{"id":2452084,"date":"2026-06-09T22:40:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2452084"},"modified":"2026-06-09T22:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:40:17","slug":"the-surprising-celebrity-gen-z-wants-to-be-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-surprising-celebrity-gen-z-wants-to-be-like\/","title":{"rendered":"The surprising celebrity Gen Z wants to be like"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Much of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Gen Z;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2026\/04\/21\/brooklyn-phone-free-parties-are-filled-with-rituals-i-went-to-one\/89625624007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Gen Z<\/a> may be <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:image-obsessed;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2025\/12\/03\/gen-z-is-going-broke-to-look-rich-on-tiktok-and-instagram\/87372477007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">image-obsessed<\/a>, but many seem to aspire to a certain kind of notoriety.<\/p>\n<p>According to a June <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Yahoo\/YouGov poll;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/family-relationships\/article\/the-celebrity-gen-z-wants-to-emulate-the-most-its-not-taylor-swift-lebron-james-or-mrbeast-110000472.html?utm_source=celebrity-intelligence.com&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=who-is-the-one-star-gen-z-wants-to-be-like-and-why&amp;_bhlid=a4fa9e3451201a4e800cbca17f4b896139ac27c0&amp;guccounter=1\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Yahoo\/YouGov poll<\/a>, a surprising star topped the list of provided celebrities young adults under 30 want to be like.<\/p>\n<p>Against figures including <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Elon Musk;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/news\/elon-musk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Elon Musk<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Taylor Swift;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/entertainment\/music\/taylor-swift\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Taylor Swift<\/a>, LeBron James, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:MrBeast;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/2026\/02\/08\/mrbeast-million-dollar-puzzle-super-bowl-ad\/88553887007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">MrBeast<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Beyonc\u00e9;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/entertainment\/music\/beyonce\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Beyonc\u00e9<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Kylie Jenner;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/kylie-jenner-reveals-son-aire-230100325.html\">Kylie Jenner<\/a>, Gen Z adults chose <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Zendaya;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/entertainment\/celebrities\/zendaya\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Zendaya<\/a> as the celebrity they most want to emulate by a healthy margin at 13% of respondents. None of the other celebs broke double digits.<\/p>\n<p>Despite spending the majority of her life in the spotlight and transitioning from a child star of the early social media era to a globally recognized movie actress and fashion icon, the former Disney star and &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Euphoria;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/euphoria-season-3-ends-another-054906925.html\">Euphoria<\/a>&#8221; alum is also known for embodying a sense of old-school fame, deliberately keeping her personal life out of the headlines.<\/p>\n<p>Case in point: The 29-year-old actress has been famously private about her <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:relationship with husband Tom Holland;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/celebrities\/2026\/04\/01\/zendaya-tom-holland-marriage-rumors-comments\/89417878007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">relationship with husband Tom Holland<\/a>. She has yet to publicly confirm their marriage months later (maybe even years, who but <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Law Roach;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/celebrities\/2026\/03\/15\/law-roach-zendaya-marriage-speculation-oscars\/89174903007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Law Roach<\/a> knows?).<\/p>\n<p>In an April interview for the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:New York Times' &quot;Modern Love&quot; podcast;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LEzOkpfu3zM\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times&#8217; &#8220;Modern Love&#8221; podcast<\/a>, she explained why she has been declining to reveal\u00a0if she tied the knot, referring to interest in the couple as &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:parasocial investment;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation\/2025\/11\/18\/cambridge-dictionary-word-year-2025-parasocial-meaning\/87332931007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">parasocial investment<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I understand, and I&#8217;m aware that I&#8217;m a public person, and so is he,&#8221; she said. &#8220;In a lot of ways, I also am a very private person, and I try my best to be able to have things for myself, and for him as well. So we do our best, in general, to not hide ourselves from the world, but just to preserve things for ourselves so that we can maintain that joy, just within ourselves and our loved ones and our family.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Zendaya;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/entertainment\/celebrities\/zendaya\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zendaya<\/strong><\/a><strong> explains why <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:she isn't confirming Tom Holland marriage rumors;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/celebrities\/2026\/04\/01\/zendaya-tom-holland-marriage-rumors-comments\/89417878007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">she isn&#8217;t confirming Tom Holland marriage rumors<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Still, 10% of Gen Z respondents couldn&#8217;t think of a celebrity, and 36% said they wouldn&#8217;t model their lives after any celebrity.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Gen Z may be pulling away from fame obsession, poll finds<\/h2>\n<p>Another poll question asked Gen Z adults about their career goals, with many respondents seeking non-famous paths. Of the provided list:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"content-list\">\n<li class=\"list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p>18% wanted to be a successful but non-famous tech entrepreneur<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p>17% wanted to be a respected intellectual or professor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\"\/><\/ul>\n<p>Just 5% of respondents wanted to be influencers or digital creators, just ahead of the number of people who wanted to be lawyers, at 3%.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gen Z pout, &#8216;influencer voice&#8217; <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:and the horror of 'looking cringe';elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2026\/04\/25\/gen-z-pout-cringe\/89625647007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">and the horror of &#8216;looking cringe&#8217;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a noted shift from previous thinking, with Yahoo pointing out that more than half of Gen Z respondents said they wanted to be influencers in a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:2023 Morning Consult poll;elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;elmt:premonetized;pkgt:horizontal-editorial;subsec:commlist;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=34e37b9c-8975-48da-aa39-df8bcd5badc3&amp;siteId=us-lifestyle&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=fce7f7f9-89ed-440d-bd6e-2a9112d14a7e&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=CNBC&amp;linkText=2023+Morning+Consult+poll&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jbmJjLmNvbS8yMDI0LzA5LzE0L21vcmUtdGhhbi1oYWxmLW9mLWdlbi16LXdhbnQtdG8tYmUtaW5mbHVlbmNlcnMtYnV0LWl0cy1jb25zdGFudC5odG1sIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJmY2U3ZjdmOS04OWVkLTQ0MGQtYmQ2ZS0yYTkxMTJkMTRhN2UiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNuYmMuY29tLzIwMjQvMDkvMTQvbW9yZS10aGFuLWhhbGYtb2YtZ2VuLXotd2FudC10by1iZS1pbmZsdWVuY2Vycy1idXQtaXRzLWNvbnN0YW50Lmh0bWwifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAek9dYO-GgHvHIEzcOfFuGx3YVxiobMNVMErnzZabRnD&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2024%2F09%2F14%2Fmore-than-half-of-gen-z-want-to-be-influencers-but-its-constant.html&amp;refurl=lifestyle-supernova-center-well-Test-0-1-1-desk_ssr&amp;uuid=fHLVKNBiDIC9GyHB0934\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">2023 Morning Consult poll<\/a>. The shift could also be seen in the generation <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:growing tired of influencers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/tech\/2026\/03\/11\/gen-z-cant-stop-using-tiktok-survey-finds\/89097676007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">growing tired of influencers<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:swearing off smartphones;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2025\/06\/06\/gen-z-flip-phones-college-smartphone-detox\/84031732007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">swearing off smartphones<\/a> for a life less chronically online and bonds that are <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:less parasocial;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2021\/09\/28\/parasocial-relationship-explained-meaning-and-unhealthy\/5892428001\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">less parasocial<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Zendaya chosen by Gen Z as top celebrity role model;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/celebrities\/2026\/06\/09\/gen-z-zendaya-celebrity-role-model\/90472098007\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Zendaya chosen by Gen Z as top celebrity role model<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.aol.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Much of Gen Z may be image-obsessed, but many seem to aspire to a certain kind of notoriety. According to a June Yahoo\/YouGov poll, a surprising star topped the list of provided celebrities young adults [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2452085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[43585,354464,22789,310477,481745,23084,27542],"class_list":["post-2452084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-elon-musk","tag-gen-z","tag-kylie-jenner","tag-lebron-james","tag-respondents","tag-taylor-swift","tag-tom-holland"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/The-surprising-celebrity-Gen-Z-wants-to-be-like.com2Fen2Faol_usatoday_us_articles_5902Fd0f205cb5b5cbc2f6da5031b509dc065.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2452084"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2452086,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452084\/revisions\/2452086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2452085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2452084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2452084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2452084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}