Zendaya "felt stagnant" toward the end of her days as a Disney star.
Zendaya
The 21-year-old actress starred as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom 'Shake It Up' alongside Bella Thorne, as well as playing K.C. Cooper in 'K.C. Undercover', but has said that when she left the media company after her final episodes aired earlier this year, she had begun to feel stuck in her role as a TV star, and wanted something more.
She said: "It's definitely been a process, especially because I'm coming from this very different world of Disney. Having been consistently on a television show, I felt stagnant. Not having that anymore, I am being seen as a real actress, doing what makes me feel pushed and motivated."
Zendaya - who has since starred in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' and 'The Greatest Showman' - is always trying to push herself out of her comfort zone, as that's what makes her "happy".
She added: "I don't necessarily think comfort is always the best place to live in. I'm kind of excited as I decide what projects I want to take on or if I want to produce. I've really found the power in just doing what makes me happy."
But the young star admits there's a lot of pressure on her shoulders, and believes that being a black actress means she had less room for error than some of her "white peers".
Speaking to Marie Claire magazine, she said: "What my white peers would be able to get away with at this point in their career is not something that I will be able to do. And I knew that from when I was real young. That's just the truth, and so you'll be kind of afraid of making mistakes because I love what I do. I don't want to jeopardise it at any point because I am not allowed the room to mess up."
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