The star of blockbusters like 'Spider-Man' and 'Dune' once auditioned multiple times for a role in the 'Descendants' franchise, but the part ultimately went to someone else.
- Jul 31, 2024
AceShowbiz - Before Zendaya Coleman became a leading lady in major motion pictures, she was a teen star on Disney Channel's "Shake It Up" and "K.C. Undercover". However, a former Disney Channel casting executive, Cornelia Frame, revealed that Zendaya also auditioned for a role in the network's "Descendants" franchise.
"Zendaya did audition many times for 'Descendants'," Frame said in an interview on the "Magical Rewind" podcast. "She really wanted it, and it just ended up not going her way."
Frame noted that Zendaya put a significant amount of effort into her auditions, but ultimately the part went to another actress. "It's just one of those things," she explained.
Despite not getting the role in "Descendants," Zendaya already had two Disney Channel original movies under her belt, "Frenemies" (2012) and "Zapped" (2014). She also lent her voice to songs in the 2017 musical film "The Greatest Showman".
The first three "Descendants" movies starred Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart and Cameron Boyce as the teenage children of classic Disney villains. The original premiered in 2015, with sequels following in 2017 and 2019.
Frame speculated that Zendaya's audition for "Descendants" may have coincided with her eventual casting in the "Spider-Man" franchise. "Things happen for a reason," she said. "You do often book this other thing that's amazing when you don't get something else."
Since her Disney Channel days, Zendaya has gone on to star in the "Dune" film franchise, "Euphoria" and most recently "Challengers".
