Named one of Time magazine’s most influential teens, the beautiful and talented Yara Shahidi positively lights up televisions whenever the camera glimpses her. It’s no surprise to viewers of ABC’s hit black-ish or its spinoff grown-ish that the 17-year-old is a model in addition to an actress. But throw in the fact that Shahidi has announced she’ll attend Harvard next year, and you start to see how this young woman has the full package and that she intends to use it.
1) Yara Shahidi exudes a wholesome beauty that many associate with the Midwestern part of the US. Indeed, Shahidi was born in Minneapolis, but she moved to Los Angeles when she was just four because her father’s photography work took the family west.
2) A pretty good start for a child actor is a McDonald’s commercial. And what better way to do one than with your absolutely gorgeous mom (Keri Shahidi) in it too? That’s what Yara got to do as a kid (see below). And despite appearing in many ads in the last decade for brands like GAP, Ralph Lauren, KFC and Target, it’s still tough to beat McDonald’s for making cute touching commercials where kids shine.
3) In 2009, as a precocious single digit youth, Yara Shahidi starred with comedy eminence Eddie Murphy, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. The film is called Imagine That (see link below) — and Yara radiates throughout.
4) Shahidi’s acting coach is her little brother Ehsan. The 9-year-old is the third child in the family. And with Yara and her other brother Sayeed both on shows right now, the youngster has agreed to be their “acting coach” — for $25 a session! He started coaching them when he was six. You can see the three Shahidi kids at work — or at play! — here:
The Shahidi Crew have captured our exact mood for the WEEKEND!????@YaraShahidi @LilManShahidi @CommercialMommy @SayeedShahidi pic.twitter.com/CQEKZtoEDF
— Natural Style Story (@nstylestory) October 27, 2017
5) On a more serious note, Yara Shahidi is an activist who espouses the “WOKE” mentality. Here’s an exceptional speech Yara gave at an Essence awards show, talking about the role of an artist — “to disrupt, to remold and to create.” Yara believes there is an “unspoken poetry” in how women creators move through the world. She’s inspired by them and she is one.
