Inside the epic rise of Zendaya and the secret to how she and Tom Holland became Hollywood’s new golden couple

THERE’S no denying the name on everyone’s lips this summer has been Zendaya. Everything the 29-year-old actress touches seems to turn to gold – from her stellar career to her loved-up relationship with new husband, actor Tom Holland. Zendaya, who turns 30 on September 1, is having the biggest year of her life Credit: Getty Images Zendaya and Tom celebrated their nuptials at Surrey’s five-star Beaverbrook Hotel Credit: Getty “She is the full package,” an insider says. “Not only is she a talented actress, but she’s stunningly beautiful. Brands are desperate to work with her, because her being linked to products sells them out. “She’s a smash at the box office and she’s so unproblematic. Everyone who works with her loves her. She doesn’t drink. Never involved in scandal. Happily married and manages to effortlessly enjoy her private life while sharing enough to keep people intrigued.” The face of high-end brands, including Louis Vuitton, Prada Beauty, Bulgari and Glacéau Smartwater, Zendaya’s influence cannot be overstated. When it recently emerged that she used Fabulous columnist Lorna Luxe’s No.98 Beauty The Glass hair product, pre-orders went through the roof. Now, as the actress – whose full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman – prepares to turn 30 on September 1, it’s clear she’s having the biggest year of her life. After starting 2026 with a top-secret US wedding to Tom (which was accidentally confirmed by her stylist Law Roach on a red carpet weeks later in March), she went straight into promotional duties for indie flick The Drama, in which she starred with Robert Pattinson. She then fronted the final season of cult HBO drama Euphoria, alongside Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi. Next came four world premieres and four ultra-glam looks styled by Law – dubbed the “image architect” – for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, in which she plays Athena. Then another three premieres for the latest instalment in the Marvel franchise, Spider-Man: Brand New Day – and more on-theme red-carpet looks also by Law, including a custom Tamara Ralph couture gown featuring delicate crystal web details. Husband Tom co-starred in both movies, and watching their newly wedded bliss play out on the red carpet was a joy for fans, who got a glimpse into what is an otherwise very private romance. At the London premiere, Zendaya described Tom as her “best friend”, adding: “Being able to do these films with him is a privilege, and I love to be able to grow together and watch him.” Meanwhile, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day have become box-office juggernauts, each taking more than $1billion globally in the weeks since their release. One headline read: “If you want a billion-dollar movie: put Zendaya in it.” “It would be an understatement to describe Zendaya as Hollywood’s golden girl – at this point she’s gone platinum,” says another insider. In the same week that she broke the box office, there was also a huge personal milestone, as Zendaya and Tom celebrated their nuptials on this side of the pond, with a private reception at Surrey’s five-star Beaverbrook Hotel. As revealed by The Sun, the couple were joined by friends and family for the bash on August 4. Rumoured to have cost £500,000, the reception was filled with 250 guests including Robert Downey Jr, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, who celebrated the couple with endless champagne and “emotional speeches”. The Odyssey has become a box office juggernaut, taking over $1billion globally Credit: © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved Zendaya has always kept her romance with Marvel actor Tom Holland as low-key as an A-list pair can Credit: Alamy Mobile phones were banned, reports said, to avoid images leaking – and not a single photo was officially released, while the groom burst into tears at the sight of his bride during the “emotionally charged day”. Two days after the Beaverbrook party, the couple were spotted sporting simple gold bands as they ran errands in Richmond, south-west London, where they share a six-bedroom house with their three dogs. Notoriously super-private, Zendaya has always kept her romance with the Marvel actor as low-key as an A-list pair can. She said in 2023 that protecting her peace was important to her, explaining: “Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own, but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.” Zendaya won a legion of new fans in 2017’s The Greatest Showman Credit: Alamy Stock Photo An insider said it’s an understatement to say Zendaya is Hollywood’s ‘golden girl’ Credit: AP The couple met during a chemistry test for their first Spider-Man film in 2016, and Zendaya was reported to have fallen for Tom almost immediately, although they only officially confirmed their relationship five years later. She does, however, give her fans occasional signs of her love for him. In 2022, Zendaya shared a rare intimate picture of the couple to her 177 million followers, captioned: “Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest.” The previous year, for her birthday, Tom shared a behind-the-scenes photo from the Spider-Man set of him and Zendaya, with the caption: “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when you’re up xxx.” Zendaya has very deliberately carved out a life in which she keeps one foot in the public eye and one foot out – no mean feat in an age of smartphones. She likes to go underground between projects and “live offline” in her downtime. She deliberately keeps a very tight circle, which includes Law, her Euphoria co-star Hunter Schafer and Dune co-star Timothée. A renowned fashion lover, she adores the Met Gala, which she has attended seven times, always stealing the show. And yet she avoids most other big events outside of work and doesn’t drink, a decision she made in order to keep her mind clear. Posting on her 21st birthday, when she reached the legal drinking age in America, the actress said: “Today I turn 21! Just because I’m now the legal drinking age, doesn’t mean I’m going to start throwing ‘em back. I don’t plan to start drinking.” She added: “[Life’s] too stressful to need help with relaxing by having a cocktail. This industry is way too nuts for me to not be in control of myself and my decisions, so I just don’t want to introduce drinking.” Zendaya has very deliberately carved out a life in which she keeps one foot in the public eye and one foot out Credit: Getty Zendaya’s role as Rue Bennett in Euphoria landed her two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Credit: AP Tom also went sober in 2022. When she isn’t working, Zendaya prioritises Tom and her family – parents Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, who are based in California where she was raised, her five older half-siblings from her father’s previous relationship (who, she says, track her whereabouts in the world using Find My Friends on their phones) and her nieces and nephews. They are said to be incredibly proud of the success she’s had. A child model and dancer, Zendaya’s career took off at 14, when she nabbed one of the leads in hit Disney teen show, Shake It Up. She followed this with another Disney series, K.C. Undercover, before 2017’s The Greatest Showman and her first Spider-Man outing. Her role as Rue Bennett in Euphoria followed two years later – which landed her two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe – and she has successfully swerved the many controversies that have swirled around co-star Sydney Sweeney. Other career highlights include 2024’s love-triangle tennis film Challengers, alongside Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Throughout it all, Zendaya has quietly built up a reputation as one of the good ones, renowned for her work ethic and kindness behind the scenes. Christopher Nolan praised her “sense of true grace and poise”. Meanwhile, Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, said that Zendaya had an “amazing ability” to “come in and really put herself in there and blow everybody away” before heading straight back to the US to continue shooting Euphoria. He added: “I absolutely adore her and Tom together, and they deserve each other – they’re the two loveliest people.” At only 14, Zendaya nabbed one of the leads in hit Disney teen show, Shake It Up Credit: Getty Images It’s safe to say that 30 is looking good on Zendaya Credit: Getty Images Likewise, her Shake It Up co-star Bella Thorne said recently that when people tried to pit them against one another as teenagers in the 2010s, Zendaya took her aside to sort things out quietly between them. “It was one of the most genuine girl-to-girl talks,” Bella told the Call Her Daddy podcast. The pair remain friends to this day. Hard work and a grounded mindset have been Zendaya’s driving forces in her 16-year professional career – not to mention talent, of course. Friends say that as a teen it was a given that she would rise to the top, because she always had such star quality, and had her head screwed on. “She’s chosen to let fame be the by-product of her career and not the reason she does things,” says one friend. Now Euphoria is finished, she’s looking forward to leaving high-school roles behind her as she moves into her 30s. She said earlier this year: “I think I do have wisdom to offer, but I also do still feel like a f**king kid. Like, what the f**k, I’m about to be 30?” While plans around her birthday celebrations remain shrouded in secrecy, with newly wedded bliss, billions of dollars in box-office takings and a future that’s blindingly bright, it’s safe to say that 30 is looking good on Zendaya.