Who is Darnell Appling, Zendaya’s assistant and BFF – and rising Hollywood star? The 39-year-old finally got his acting break, appearing in Challengers and in an ad with Roger Federer

Now that Appling, 39, has made his debut as an actor, drawing attention even from viewers unaware of his connection to 27-year-old Zendaya, all eyes are on his next career move. While he has been well known for his striking good looks and penchant for fashion, a new chapter has opened in his life, and he is excited to “stop hiding”, he wrote on Instagram.

Here’s everything we know about the talented scene-stealer who was raised by a single mum.

Darnell Appling has always wanted to act

Appling was born and raised in East Cleveland and went to Shaw High School, per Code M magazine. From a young age, he was inspired by Steve Urkel from the show Family Matters, so much so that he was determined to “one day … act just like Steve Urkel did”, per the publication. However, his journey first began behind the camera.

He was a stand-in for Zendaya

According to an old interview on YouTube, Zendaya first met Appling on the set of Disney’s K.C. Undercover, where he was her stand-in. He developed a close friendship with her mother and slowly became a part of the family. Considering their existing bond, Zendaya looked no further when she was in need of an assistant, and found out that Appling had the experience for it. Zendaya also shared that she liked that he was “a little hood” and figured they’d “get along great”.

The duo have stuck by each other since then and have only grown closer, with Appling calling her his “sweet little sister” and the Euphoria actress bestowing on him the titles of “big brother, mother, grandmother, chaperon, guidance counsellor”.

His casting in Challengers was unexpected

Appling’s casting was just as unexpected to the man himself as it was to fans. The budding actor told Code M magazine that he knew he gets noticed due to his looks or style, but didn’t expect to be discovered by director Luca Guadagnino while he was literally “doing my job” – offering Zendaya some coffee while on set. Per GQ, Guadagnino told him that he saw a “strong spirit of truth and justice” in him and asked, “Will you do me the honour of playing my umpire?”

However, Appling told GQ that he wouldn’t have taken the role if Zendaya hadn’t given him the go-ahead: “If Zendaya had said no, I wouldn’t have done it, because I adore our relationship so much. So the fact that she’s genuinely happy and I see how close [Challengers] is to her, it just makes me happy. Her happiness makes me happy.”

He had a star-studded birthday party

He’s a devout Christian

For his birthday this year, Appling spoke about how he has been the “most visible I’ve ever been in my life”. “I allowed the world to silence me and push me into hiding,” he wrote in an emotional Instagram post, adding, “The one thing I didn’t hide was my love for God.”