Yara Sayeh Shahidi (born February 10, 2000)[2] is an American actress and model. She gained recognition for her starring role as the oldest daughter Zoey Johnson on the sitcom Black-ish (2014–2022) and its spin-off series Grown-ish (2018–present).[3] Her film credits include Imagine That (2009), Smallfoot (2018), and the lead role in The Sun Is Also a Star (2019). Time included her on "The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016" list.[4]
Yara Shahidi | |
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![]() Shahidi in 2019 | |
Born | Yara Sayeh Shahidi (2000-02-10) February 10, 2000 (age 22) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
Education | Harvard University (BA) [1] |
Occupation | Actress, model |
Years active | 2007–present |
Relatives |
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Website | yarashahidi |
Yara Sayeh Shahidi was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Keri Salter Shahidi and Afshin Shahidi,[5][6] a photographer.[3][7] Her mother, Keri Salter, is of African-American and Choctaw heritage, whereas her father Afshin is Iranian. Afshin was one of the principal photographers for musician Prince until his death in 2016. Prince also kept a signed photo of Yara in his editing suit at Paisley Park, which can be seen on the VIP Tour.[8][9][10] The family moved to California for Afshin's work when Yara was 4 years old. She is the older sister of child actor and model Sayeed Shahidi and they have a younger brother, Ehsan.[5] The rapper Nas is a cousin.[11]
Her mother Keri states her daughter's first name Yara means "Someone who is close to your heart" in Persian .[5] Shahidi is also a common surname in Iran, of Muslim origin.
Shahidi graduated in 2017 from Dwight Global Online School.[12][13][14] Starting in 2018, Shahidi began college at Harvard University with a plan to major in Interdisciplinary Sociology and African American Studies.[12][15]
She began her career when she was 6 years old,[16] appearing in television commercials and print advertisements for companies such as McDonald's, Ralph Lauren, Target, GapKids, Disney, Guess Kids and The Children's Place. She frequently worked with her mother and younger brother in various print and broadcast campaigns.
Shahidi made her cinematic debut in 2009, starring opposite Eddie Murphy in Paramount Pictures' Imagine That,[3] for which she received a Young Artist Award nomination for the best performance in a feature film category.[17] She also appeared in the Angelina Jolie action film Salt in 2010 as a next door neighbor. In 2012, she played Chloe Johnson, the daughter of President William Johnson, in the TV series The First Family.
Starting in September 2014, Shahidi began her role in ABC's prime-time comedy Black-ish as 14-year-old Zoey Johnson.[18] In December 2014 she won an NAACP Image Award in the category of 'Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy'.[19]
In 2016, she signed to model with New York's Women Management modeling agency, in hopes of providing a platform to see more women of color in diverse roles.[18]
ABC announced in 2017 that Shahidi would be headlining a Black-ish spinoff, titled Grown-ish, on its sister network Freeform. The series premiered on January 3, 2018.[20]
She was ranked one of the best dressed women in 2018 by fashion website Net-a-Porter.[21]
She was one of fifteen women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue, by guest editor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.[22]
In 2020, Shahidi and her mother launched their production company 7th Sun and signed a deal with ABC Studios to produce shows.[23] She was cast as Tinker Bell in the upcoming Peter Pan remake Peter Pan & Wendy.[24] and will appear in the Apple TV+ anthology series Extrapolations.[25]
Shahidi founded Eighteen x 18 with social news publisher NowThis,[26] which "will be a platform to encourage [her] peers to vote for the very first time in our upcoming midterm elections." Her other organizations include Yara's Club a partnership with Young Women's Leadership Network (YWLN) of New York, which provides online mentorship in hopes to end poverty through education.[27][28]
Shahidi's activism was noticed by former first lady Michelle Obama, who wrote her a letter of recommendation to Harvard University.[29][30] She was also given the opportunity by Teen Vogue to interview Hillary Clinton in 2017.[31][32]
In 2021, Yara Shahidi joined the Dior Stand with Women campaign.[33]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2009 | Imagine That | Olivia Danielson | |
2010 | Salt | Salt's Young Neighbor | |
Unthinkable | Katie | ||
2011 | Butter | Destiny | |
2012 | Alex Cross | Janelle Cross | |
2018 | Smallfoot | Brenda | Voice |
2019 | Detective Pikachu | Girlfriend | |
The Sun Is Also a Star | Natasha Kingsley | Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer Movie Actress (2019)[34] | |
2020 | Fearless | Melanie | Voice |
2021 | PAW Patrol: The Movie | Kendra Wilson | Voice |
2022 | My Father's Dragon | Callie | Voice |
Peter Pan & Wendy | Tinker Bell | Post-production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2007 | Entourage | Kandace West | Episode: "No Cannes Do" |
Robotboy | Lola MBola | ||
2009 | In the Motherhood | Esther | 5 episodes |
Cold Case | Meesha Sullivan '91 | Episode: "Read Between the Lines" | |
Wizards of Waverly Place | Olive | Episode: "Doll House" | |
2010 | Lie to Me | Olivia | Episode: "Teacher and Pupils" |
$♯*! My Dad Says | Girl Scout | Episode: "Pilot" | |
2011 | The Cape | Layla | Episode: "Endgame" |
Family Guy | Little Girl (voice) | Episode: "Episode VI: It's a Trap" | |
Rip City | Montana | Television film | |
2012 | The Finder | Adina | Episode: "The Conversation" |
2012–2013 | The First Family | Chloe Johnson | 23 episodes |
2013 | Scandal | Young Olivia Pope | 2 episodes |
2014 | Bad Teacher | Jalissa | Episode: "Pilot" |
The Fosters | Maddie | 2 episodes | |
2014–2022 | Black-ish | Zoey Johnson | Main role (seasons 1–3), Recurring role (seasons 4–8); 79 episodes NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2015) BET Award for YoungStar (2017) Nominated – BET Award for YoungStar (2016) Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Comedy TV Actress (2017, 2019)[34] |
2016–2018 | Trollhunters | Darci Scott (voice) | 10 episodes |
2018–present | Grown-ish | Zoey Johnson | Lead role, also producer Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer TV Actress (2019)[34] |
2018–2019 | 3Below | Darci Scott (voice) | 8 episodes |
TBA | Extrapolations | Upcoming series | |
Zoey, the Johnson's eldest daughter, is played by a sixteen-year-old, Iranian-American actress. Born to an Iranian father, Afshin Shahidi, and a mother of mixed black and Native Choctaw heritage, Keri Salter, Yara Shahidi lived in Minneapolis before moving to California at a young age.
Shahidi, the child of a mom who's African-American and Choctaw and an Iranian-American dad.
Yara, who just finished high school through the New York City Dwight School's online program,
...in real life, at Harvard, where she's set to double major in Interdisciplinary Sociology and African American Studies which she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2022...
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