Willow Smith and Zendaya join Kiernan Shipka on the cover of W Magazine’s April 2016 issue. In the publication, the teen stars talk about everything from their style to how they first got started in the industry.
When it comes to her style, 15-year-old Willow Smith says that she sets her own boundaries and not even her parents can tame her sartorial wildness. “Only when I was 6 or 7. I wanted to wear things then that might have been too crazy. But now they know I set my own boundaries.”
As for when she first became interested in performing, she says, “I think I was 9 or 10. I went on the Ellen Show, and it was the craziest experience of my entire life. I was so nervous. My mom told me, “You’ll do great. You can do this.” I got on the stage to sing “Whip My Hair,” and when I was done, they said, “Okay. Cut.” I said, “Do I have to do it again?” And they said, “No—you killed it the first time.” I was, like, “Dang, I had no idea you were even taping.”
As for actress and singer Zendaya, she reveals that her first audition was in a school play. “James and the Giant Peach. I tried out for the lead, but I ended up being cast as the silkworm. I didn’t have any lines, but you know what? I killed it. [Laughs] I was a worm, but I was reacting and giving face, and I was the best dang silkworm there ever was.”
The 20-year-old has since gone on from being a silkworm to being a musician, a bonafide actress, and a dancing star. In 2013, Zendaya was a contestant on Dancing With the Stars and she came in second place. ” It was a really, really hard thing to do. But now I can say I’m ballroom-trained,” she says of her experience on the show..
She adds of her DWTS wardrobe, “Everything is really bedazzled. The only thing I refused to do was get a spray tan. I said, “Guys—I’m half-black. I naturally glow from melanin.”
For more on Zendaya and Willow, Head to W Magazine.
Photos: W Magazine
