As an actress, Emmy winner and fashion icon, Zendaya is a true superstar. Given her level of fame at the age of 24, some fans might assume she’s always been comfortable living in the limelight. But in a new cover story for GQ, Zendaya opens up about overcoming her childhood shyness.
This journey didn’t happen overnight, as the magazine notes Zendaya’s parents sought counsel on how to address her shyness when she was a kid. As her star continued to rise, she found herself in more social situations.
“In this industry, I had to learn how to do small talk and stuff, because I guess I would kind of come off cold to people because I didn’t really know how to start conversation,” Zendaya tells the publication for its February issue. “I remember my stylist was like, ‘You come off kind of cold. People think you’re mean because you don’t talk,’ when really I just was too nervous.”