Yara Shahidi leaves her TV nest and preps for real life

It has been days since Zoey Johnson – the oldest child in the ABC family comedy Black-ish, played by Yara Shahidi – departed for the fictional Cal U. A spin-off of her own, Grown-ish, will have its premiere on Wednesday on the ABC channel, Freeform.

“In the very first scene, she is like every other moment: extremely confident in who she is and still kind of annoyed by her father,” Shahidi said. “But pretty immediately, it’s revealed that she has no clue what she’s doing in college and we kept Zoey amid that crisis. I think that’s what the show is about: how one forms relationships and their personal ethics in this new time.”

It is a time that Shahidi, who turns 18 next month, is preparing for during a gap year, before heading to Harvard. “I’ve been acting since kindergarten,” she said. “So, I found it important to take my time in this next step of my journey and appreciate it.”

When did you learn about the spin-off?

It’s a funny story because I had just finished my college applications when my mama turned around to me and said: “Oh, by the way, Kenya (Barris, the Black-ish creator) called with an idea for a spin-off.”

And I looked at her twice – “Did you just say what I think you said?” – because I had never in my wildest dreams imagined a spin-off.

But what I appreciate from a creative point of view is just how flawed Zoey can be.

Black-ish is acclaimed for the way it tackles topical issues. What can viewers expect from Grown-ish?

Zoey is battling pretty immediately with drugs and alcohol on campus. Later on, we’re discussing safe spaces within diverse communities and how do we ensure that we all feel protected when we talk about the differences in our experiences?

Will your TV parents be crossing over?

Yes, you do see my TV parents and you see me on Black-ish as well. Grown-ish is distinctly Zoey’s journey, but it’s not as though she is some lost child.

Not only are you going to Harvard, but also former first lady Michelle Obama famously wrote a college recommendation letter for you.

Mrs Obama knew how much of an advocate I am for girls and Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in terms of equal access to education. I was able to be a part of the White House Science Fair last year. On the International Day of the Girl, we were Skyping girls from Peru, Jordan and Tanzania. So, I’ve been fortunate in not only having a platform, but also a fantastic support system.

Your father is Iranian, your mother is African-American and you’ve called yourself “black-ish”. How has that affected your career?

As a biracial person, you’re told that you’re half of both and being half is an odd feeling. The way I’ve approached it is that I’m fully Iranian and fully black and they coexist in one body. I’ve seen myself within both cultures and I feel inspiration from both.

At the same time, I’ve heard from many people that I can’t audition to be an Iranian person – people just don’t see me as one. A lot of times, people that look similar to me are the representation of blackness in the mainstream media and it can be exclusionary.

My goal is to not only do my best to represent, but also be a part of the other sides of the narrative in terms of expanding people’s view of blackness and not making it monolithic.

How are your actual parents coping with your pending departure?

We’re just enjoying the time in which I’m still in their house and still seeing them…

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