Zendaya, in all her glory, has been at the forefront of media and tabloids for the better part of a decade.

We've seen her play the anxiety-ridden brainiac on Disney Channel, then the badass spy onK.C. Undercover, and eventually as the star of one of Marvel's biggest film franchises:Spiderman.

Of course there's been numerous projects she's undergone and one of her most relatable and notable to date is none other thanEuphoria, where she plays teen addict Rue.

In 2020, she won an Emmy Award for it, and was the youngest womaneverto win in her category (best female lead in a drama).

Speaking to British Vogue in 2021, the cover star made it clear that these acting roles are simply just the beginning for her.

"I gotta hurry up and figure out how to f**king become a director, man," she told the publication. "I’m trying, I’m learning every day, I really am. There’s so much I want to do."

"If I ever do become a filmmaker, I know that the leads of my films will always be Black women," she added.

That's not the first time the former Disney Channel star has pushed for more diversity on screen

Zendaya's childhood and rise to fame.

Zendaya, born Zendaya Coleman to two teacher parents, started acting in theatre productions at a young age. She also scored modelling and dancing gigs, and was back-up dancer for Selena Gomez in a TV ad. But it was getting cast as Rocky Blue, one of the leads in the Disney Channel sitcomShake It Up, that made her famous. She had just turned 14 when the show premiered.

While on the show, Zendaya launched her singing career, and then, at the age of 16, became the youngest person to compete on the US version ofDancing With The Stars. She finished runner-up.

WithShake It Upending in 2013 after three seasons, the Disney Channel wanted Zendaya to star in a new series:Super Awesome Katy, about a high school student following in the footsteps of her spy parents. But she was only going to consider it on her terms.

“The only way I was going to come back to the Disney Channel was if I was in a position of more power,” she told Cosmopolitan.

Zendaya, then aged just 16, wanted to be a producer on the show. She wanted her character to be super-smart, trained in martial arts, no good at dancing or singing, socially awkward… and she didn’t want her to be called Katy.

“Do I look like a Katy to you?” she asked Disney execs.

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The last of her terms was that she wanted the show to feature a family of colour.

“One thing that is really important to me is diversity on the channel,” she toldCosmopolitan. “It’s hard as a young person of a different ethnicity or background to look at the TV and not see anyone who looks like you.”

The execs agreed to Zendaya’s terms. The show, newly titledK.C. Undercover, was a hit. Zendaya had an input into the content, including a storyline about the controversial stop-and-frisk policing policy.

“I have so many friends who say yes to everything or feel like they can’t stand up for themselves in a situation,” Zendaya told Teen Vogue. “No. You have the power.”

Growing up with an African-American dad and a Scottish-German-American mum, Zendaya was aware of race being an issue from a young age.

“One day, I came to school with my hair straightened, and that was the only day anyone ever complimented me on my hair,” she toldCosmopolitan. “That kind of messes with you.”

She’s never been afraid to speak out. On Oscars night in 2015,Fashion Policecommentator Giuliana Rancic made a comment about her dreadlocks, saying she must have smelled of “patchouli” and “weed”.

Watch Giuliana Rancic talk inappropriately about Zendaya's hair on the Oscars red carpet. Post continues after video.

Zendaya hit back, saying that was “outrageously offensive”.

“My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscars red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of colour that our hair is good enough,” she posted on Instagram.

Mattel then created a Barbie in Zendaya’s red-carpet image, including dreadlocks, to acknowledge her status as a role model.

That same year, she called outModelistemagazine for retouching photos of her.

"Had a new shoot come out today and was shocked when I found my 19-year-old hips and torso quite manipulated," she posted.