Zendaya: ‘I’m not playing a role & I’m not pretending to be some good kid that’s perfect’.

How she felt when Mattel (the makers of the Barbie doll) honored her with a special-edition Barbie due to her positive approach when criticized for her hairstyle on the red carpet at the Oscars:

It’s something that is long overdue. There have been black Barbies, but not ones with locs or even natural hair or different facial structures. When I was little, I had a Barbie, but I didn’t have a Barbie that looked like me because there was no mixed-girl-with-curly-hair Barbie!

How she feels about beauty, fashion and self-image:

A big reason I play with beauty and hair is that it’s important to show different kinds of beauty when I’m on the red carpet. I don’t want to be just one-dimensional or relatable to one type of person. I want a different woman to be like, That’s like me! That’s like my hair! or That’s so my style! If I went out there and was just like, pretty, all the time, doing the same thing, it can be cool, but you’re also catering to one type of person, and what about all those other kinds of beautiful out there?”

Why she feels it is important to remain truthful and authentic to her fans:

I’ve always been honest with my fans, and I want to keep that up because I feel they can see through the fakeness. They would know if I let someone tweet for me.

Her take on what it means to be a feminist:

A feminist is a person who believes in the power of women just as much as they believe in the power of anyone else. It’s equality, it’s fairness, and I think it’s a great thing to be a part of.

-@blogxpressions