Before she became part of the Disney “Zombies” family, Chandler Kinney already had an impressive resume. She’d starred in small screen hits such as: American Horror Story: Asylum, 90210, Haunted Hathaway’s, and Lethal Weapon. Yet, even seasoned talents like Kinney need someone to pave the way for them as an idol. Recently, the talented teen sat down with Girls United to talk about how she “idolized” Zendaya for making her feel seen on Disney.
“I idolized Zendaya on Shake It Up. It was great because I was able to see myself. Being able to see someone that looks like you, and may see things the way that you see things, makes you feel included,” Kinney said in her interview. “It makes you feel like your dreams are achievable. You have to see it to believe it.”
happy bday @Zendaya ⚡️ thank u for inspiring me in so so so many ways. such an honor working with you 💛 much love!! pic.twitter.com/sRKJDPUpvA
— Chandler Kinney (@ChandlerLKinney) September 1, 2017
In 2017, Kinney had the opportunity to not only meet her idol, but work with her as well when she guest-starred on Disney Channel’s K.C. Undercover. To let Zendaya know just how much she meant to her, Kinney brought the Emmy-winning actress flowers and told her just how she felt.
“I definitely told her. I was like, ‘You were iconic. I hope you know that,’ which she does,” Kinney reminisced about the moment.
With her roles in the Disney Plus original movie, Zombies 3 and her upcoming role in HBO Max‘s Pretty Little Liars reboot, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Kinney is truly becoming an icon herself, letting little Black girls like her know that, “dreams are achievable.”
So just what does Kinney say to Girls United about her upcoming characters?
Well, in terms of Willa in Zombies 3, Kinney says that, “Willa is a very strong woman – strong young werewolf. She is the leader of the wolf pack, she’s very protective of her family and that is a quality that I absolutely love about her, and that we definitely share.”
As for her role in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Kinney confirms that they won’t be exactly singing and dancing. Things will be a little darker.
“We’re definitely not dancing and singing, I’ll say that,” she laughed. “So I do miss that aspect a lot, because it is just such a core part of who I am, but in that story, we still touch on really important topics. I definitely would say that conveying those messages through dance and song can be pretty fun too, which I love that about our Zombies family.”
The Disney Plus original movie is now playing on the popular streaming service. Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, will hit airwaves on July 28th.
