Behold Zendaya’s immense talent in her best movies and TV shows

Along with being a legitimate fashion icon, Zendaya has been honing her talents as an actor for over a decade. With 2024’s Challengers, she has proven not only that she can carry a film, but also that an Academy Award is completely within her grasp. As she’s already netted a Golden Globe and two Emmys for her performance as Rue in HBO’s Euphoria, the sky remains the limit for her.

Besides her immense acting talent, Zendaya also possesses musical skills, which she demonstrated on the big screen in 2017’s The Greatest Showman. And thanks to her role as MJ in Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man movies, she’s reached a humongous international audience, playing a new interpretation of a beloved comic-book character, no less. Here, we round up 15 of Zendaya’s best movies and TV shows you can stream right now.

Challengers (2024)

Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers follows Tashi (Zendaya), a former tennis champ turned coach who helps her husband, Art (Mike Faist), train for greatness. She encourages him to compete in a Challenger event so he can rebuild his confidence following an injury and a string of disappointments. However, in the final, Art finds himself up against his former best friend and Tashi’s ex, Patrick (Josh O’Connor), causing immense friction. The palpable sexual chemistry among the trio only adds to the drama, as personal relationships clash with professional accomplishments in one of Zendaya’s best movies.

Dune: Part One (2021)

Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic science-fiction novel features an all-star cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, and Zendaya. The movie follows Paul Atreides, the gifted heir of House Atreides, who must survive on the incredibly dangerous desert planet of Arrakis to secure the future of his family. Zendaya portrays Chani, a woman Paul sees in visions and eventually falls in love with. As well as being a box-office success, Dune: Part One took home six Academy Awards.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Following the success of Dune: Part One, the second half of the story continues Paul Atreides’s journey as he embraces what will turn out to be a false prophecy. Garnering support from many of the Fremen people, Paul contends with naysayers like Zendaya’s Chani, who don’t believe he’s the saviour he purports to be. Of course, Paul’s initial intuition that he will be the downfall of those he loves does come to pass, but we’ll have to wait until Part Three for the rest of the story to unfold.

Euphoria (2019–)

Zendaya takes the lead as Rue in this splashy drama set in a California high school, but it’s not your usual teen television experience. Rue’s addiction experience and sobriety are central to the plot, as is her adoration of Jules (Hunter Schafer), while their friends and acquaintances cause all kinds of problems. The series has already helped make superstars out of Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney, but it remains unclear when or if we’ll see a third season of Euphoria. Regardless of its current status, the HBO series remains one of Zendaya’s most striking performances to date.

Frenemies (2012)

K. C. Undercover (2015–2018)

Zendaya takes center stage on Disney Channel series K.C. Undercover, in which she stars as math whiz
K C Cooper, whose parents just so happen to be top-secret spies. Joining the family business, K.C. becomes a spy for the Organization while still at school, juggling ordinary everyday problems alongside her burgeoning responsibilities as a secret agent. Zendaya even performs the theme song, proving once again she’s a threat in just about every arena.

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

Written and directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, Malcolm & Marie is a black-and-white film starring Zendaya and John David Washington as a mismatched couple whose relationship is rife with tension. Following the premiere of his latest movie, Malcolm is concerned about getting negative reviews. Marie is caught in the crossfire, harbouring her own anger and resentment about whether or not one of the film’s characters is based on her. Malcolm & Marie is a searing account of the imbalance of emotional labour in relationships, and Zendaya received multiple Best Actress nominations for her incredible performance.

Smallfoot (2018)

Zendaya shows off her talents as a voice actor in 2018’s, a sweet and hilarious animated movie from Warner Bros., co-starring Channing Tatum, Danny DeVito, and Common. The film focuses on a tribe of yetis who live in the Himalayas and have no idea whatsoever that humans exist. After a plane crash, one of the yetis is sure he’s seen a real human being—known as a “smallfoot”—in the wilderness, but convincing his family and friends is near impossible.

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

The long-awaited sequel to 1996’s Space Jam follows LeBron James as he works with a group of Looney Tunes characters to defeat the evil artificial intelligence responsible for the disappearance of his son. The group must play a basketball game set in a virtual multiverse filled with Warner Bros. characters, with some jaw-dropping cameos populating the movie. Zendaya voices Lola Bunny, and was thrilled to be cast as such an “iconic character,” in this project produced by Ryan Coogler, she revealed to Entertainment Weekly.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Marvel decided to reboot the Spider-Man franchise yet again, this time casting Tom Holland as our titular hero, while Zendaya became this generation’s “MJ.” Instead of playing the classic Mary Jane Watson role epitomized onscreen by Kirsten Dunst, Zendaya is Michelle Jones-Watson, a seriously smart and slightly awkward classmate of Peter Parker’s. In this first installment, Peter grapples with his impressive superheroic capabilities while attempting to stop arms-dealing villain the Vulture (Michael Keaton)—who turns out to have a connection to MJ.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

In the sequel to 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker and MJ take a trip to Europe with their classmates. While dealing with the death of mentor Tony Stark and trying to summon the courage to declare his love for MJ, Peter is drawn into a superhero mission at the behest of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). After being convinced to hand over ownership of Stark’s powerful artificial intelligence to a new superhero in town known as Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), Peter realises he may have been tricked into causing a large-scale disaster.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Completing the most recent Spider-Man trilogy is 2021’s No Way Home, in which Zendaya reprises her role as Peter Parker’s love interest MJ. After the world discovers who he is, Peter enlists the help of fellow superhero Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to conceal his identity once again. Unfortunately, something goes terribly wrong in the process, causing the multiverse to break open, allowing people from alternate realities to enter Peter’s reality. Featuring appearances from former Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Spider-Man: No Way Home is an important event in the MCU.

The Greatest Showman (2017)

Loosely based on the life of American businessman and circus founder P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is a visually stunning musical about embracing difference. Starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, and Zendaya, the film tells the story of one man’s quest to create a successful circus troupe, undermining the stereotypical “freak” narrative to celebrate the individual talents of each performer. Zendaya stars as acrobat and trapeze artist Anne, and the movie perfectly showcases both her acting and musical abilities.

The OA (2016–2019)

Netflix’s The OA was created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, and ran for two short seasons before being unjustly cancelled by the streamer, much to the chagrin of viewers everywhere. The series is a sci-fi-infused mystery about a woman who re-enters society after a seven-year absence, telling an unbelievable story about death and rebirth that transcends universes. Zendaya briefly appears in the show’s second season, and her performance is only one reason you won’t regret investing your time in this particular masterpiece.

Zapped (2014)

If you fondly remember the ’10s, Disney Channel Original Movie Zapped, released in 2014, will definitely make you reminisce. High schooler Zoey (Zendaya) discovers she has gained the ultimate power when a smartphone app designed for controlling her pet dog gives her the ability to control all the men she knows. Of course, this magical tool backfires spectacularly, but not before Zoey has some fun with it.

Feature Image Credits: Netflix

This article originally appeared in harpersbazaar.com in May, 2024. 

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