Zendaya Auditioned “Many Times” For ‘Descendants,’ Former Disney Channel Exec Says

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Zendaya Auditioned “Many Times” For ‘Descendants,’ Former Disney Channel Exec Says

As a gamer with a keen eye for the behind-the-scenes stories of my favorite stars, it’s fascinating to learn about Zendaya’s near brush with Disney Channel‘s “Descendants” franchise. It’s like we were all rooting for her Maleficent or Evil Queen, and yet, fate had other plans.

At one time, just before she became a star in major films, Zendaya had the opportunity to join Disney Channel’s “Descendants” series.

Cornelia Frame, who previously held roles in casting and talent relations at a network, shared in a recent interview on the “Magical Rewind” podcast that the Emmy-winning individual tried out for the musical fantasy TV movie more than once.

“Zendaya had auditioned numerous times for the role in ‘Descendants’, and she emphasized that this was a significant opportunity,” she reminisced to hosts Will Friedle from ‘Boy Meets World’ and Sabrina Bryan from ‘The Cheetah Girls’. “It was indeed a major opportunity. She auditioned repeatedly, showing great determination, but ultimately it didn’t work out for her.”

The “Descendants” series focuses on the offspring of well-known Disney villains such as Maleficent, the Wicked Queen, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil, who are teenagers. The initial movie was released in 2015, followed by two more installments in 2017 and 2019. A spinoff titled “Descendants: The Rise of Red” just became available on Disney+ this month.

Zendaya “poured a tremendous amount of effort and dedication” into it, but it was simply “one of those situations.”

As I ponder over it, I find myself wondering, “Wouldn’t Spider-Man have made his debut around the same time?” It seems like everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, when one door shuts, another truly extraordinary opportunity opens up.

Initially gaining fame on Disney Channel through shows like “Shake It Up” (2010-13) and “K.C. Undercover” (2015-18), Zendaya subsequently achieved significant success beyond her Disney roots. She landed notable roles in hit films such as “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), sharing the screen with Tom Holland, and its sequels, “Spider-Man: Far from Home” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home”.

Additionally, she secured a primary acting position in Sam Levinson’s popular TV show “Euphoria,” which resulted in two Emmy Awards for her. More recently, she featured in the “Dune” film series and Luca Guadagnino’s production titled “The Challengers.”

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2024-08-01 03:54