+, Lionsgate+ and Claro TV+.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the third film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise and was released in 2021, directed by Jon Watts. In this latest film, Peter has his identity exposed and, unable to cope very well, goes to Doctor Strange for help in altering reality, making everyone forget Spider-Man's real identity.
Everything seemed fine, but the spell opens a rift in the multiverse that ends up bringing in countless villains from other dimensions... Our Spider-Man will need help to solve this problem! Another of Zendaya's films and TV shows that has become a box office success, raking in US$ 1.922 billion worldwide, the feature is available on HBO Max, Claro TV and Oi Play, as well as having an 8.2 score on IMDb.
Dune
Dune is one of Zendaya's films and TV shows inspired by the book of the same name, which was adapted by Denis Villeneuve in 2021. Dune is a sci-fi production set in a futuristic dystopia, where an intergalactic empire rules, until a betrayal occurs. The setting for this plot is a desert planet that is a source of exploitation because it contains a very rare spice.
Alongside Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Issace Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya is one of the highlights of the Oscar-nominated production and took home six statuettes! With a score of 8.0 on IMDB, this is one of the highest-grossing films of Zendaya's career and is available on the Prime Video, HBO Max and Qi Play catalogs.
The King of Show
The King of the Show is one of Zendaya's movies and TV shows in which she is not the protagonist, but shines on stage every time her character appears. The feature film is a biography and musical drama released in 2017, directed by Michael Gracey and starring great actor Hugh Jackman. Here, we follow the creation of a traveling circus called Barnum & Bailey Circus, where a magician gathers his troupe for a freak show.
Zendaya is part of the cast alongside other actors such as Michelle Williams and Zac Efron. The film won a Golden Globe in the category of Best Original Song for the soundtrack This Is Me, by singer Keala Settle. In addition, its reception by the public was also great, as the movie has a score of 7.5 on IMDB. You can watch this production by accessing the Disney+ catalog.
Conclusion
Zendaya is now 28 years old and has already done a lot of important work in film and TV. Becoming a Disney star at the age of 13, the girl, who already danced and sang, moved on to acting and has since been collecting awards and recognition for her numerous works, standing out even without having the lead role.
These are just some of the projects that Zendaya has been a part of, and we're sure to see many more successes in the future. The young woman has a promising future and, if you like this type of content, be sure to check out our articles such as the 4 best Macaulay Culkin movies of all time and ranking of the best Harrison Ford movies.
