Zendaya hits 30 with Hollywood in her corner and 'Dune: Part Three' still ahead
The Emmy winner turned 30 on September 1 with a childhood throwback, a two-word Instagram caption from her husband, and a film calendar that would exhaust most people half her age.
In brief
Zendaya hits 30 with Hollywood in her corner and 'Dune: Part Three' still ahead
She turned 30 on September 1. No big press rollout, no fan event, no brand partnership. Zendaya marked the milestone on Instagram with a throwback photo of herself as a child, thanking fans for making the final year of her 20s special. The post barely said anything. It didn't need to.
For the caption, she wrote: "Happy Birthday Z." Wait - that was Tom Holland. Holland took to Instagram, where he shared three pictures of Zendaya: the first a childhood image, the second and third featuring the couple sharing a laugh together. Meanwhile, her mother Claire Stoermer shared a sweet throwback pic of Zendaya as a little girl, along with a heartfelt birthday message calling the actress the "love and light" of her life - joking that Zendaya probably won't see the post since she's no longer on social media, though the two had just gotten off FaceTime.
That's the Zendaya move in 2026: quiet, warm, and still everywhere.
The year that got her here
The Euphoria actress officially turned 30 after an especially huge year in both her personal life and career. Over the past decade-plus, she has made the leap from Disney Channel favorite to Emmy-winning actress and one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars, appearing in blockbuster franchises like Spider-Man and Dune.
She started off 2026 starring in the buzzy movie 'The Drama' and later appeared in Christopher Nolan's Greek epic 'The Odyssey,' then returned as MJ again in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.' Three major films in a single calendar year before her birthday. She is also slated to appear as Chani in Denis Villeneuve's science fiction film 'Dune: Part Three,' scheduled for release on December 18, 2026. So the year isn't even close to done.
For her performance as Rue Bennett, a struggling drug-addicted teenager in Euphoria, she won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the youngest performer to win in the category. That record still stands.
On the personal side, her stylist Law Roach shared earlier this year that she and Tom Holland quietly got married, and Holland later confirmed it. They held a celebration for family and friends in England in August. Just Jared reported the detail. Zendaya also helped Holland celebrate his own 30th birthday back on June 1. Both of them - 30, married, juggling Marvel and Nolan. Exhausting to even type.
The fashion piece you can't ignore
Her influence doesn't end when she leaves the film set. Together with stylist Law Roach, Zendaya has redefined the relationship between cinema and the red carpet through the concept known as method dressing - her outfits frequently incorporating references to the characters and films she is promoting, transforming each premiere into a visual extension of the story.
According to bolnews.com, Zendaya has undergone a striking transformation in the fashion world, evolving from a teenage Disney star into one of Hollywood's most closely watched red-carpet figures, and her relationship with stylist Law Roach played a major role in that evolution. Roach has publicly said there are five designers Zendaya will never wear on the red carpet - he shared the list earlier this year, per Just Jared - and the specificity of that boundary is very much part of the brand.
The generation that turned 30 with her
Zendaya isn't alone in this milestone. The same class of 1996 includes Florence Pugh, Sophie Turner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Dove Cameron, Lorde, Jennie, Normani, Timothée Chalamet, Kendall Jenner, Doja Cat, Jimin, and Patrick Mahomes - all turning the big 3-0 this year. Entertainment Now noted the convergence. It's a lot of talent hitting the same existential speed bump at once.
The internet noticed. "30, flirty, and thriving" trended across social platforms Monday into Tuesday, with fans posting side-by-sides of Zendaya's Disney Channel Shake It Up era against her recent Nolan and Villeneuve credits. Now entering her 30s, Zendaya has a career that spans television, blockbuster franchises, acclaimed dramas, and fashion, with several major projects still ahead.
Her mother spent nearly two decades teaching in underfunded schools in Oakland, California, before moving into arts administration, per People magazine. Zendaya has frequently credited her mother with shaping her work ethic and appreciation for education. The FaceTime call on birthday morning, then - the one Stoermer mentioned publicly - lands a little differently with that context in mind.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
