The Disney-to-superstar pipeline is very real, and if you ask us, there may be no better example of it than Zendaya. Since first introducing herself to the world through shows like “Shake It Up” and “K.C. Undercover,” the Emmy-winning actress has taken on one unforgettable role after another.

Really, who else can go from playing Spider-Man’s beloved MJ to a drug-addicted teenager in “Euphoria,” then turn around and become Challengers’ tennis phenom and object of desire Tashi? Not a whole lot of people. Her range is incredibly expansive, and that barely scratches the surface of what she’s done onscreen.

Given that she’s one of the most in-demand actors of her generation, it only feels right to revisit some of the best work she’s delivered across television and film. With that in mind, scroll on for 12 of Zendaya’s greatest acting roles.

1. “Shake It Up”

“Shake It Up” was Zendaya’s introduction for many of us who grew up on Disney Channel in the early 2010s, and maybe even for the parents who had it on in the background more than they’d admit. As Rocky Blue, she starred alongside Bella Thorne’s CeCe Jones, with the series following the two as background dancers navigating friendship both on and off set. One of the best parts of the show was simply watching Z and Thorne dance in nearly every episode. Even if the series feels worlds away from the powerhouse roles Zendaya has taken on since, it’s where a lot of us first saw what she could do.

2. ‘Frenemies’

Frenemies is just one more reason to miss Disney’s old days. Zendaya stars as Halley, whom she described as a “shy girl” ahead of the movie’s 2012 debut. “She’s a bit of a nerd, so she wears little geek glasses, and she’s a journalist, so she loves to write,” she told Popstar! at the time. Like "Shake It Up," she shares the screen with Bella Thorne, who plays Avalon, and together the two co-create a digital magazine called GeeklyChic. As the title suggests, they don’t stay BFFs forever and eventually turn into frenemies while competing for a senior editor role that drives a wedge between them.

3. “K.C. Undercover”

Disney definitely ran the secret-double-life formula into the ground, but if it's not broke, don't fix it. In the same spirit as "Hannah Montana" and "Lab Rats," where teenagers are forced to balance everyday life with being pop stars or saving the world, "K.C. Undercover" saw Zendaya as K.C. Cooper, a math prodigy who finds out her parents are undercover spies. If nothing else, the show deserves credit for its Black representation. Casting Trinitee Stokes, Kamil McFadden, and Kadeem Hardison was a very good call.

4. ‘Spider-Man’

Whereas Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parkers had Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy as their respective love interests, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man had Zendaya’s MJ. It’s pretty funny in hindsight, considering the two later confirmed they were together in real life, just like both of their predecessors. Though her role in Spider-Man: Homecoming was fairly minimal, fans thankfully got to see much more of her in 2019’s Far From Home and 2021’s No Way Home.

5. ‘The Greatest Showman’

Zendaya and Zac Efron had seriously great chemistry in 2017’s The Greatest Showman, which follows P.T. Barnum and the rise of his now-iconic circus. Though her role is relatively minor, Z still leaves an impression as trapeze artist Anne Wheeler. She reportedly trained “for months in order to perfect the acrobatic skill,” and you can absolutely tell onscreen.

6. “Euphoria”

Say what you want about the third and final season of “Euphoria,” but Sam Levinson’s HBO hit gave Zendaya one of the best roles of her career. She even has the Emmy Awards to prove it. As Rue, she plays a teenager dealing with mental health struggles who falls into addiction after her father’s death, and from there, the show takes viewers through every setback, relapse, and fragile attempt at getting better.

Amid all the chaos of the series, from the high school drama to the more intense material, some of its most heartbreaking moments come from watching Rue try to hold onto the people who love her, whether that’s Jules or her family, especially Gia (Storm Reid) and Leslie (Nika King), who stay in her corner through everything. In many ways, Rue is a lot like the people we know in real life, just trying to numb the pain life inevitably brings.

7. ‘Malcolm & Marie’

After working together on “Euphoria,” Zendaya and Levinson reunited for Netflix’s Malcolm & Marie. John David Washington took on the titular Malcolm, while she played Marie. As plenty of viewers will tell you, the movie is essentially one long argument that unfolds after the premiere of Malcolm’s latest film. It’s not all that far off from the kind of fights some couples might have behind closed doors, except here, we’re stuck in the room with them as every last bit of it plays out. In fairness to Levinson, Malcolm & Marie was written and produced entirely during the coronavirus pandemic, which helps explain its black-and-white presentation and the fact that it barely moves scenery-wise.

8. ‘Dune’

Thank goodness Dune: Part Two gave Zendaya’s Chani a lot more room to shine. While the first installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Frank Herbert adaptation largely belonged to Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, the sequel gave us much more of the Fremen warrior. Hans Zimmer’s score only makes everything feel that much more immersive.

9. ‘Challengers’

What’s there to say about Challengers that hasn’t already been said, especially when it comes to that one scene (IYKYK). Luca Guadagnino’s film smashed the box office when it debuted, thanks in large part to Zendaya’s magnetic performance and the headline-making red carpet run that helped build anticipation ahead of its release. As Tashi Duncan, she plays a tennis prodigy whose career gets cut short by injury before she pivots into coaching. Watching former doubles partners Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) battle it out for her affection is a match in its own right, to say the least.

10. ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’

While Space Jam: A New Legacy doesn’t quite live up to the Michael Jordan-led original that many of us still hold close, it did bring together a pretty formidable cast. Along with LeBron James landing in the Looney Tunes universe, Zendaya also joined the fun as the voice of Lola Bunny. Director Malcolm D. Lee notably moved away from the character’s “very sexualized” portrayal in the 1996 film. For some viewers, that was disappointing. For others, especially parents, it was probably a welcome change. Either way, it led to Zendaya taking on the voice role.

11. ‘The Drama’

In A24’s The Drama, Zendaya stars opposite everyone’s favorite Twilight heartthrob, Robert Pattinson, in a pretty dark romantic thriller. Her character, Emma, reveals the “worst thing” she’s ever done. The story she tells becomes "the drama," and it sends everyone, including Pattinson’s Charlie, into a spiral over whether the two should still go through with their wedding. Do they actually make it down the aisle? You’ll have to watch to find out.

12. ‘Smallfoot’

Alexa, play Gabriel Gundacker’s “Zendaya is Meechee!” The Oakland star added another voice-acting credit to her résumé with Smallfoot, where she played Meechee, the Stonekeeper’s (Common) daughter and the secret leader of the Smallfoot Evidentiary Society. With Channing Tatum, LeBron James, James Corden, and Yara Shahidi also in the cast, little kids would probably have a great time with this one.