Zendaya names “the most talented” entertainer in history: “Biggest star we’ve ever had”
Many consider Zendaya to be the ultimate movie star of our time, with an effortless sense of grace and style in everything she does. In a world in which the old-fashioned definition of the star is fading away, Zendaya is one of the few to keep it alive, with global audiences who fawn over her every move.
After beginning her career on the Disney Channel, a rite of passage for many child actors in Hollywood, the actor startled everyone through her star-making turn in Euphoria, the dark and heavily stylised show about a teenage drug addict. While it was an incredibly demanding role, Zendaya exceeded the pressure placed on her shoulders, delivering a gut-wrenchingly vulnerable performance as someone battling against their own mind.
While she is now viewed as being at the top of her game, dominating the box office through subsequent roles in Challengers, Dune and The Odyssey, the actor described two performers who have inspired her the most throughout her time on screen.
The inherent qualities needed to be a great performer have always been debated, with some arguing that some people are born to be stars and others aren’t. Greatness is apparently not a teachable quality, and while some might be able to put on a good show and hold the attention of their audiences, there are others who are completely hypnotic in the way they command a stage or screen.
In some cases, this star quality seems to be a trait that few are simply born with, something that certainly seems to extend to Michel Jackson after beginning his career as a child.
The Jackson Five were one of the biggest musical groups of all time, with the family quickly rising to fame and sparking Jackson’s solo career. While his life was certainly not without its complications and controversies, there is no denying that he knew how to work a crowd, with Zendaya describing her admiration for his ability to entertain.
When discussing this, Zendaya said, “I’ve always looked up to people like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. I’ve loved Michael Jackson since the minute I was born. He’s probably the most talented person ever. He was able to create such an amazing career and be probably the biggest star we’ve ever had. But also, never did he cuss in his songs. He always had a positive way of doing what he did. He had such a love for the art of music and tried to make people feel better through that.”
Perhaps Beyoncé is a better example of a star, given that she doesn’t have multiple criminal accusations against her name, but it is easy to see why so many people still connect with Jackson’s work. He was no doubt a very complex man, but still possessed an inherent ability to connect with audiences and command a stage, with countless chart-topping hits that are still played and loved today.
We all have our inspirations, and there is no denying that many of the stars we look up to have messy histories that conflict with their work. However, Jackson was still a figure who defined a huge chunk of musical history, and something that Zendaya looked up to from an artistic perspective.
