Zendaya has become the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice.
At the age of 26, she is also the youngest two-time winner for acting in Emmys history. “My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shared their story with me,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I want you to know that anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like they are Rue, I want you to know that I’m so grateful for your stories and I carry them with me and I carry them with her.” Zendaya has appeared in HBO’s Euphoria since the show made its debut in 2019 as Ruby “Rue” Bennett, a teenage drug addict who serves as the show’s narrator and relapses after an unsuccessful stint in rehab.
She has received widespread critical acclaim for her depiction of the character. The actress first made Emmys history with her win in 2020 when she became the youngest-ever to win in the lead actress category, beating off competition from the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Olivia Colman.
This year, Zendaya was also nominated for writing original lyrics for two songs featured in Euphoria, as well as for her work as an executive producer on the series.