“This is a lot of pressure”: Zendaya Recalls “Really Intense” Experience of Shooting Her First Disney Pilot at Just 14-Years-Old
Although it may have seemed like a dream job to many of this generation while growing up, being a Disney child star is not an easy feat. Be it Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, or Dylan Sprouse, everyone has thrown shade at Disney and opened up about how pressurizing their experience was. Although Zendaya has never really outright spoken against Disney, from the bits and pieces of her interviews, one can weave how difficult her journey must have been.
Recently, in an interview, she opened up about how shooting the pilot of her first show was “really intense,” as there was a lot of pressure.
Zendaya Opens Up About Her Intense Disney Experience At Just 14-Years-Old
Her career with the Disney Channel began with the smash hit Shake It Up, the success of which went on to spawn another show, KC Undercover. However, it was really “nerve-wracking” for 14-year-old Zendaya to shoot her first Disney pilot. In an interview with Hits Radio, she mentions—
“Shooting my first Disney pilot…that was intense and nerve-wracking because I was a kid. I don’t know, I was just too young to know what I was getting myself into and I was like, this is, you know, a lot of pressure.”
Also Read: Zendaya’s Film Challengers has Helped Her Achieve a Giant Career Milestone That Even Dune 2 Couldn’t
She also mentions how she was very excited for her role as well—
“I was a kid who watched Disney Channel, and I was going to be on it…It was cool”
Even though she has not spoken up about Disney in a negative manner, she did open up from time to time about the perils of being a child actor. She has always thanked her parents for protecting her from the murky side of Hollywood and fame. In May 2024, when she sat down with Vogue for her critically acclaimed movie, Challengers, she opened up and said—
“I have complicated feelings about kids and fame and being in the public eye, or being a child actor. We’ve seen a lot of cases of it being detrimental.”
Unlike her many Disney peers, the actress so far has not had a rebellious phase or a public meltdown. While talking to Marie Claire, she says it is because she feels a responsibility to be a role model, and while she might make mistakes in her career, she will try her best to make the right decision and learn from her mistakes.
Zendaya Had To Fight For Better Education As A Child Star With Disney
Both of Zendaya’s parents are teachers and it is obvious that education would be of prime importance to the family, no matter how much fame she achieves. However, being a Disney child star came with its own set of challenges. Working long hours on the set of an uber-popular teen show meant she would have to pull a double shift to get the same education as her peers.
In an interview with Glamour magazine, Zendaya opens up about how her peers would cheat in their online classes, which was “insane” for her. However, her mother became her educational advocate and wrote to Disney and its lawyers about how Zendaya needed a particular teacher who would be willing to work with her everywhere—be it her press tours, her hotel rooms, or traveling via car or plane and her tough love approach is what ultimately made Zendaya’s education possible.
Zendaya’s latest project, Challengers, is set to release on April 26, 2024.
