STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

This Story About Zendaya Standing Up to Disney Is Everything

She literally flipped the script on one of their most popular shows.

Zendaya covered the July issue of Vogue magazine and, aside from being stunning on the cover, spilled some pretty interesting information about her relationship with Disney.

She recalled one time she butted heads with the network. It was actually over the title and cast of her current show, K.C. Undercover. Currently, she stars as K.C., a smart high-schooler who becomes a spy. That plotline, however, was not originally what Disney had in store for the young actress.

“I got in a room with the heads of Disney Channel,” she told the magazine. Before committing to the show, Zendaya wanted to make some major adjustments and ditch the original show title: Super Awesome Katy.

“I was like, ‘The title is whack. That's gonna change.’” She also wanted her TV family to be one of color. “I wanted to make sure that she [K.C. Cooper] wasn't good at singing or acting or dancing,” Zendaya said. “There are other things that a girl can be. ... I want her to be martial arts-trained. I want her to be able to do everything that a guy can do. I want her to be just as smart as everybody else. I want her to be a brainiac. I want her to be able to think on her feet. But I also want her to be socially awkward, not a cool kid. I want her to be normal with an extraordinary life.”

Bam! Take your stand, girl! Also, the show is much better with her idea anyway, right?

Read Vogue’s full cover story with Zendaya here.

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.