For many Disney Channel stars, the transition from a child star to a serious actor can be bumpy, to say the least. But that hasn’t been the case for television and film actress Zendaya. She has spent the past few years building up her acting resume after years of working at the House of Mouse. Zendaya revealed her new Netflix film, Malcolm & Marie, could have been a horror take on her Disney Channel show K.C. Undercover.
Before she was known for the Spider-Man film series and HBO’s Euphoria, Zendaya was a Disney Channel star as a teenager. The actress headlined K.C. Undercover on the cable channel for three seasons. She spoke with GQ for its February cover profile about a range of things, including a surprising take on her old Disney series. Zendaya broke down how the horror version of the Disney Channel show would have gone with the following:
I was just on the pavement outside in my backyard because I didn't have outdoor furniture yet, talking to Sam. He's like, ‘What if we did something almost like a horror movie where you've lost it because you still think you're on K.C. Undercover? You could be in the house like dah, dah, dah, and you're still stuck being this Disney Channel actress, and people are like, ‘No. You're not K.C. [anymore].’
The Emmy-winning actress seemed to not be into Sam Levinson’s idea. However, Zendaya understood the creative process behind the horror take. She continued:
You just have to let him go through his process.
Zendaya’s words made the possible reboot seem like a clever idea, especially with some of the content Disney is doing now. That said, she seemed less eager to film that compared what is now the Netflix film Malcolm & Marie.
K.C. Undercover ran from 2015 to 2018 on the Disney Channel. Before starring in K.C. Undercover, Zendaya co-starred alongside Bella Thorne on another Disney Channel series Shake It Up.
But Zendaya’s career has moved beyond the House of Mouse. Malcolm & Marie will arrive on Netflix in February, and she is currently receiving Oscar buzz for her performance. Zendaya will next appear in the sci-fi film Dune alongside Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa, among others. The actress is also currently filming the Spider-Man: Far from Home sequel, and she currently has two biopics in the works based on Anita Hemmings and Ronnie Spector, respectively.
At this point, Zendaya has been making all the right moves to distance herself from the Disney brand. While Sam Levinson may have seen a terrific opportunity, the actress seemingly wants to move on from the K.C. Undercover days so she can grow her already-promising acting career. If you want to see more of Zendaya, you can check out her performance in Malcolm & Marie on Netflix starting February 5.
