Zendaya, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande… From child stars to Hollywood heavyweights

ENTERTAINMENT – Some of them grew up in front of the cameras. Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, former child stars of the 2000s, could all leave this Sunday, January 5 with a statuette from the 82nd Golden Globes ceremony for films, series and songs released this year. A generation of actresses and singers who prove once again that going through the Disney “factory” can lead to a completely different form of success.

There was the generation of Club Mickey Mouse from the 90s: Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera and Keri Russell. Now there’s the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon generation of the 2000s and 2010s. We’d almost forget it, but Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez all got their start on children’s TV shows.

The Zendaya phenomenon

Youngest in this “promotion”, Zendaya is undoubtedly the one who bounced back the fastest. It all started for her on the Disney Channel. She played the main roles in the series Shake it up between 2010 and 2013 and Agent K.C between 2015 and 2018. Then, thanks in particular to his roles in the saga Spider-Man and the series Euphoria, she became a rising star in Hollywood.

Headliner of Dune by Denis Villeneuve, she will soon be in the casting of Christopher Nolan’s new film alongside her companion Tom Holland, Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson. It’s for his role in the film Challengers by Luca Guadagnino that she is nominated for the Golden Globes this year, in the category of best actress in a comedy or musical film. In 2023, she had already gleaned a statuette, that of best actress in a drama series for her role as Rue in Euphoria.

Selena Gomez, star of the big screen

This is a first, however, for Selena Gomez. After beginnings in Barney & Friendsthe Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place made her a global star among teenagers between 2007 and 2012. She then played roles in a multitude of TV films and animated films. His musical career also exploded at the same time.

In 2021, Mabel’s role in the series Only Murders In The Buildingpropels her into an “adult” universe. She was nominated this year for the Golden Globes for this role in the Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Series category. But not only that: she was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Musical Film for Emilia Perez by Jacques Audiard. A role which has already earned her, with the three other actresses in the film, the Best Actress Prize at Cannes.

Ariana Grande, the hatching

The competition will be tough, since another child star is in the same category: Ariana Grande. The singer made her (real) big screen debut in 2024 in the adaptation of the musical Wicked. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her portrayal of Glinda. This is his first major film role.

Ariana Grande became famous at 17 thanks to the series Victorious on Nickelodeon, and its spin off Sam and Cat. She then dedicated herself entirely to Music, winning several Grammy Awards, MTV VMAs and NRJ Music Awards. At the same time, she made appearances in several series and television films. But it is mainly thanks to her seven studio albums that Ariana Grande now has more than 376 million followers on Instagram.

Recognition for Miley Cyrus

A former teen TV series star who became a full-time singer, it was for one of her songs that Miley Cyrus was nominated for the Golden Globes this year. After winning her first Grammy Award in 2024, it would be another major recognition for the one who began her career on Disney Channel in the hit series Hannah Montana.

After numerous series and films (LOL USA, Black Mirror), it has been several years now that Miley Cyrus has accomplished exclusively in music, already having eight studio albums to her credit. This time it’s thanks to Beautiful That Waywhich appears on the film’s soundtrack The Last Showgirl with Palema Anderson, also nominated, that it could win the award for Best Original Song.

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