Yara Shahidi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yara Shahidi
Yara Shahidi in 2018
Born	Yara Sayeh Shahidi (2000-02-10) February 10, 2000 (age 25) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Occupation	Actress, producer
Years active	2006–present
Relatives	Sayeed Shahidi (brother) Nas (cousin)

Yara Sayeh Shahidi (born February 10, 2000) is a talented American actress and producer. She started acting when she was a child. You might have seen her in movies like Imagine That (2009) or Alex Cross (2012).

Yara became very well-known for her role as Zoey Johnson in the TV show Black-ish (2014–2022). She then starred in its spin-off series, Grown-ish (2018–2024). For her work, she won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Black-ish. She also got three nominations for Grown-ish. Time magazine even named her one of "The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016." She has also lent her voice to animated movies like Smallfoot (2018) and PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021).

In 2019, Yara played her first main adult role in the movie The Sun Is Also a Star. More recently, in 2023, she played Tinker Bell in the fantasy movie Peter Pan & Wendy. She also helped produce and starred in the movie Sitting in Bars with Cake.

Yara Shahidi's Early Life and School

Yara Sayeh Shahidi was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents are Keri Salter Shahidi and Afshin Shahidi. Her dad, Afshin, is a photographer. Yara's mom, Keri, has African American and Choctaw roots. Her dad, Afshin, is Iranian.

When Yara was four, her family moved to California for her dad's work. She has a younger brother, Sayeed Shahidi, who is also an actor. They also have another younger brother named Ehsan. The famous rapper Nas is her cousin. The name Yara means "Someone who is close to your heart" in Persian. Shahidi is a common last name in Iran.

Yara went to Immaculate Heart Middle School and part of Immaculate Heart High School. She left school to focus on her acting career. In 2017, she finished high school through Dwight Global Online School. Later that year, she was accepted into Harvard University. She took a year off before starting her studies in 2018. She planned to study Sociology and Black American Studies. Yara graduated from Harvard in 2022.

Yara Shahidi at a film festival in 2011

Yara Shahidi's Acting Career

How Yara Shahidi Started Acting

Yara Shahidi began her acting journey at just six years old. She appeared in many TV commercials and print ads. Some of the brands she worked with include McDonald's, Ralph Lauren, and Disney. She often worked with her mom and younger brother on these projects.

Her first time on TV was in 2007. It was a small role in the HBO show Entourage. In 2009, she had a repeating role in the ABC comedy In the Motherhood. She also appeared in episodes of Cold Case and Wizards of Waverly Place.

Yara made her first movie appearance in 2009. She starred with Eddie Murphy in Imagine That. For this role, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award. In 2010, she was in the action movie Salt with Angelina Jolie. The next year, she starred in the comedy Butter. In 2012, she appeared in the action movie Alex Cross.

From 2012 to 2013, Yara was a regular on the TV show The First Family. She played Chloe Johnson, the daughter of the President. In 2013, she played a younger version of Olivia Pope in two episodes of Scandal.

Yara Shahidi's Roles from 2014 to 2022

In 2014, Yara was cast as Zoey Johnson in the ABC comedy Black-ish. Zoey was the oldest daughter of the characters played by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. Yara won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role. She also received a Gracie Award in 2016.

After three seasons, she left Black-ish as a main cast member. However, she still appeared as a guest star sometimes. In 2017, ABC announced that Yara would lead a spin-off show called Grown-ish. This show premiered in 2018 and got good reviews. Yara was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards for her work on Grown-ish. She left the show as a lead after five seasons. She continued as an executive producer and guest star for its final season in 2023.

In 2016, Yara also signed with a modeling agency. She hoped to help more women of color get different kinds of roles. Time magazine included her on their "30 Most Influential Teens of 2016" list. She was also named one of the best-dressed women in 2018. In 2019, she was one of fifteen women on the cover of British Vogue. In 2021, Yara launched a sportswear collection with Adidas.

In 2019, Yara played the main role in the teen drama movie The Sun Is Also a Star. This movie was based on a popular young adult book. She also helped produce the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film-winning film Hair Love (2019). She continued her voice acting in movies like Fearless (2020) and My Father's Dragon (2022).

Yara Shahidi for Vogue in 2019

In 2020, Yara and her mom started their own production company called 7th Sun. They signed a deal with ABC Studios to create new shows.

Yara Shahidi's Recent Work (2023-Present)

In 2023, Yara starred in the Apple TV+ show Extrapolations. She also played Tinker Bell in the fantasy adventure movie Peter Pan & Wendy. This movie is a new version of the classic Peter Pan story. It came out on Disney+ in April 2023.

Later in 2023, Yara was an executive producer and played the main role in the movie Sitting in Bars with Cake. Critics generally liked the movie. Yara's acting as a law student caring for her friend with cancer was praised. She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for this role.

Yara will next appear in a thriller movie called Ballerina Overdrive. She will star alongside Maddie Ziegler and Avantika.

Yara Shahidi's Activism

Yara Shahidi is also known for her activism. She started an organization called Eighteen x 18. This group helps encourage young people to vote for the first time. She also founded Yara's Club. This program offers online mentorship to help end poverty through education.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama noticed Yara's activism. She even wrote a letter of recommendation for Yara to Harvard University. In 2017, Yara also got to interview Hillary Clinton for Teen Vogue.

In 2021, Yara joined the Dior Stand with Women campaign. In October 2023, Yara signed a letter with other artists. This letter asked President Joe Biden to help stop the fighting and protect civilians in the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Music Videos

As a Director

Awards and Nominations

See Also

In Spanish: Yara Shahidi para niños

• List of Iranian-Americans
• List of African Americans