The 2020 Emmy awards being broadcasted from celebrities’ homes weren’t the only surprise in this year’s edition of the prominent award show. There were many memorable moments, and one of them stood out in particular. At 24, Zendaya’s win for best lead actress in a drama series for her work on HBO’s Euphoria made waves and history.
Zendaya Couldn’t Contain Her Unexpected Joy
Sat comfortably in her living room, all dolled up for a night out she would spend inside, Zendaya held her breath as host Jimmy Kimmel announced the six runner ups for this year’s category. These included veterans Jennifer Aniston and Laura Linney, as well as other well-known, talented women. Zendaya was the youngest of them all. Her win made her the youngest Emmy winner in history.
“This is pretty crazy,” she said in disbelief when she first held her statuette. She went on to thank her family and team for the support they’ve given to her, to the creators of the show for entrusting her with the role, and to all social workers who are actively working to help stop the pandemic. The 24-year-old actress expressed she’s feeling hopeful for young people and for everyone who’s doing their best during these testing times.
Her Work on Euphoria
The HBO original drama series created by Sam Levinson follows the lives of a group of high school students and their experiences with love, friendship, identity, trauma, and more. Euphoria has received many positive reviews from critics so far, and if Zendaya’s Emmy award is any indication, we will be seeing a lot of Rue (Zendaya’s character) and Co in the coming seasons.
A Disney Star No More
If there is anything we can conclude at this point, it would be that Zendaya is no longer the dancing girl from Disney. She’s a grown-up drama actress capable of delivering powerful performances that touch hearts… and earn Emmys!