Yara Shahidi – Black-ish

Q) What are the recent projects you have been working on?

A) I can’t say right now, but I can say there are a few things in the works.

Q) What can you tease is in store for Zoey on “Blackish” this season?

A) There is a lot going on with Zoey coming up. You get to see her personality. I think in the next one or two episodes you will see a really big storyline with the craziness going on with her school and her life.

Q) What is it about the role or show that made you want to be a part of “Blackish?”

A) Well, when I read the script I realized my family goes through this on a daily basis. This is my life, basically. It was something I could really relate to. Then, Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross are my parents and Laurence Fishburne is playing my grandfather? That made me want to be a part of it. Then, when I got on set I found out they were all fabulous human beings who are hilarious and I realized I wanted to stay a part of this. Also, being Zoey is a challenge for me because I’m not technology oriented. I’m somebody who always has their face in a book or learning something about history or traveling. That’s who I am. So, playing Zoey was a challenge for me. She’s not just a one sided girl teenage girl who is glued to her telephone.

Q) The family seems so bonded together. What is it that connects all of you so well?

A) I think that is part of the what the TV show discusses. We have these familial ties, but it’s because our parents are really trying to make sure we go back to our roots and understand the family. You will see in the next few episodes that what the Johnson family has learned or what the parents have been trying to teach us kids is that family will always be there for you.

Q) Was there anything you added to the role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) Kenya Barris did an awesome job writing all of the characters, but I added the extra layer of Zoey always being smart to her parents (which is really on the line of being rude). She would never be blatantly, completely rude to her parents though.

Q) Comedy is a big element of the show. Has it come natural to you or is it something that you studied?

A) I think it was a little bit of both. I took to it right away and then just watching Anthony and Tracee work, us kids are like, “Oh, so that’s how you respond to that! Oh, that’s how that works! Cool!” So, it is a constant learning process.

Q) What have you learned from your experiences working on the show?

A) One thing I definitely learned was comedic timing. Another was establishing a connection with the people you work with because that really drives how you say your lines or how you feel and how you present that emotion. It’s establishing, “I really like you!” or “Hmm, you’re my mom and I love you, but I’m not really feeling what you’re doing right now.”

Q) What have been some of your most memorable scenes to film?

A) Every episode has one really memorable scene. One that everyone has already seen was in the pilot with the bar mitzvah. That was hilarious just to shoot and it was so fun because there was a dance crew there and a chocolate fountain. We had a dance-off! It was craziness.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive when the show airs?

A) It’s been really great because people have a visceral reaction the name “Black-ish.” Then, to see people on social media saying, “Oh my gosh! It’s so relatable!” is the greatest part of it. People who thought they weren’t going to understand it really love it, which is great.

Q) Is there anything else you would like to tease the fans with what is to come?

A) The fun increases and the next episodes are absolutely hilarious. The kids start to get into a little bit of trouble….