Yara Shahidi Talks ‘black-ish’ Pride and That Ambiguous ‘grown-ish’ Season 4 Finale | PaleyFest

With black-ish coming to an end after 8 seasons, and her time on grown-ish wrapping up after 4, Yara Shahidi has a lot to be proud of. That pride, however, isn’t just about the work she’s done on screen.

We got a chance to speak with Shahidi on the black-ish red carpet for this year’s PaleyFest, and it’s clear that while she’s loved playing Zoe Johnson, it’s more about what black-ish has done behind the scenes for future Black creatives that leaves her feeling most grateful.

“So many incredible directors, writers, and people have come through [black-ish] and used it to launch their own shows and projects. So as much as the show has done on screen, it’s also opened doors behind the scenes. I think that’s part of the legacy I’m most proud of, because you can’t capture that. To be a black family on television, I think what I love most is making sure we are not the last! And making sure we’ve taken this inclusive space and we’re sharing it.”

The work to make 12 seasons of impactful television across two shows is undoubtedly hard work. But when I asked her if there is a specific scene or episode that made her laugh the most, she shared a behind-the-scenes memory that leaves the biggest impact.

“We have a lot of fun. There was one episode of grown-ish where Ana was in the hospital, and I should not have been laughing — this was not a laughing matter! But there was something about the energy in that scene, where we were crying from laughter. We kept trying to make sure we could get a good take, but as soon as the lines were said, we were done! That was pretty common on set,” Shahidi said.

It’s good to know the cast and crew of grown-ish — and black-ish — have as much fun making their shows as audiences have watching them. Both series have a duality in understanding how to be exceptional comedies while still leaving viewers more enlightened than they were before.

Of course, I couldn’t let Shahidi go without asking her the most important question all — what about Zoe and Aaron? When I asked her if I can call it an official happy ending, she was quick to answer with a perfectly coy response.

“I would say it looks hopeful. I don’t want to give anything away, but I love how both of them chose themselves at the end of the season, but still have found a way to be together — question mark!”

I can’t argue with that.

*Additional reporting by Janelle Ureta.

black-ish airs Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c on ABC. 

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