Disney darling Zendaya Coleman, better known by her first name Zendaya, is one of Hollywood’s fast rising stars. The 20-year-old is poised to grace the big screen in the newest Marvel movie, Spider-Man Homecoming, this July. Though audiences have to wait for two weeks until they get to meet Zendaya’s mysterious character Michelle, the Disney star has already been making press tour appearances around the country. One topic that Zendaya has opened about to the press is her Disney Channel show K.C. Undercover. Get to know how the actress managed to help craft the main character below.
Zendaya Reveals Shocking Preproduction Title of ‘K.C. Undercover’
K.C. Undercover is a Disney Channel original sitcom that first aired on January 18, 2015. It became Zendaya’s second lead role from the broadcast network, the first being 2013’s Shake It Up. The series is set in Washington, D.C., and it centers around K.C. Cooper, an undercover spy who works for the Organization. Joining K.C. in her adventures are her brother Ernie and their parents, who happen to be spies as well.
When the series was first announced back in 2013, it had the preproduction title Super Awesome Katy. Years after its successful premiere, Zendaya revealed some secrets that transpired during this period. Turns out the actress wasn’t too thrilled about the title, so she took her case to Disney execs and voiced out her concerns.
“I got in a room with the heads of Disney Channel,” she told Vogue magazine. “I was like, ‘The title is whack. That’s gonna change.’”
The next requirement was having a family of color, similar to the iconic Disney shows The Proud Family and That’s So Raven. Zendaya also wanted to make sure her character was a great role model to young girls, so instead of having stage-ready talents like singing and dancing, the character of K.C. Cooper was skilled in martial arts and problem solving. Zendaya also added a “relatable” factor to K.C.’s personality, making her socially awkward in school instead of the typical cool kid.
Catch Zendaya in the Season 3 premiere of Disney Channel’s K.C. Undercover on July 7, 2017, and in Spider-Man: Homecoming when it hits theaters nationwide on the same day.