Quote Of The Day By Zendaya: 'Nobody's Ugly. That Doesn't Exist...'

Everyone has days when they look in the mirror and feel insecure about the reflection they see. It's natural to look toward Hollywood's biggest stars for tips on how to get through the days when we're not feeling our best. People like Zendaya are in front of the camera all the time, expected to be "on" and glamorous whether they're on a red carpet, at the airport, or on set. It's encouraging to realize, though, that people who seem like they've got it all have bad hair days too.

Over the course of a decade, Zendaya made a stunning transformation from tween Disney star to critically acclaimed actor. The Oakland, California, native began her career in 2010 with the back-to-back Disney Channel hits, "Shake It Up" and "K.C. Undercover," becoming a runner-up on "Dancing with the Stars" in the process. She met her future husband, Tom Holland, in 2016 while filming "Spiderman: Homecoming" together, and they still love working alongside each other. She's appeared in acclaimed films and series since then, making history as the youngest nominee to win an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series when she won in 2020 for "Euphoria."

Zendaya has had plenty of great looks along the way, with her flawless outfits for "The Odyssey" press tour becoming instantly iconic. Even so, the actor hasn't been shy about feelings of anxiety, insecurity, and low self-esteem. She's confronted these things with wisdom and maturity, though, and has said some inspiring things in the process. In fact, her thoughts on the word "ugly" make a good case for erasing it from the dictionary entirely, which is why Zendaya is today's quote of the day.

Zendaya was just a 19-year-old Disney star trying to make it through the airport in October 2015 when a random paparazzo asked her if she had a message for her fans who are "insecure women" and "girls who feel ugly and stuff." Her response was a mic-drop moment that will never be irrelevant. X17OnlineVideo captured the moment when Zendaya said, "Nobody's ugly. That doesn't exist. I say take the time to get to know who you are. Take the time to love yourself, and everything will be alright."

The "Greatest Showman" star was put on the spot by a rude man who seemed to barely listen to her answer. However, anyone who was listening will recognize Zendaya's response as a beautiful, self-affirming update of the old saying, "Beauty is more than skin deep." 

Zendaya's quote goes beyond a basic pep talk, simply cheering up fans on a cloudy day. She's challenging everyone to think deeper about society's beauty standards. A sentence-by-sentence breakdown of the quote is a study in self-love. If someone takes Zendaya's word that the concept of "ugliness" doesn't exist, it can take a lot of self-deprecating chatter out of their mind and reduce the pressure they may feel to live up to society's superficial expectations about appearance. 

The second half of her quote may be the most important, though. Zendaya's not just telling people their personality is what matters; she's telling them to take the time to learn "who you are" and "love yourself." Doing so puts everything into perspective and bolsters one's confidence. Zendaya was giving anyone with ears a path out of spiraling negative thoughts while encouraging them to discover what they're passionate about, what makes them excited and gives their life meaning. That can only happen with some self-love. After that, there's absolutely no reason to look in the mirror and feel bad about the person smiling back at you. 

• "... What do we do about [social injustice]? All I can say is try to find a balance between doing the work and still not letting it destroy you as a person and destroy your hope and faith in humanity."
• "I am really proud of the fact that I'm able to use people knowing my name and knowing who I am for good things..."
• "... In the words of Tupac Shakur, I don't feel like a role model because I'm not playing a role. I'm not pretending to be someone that I'm not in the hopes that people will like me. I'm a real model. I keep it real, I do what Zendaya does, I do what Zendaya feels right doing. "
• "Live performing really gave me anxiety too. I think a lot of it stems from the pressure I put on myself, wanting to do my best and not make a mistake. I definitely don't have it under control yet. I don't have the key, so if anybody does, let me know! I do find that talking about it is helpful, and that can often mean calling my mom in the middle of the night."
• "I just want you to know that doing and making positive programming for young people is so important to me, and I will keep doing it. To all the parents out there, thank you for allowing me to be a role model for your children. I really, really do not take that for granted."