We believe there’s a superhero in each of us. True Superheroes celebrates people who’ve overcome adversity, made amazing contributions to society, and inspired others to do the same. Each week we nominate people in different fields. This week we focus on the Emmys.
Zendaya
As a child, Zendaya was so shy she had to retake her kindergarten year because she was too scared to ask questions of her teachers. Barely a decade later, she was winning plaudits around the world for the collected, confident way she handled racist media coverage of her appearance. She’s now renowned not just for her acting and singing talents but also her effortlessly cool and charming personality. What led to this remarkable transformation from terrified toddler to Emmy-winning Euphoria star?
Success did not come quickly for Lizzo, who spent years battling depression and anxiety while living out of her car and playing in tiny venues. Her breakthrough finally came with 2019’s sensational Cuz I Love You, marrying flawless pop sensibilities to a relentlessly body-positive message. Now her hit show Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, has done for reality TV what her albums have done for music, and added an Emmy to her growing collection of Grammys. How long until she lands an Oscar to complete the set?
The story of Squid Game’s genesis is well known; writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk conceived the plot while in heavy debt himself, then spent a decade unsuccessfully trying to get funding for what would become a global ratings smash. Less well known is the incredible story of his movie Dogani (Silenced), a harrowing film about a real-life sexual abuse scandal at a Korean school for deaf children that sparked a national outrage, changes to outdated laws, and a lengthy and long-overdue jail sentence for one of the perpetrators.
