Yara Shahidi Biography
Yara Shahidi is an American actress and producer best known for her role as Zoey Johnson, the oldest daughter, in ABC’s Black-ish from 2014 to 2022 and its spin-off series Grown-ish from 2018 to 2024. Her role in Black-ish earned her a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She won three nominations for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Grown-ish.
Yara Shahidi Age
Shahidi was born Yara Sayeh Shahidi on February 10, 2000, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. She is 24 years old as of 2024. Shahidi celebrates her birthday on February 10th.
Yara Shahidi Height
Shahidi stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 6 inches.
Yara Shahidi Family
Parents
Shahidi was born to photographer Afshin Shahidi and actress Keri Shahidi in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Afshin is of Iranian descent while Keri is of African and Choctaw descent. Besides Shahidi, they have two sons Sayeed and Ehsan Shahidi.
Afshin served as one of the first chief photographers for Prince who had a signed photo of Yara in his editing suite at Paisley Park. Due to Afshin’s work, the family relocated to California when Shahidi was 4 years old. Shahidi is the cousin of the rapper, Nas.
Brother(Sayeed Shahidi)
Sayeed is a child actor and model. He was born on February 14, 2003, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and is 21 years old as of 2024. Moreover, he has starred in TV shows like Uncle Buck, Alex Cross, The First Family, and Black-ish. He dated Storm Reid in February 2017.
Yara Shahidi Boyfriend/Dating
Shahidi is very private about her personal life therefore it is not known if she is in any relationship. There are also no rumors of Shahidi being in any past relationship with anyone.
Yara Shahidi Net Worth
Shahidi has an estimated net worth of between $1 Million-$5 Million which she has earned through her successful career as an actress and producer.
Yara Shahidi Salary
Shahidi earns an annual salary ranging from $ 45,000 – $ 110,500.
Yara Shahidi Education
Shahidi studied at Immaculate Heart Middle School and part of Immaculate Heart High School. She then left school to further her acting career. Further, she joined Dwight Global Online School where she graduated in 2017.
After her graduation in 2017, Shahidi joined Harvard University where she started her studies in 2018. She took a gap year with plans of majoring in interdisciplinary Sociology and Black American Studies. She graduated college in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies.
Yara Shahidi Ethinicity/Name
Shahidi is paternally Iranian and maternally African and Choctaw. During an interview on the NPR podcast, she said that she is “half-black, half-Iranian.” She also commented about what her name means.
Yara is a Persian word that means a person close to the heart. Sayeh means shadow while Shahidi is a Persian word and common surname in Iran which means martyr/witness.
Yara Shahidi Black-ish
Shahidi is best known for her role as Zoey Johnson in ABC’s Black-ish from 2014 to 2022 and its spin-off series Grown-ish from 2018 to 2024. Zoey is the eldest child of Dre and Rainbow Johnson, who have three other children: Andre Jr. and twins Jack and Diane.
The typical teenage girl, Zoey mostly cares about looks and boys. Despite this, she is responsible and smart and cares for her younger siblings. Black-ish follows the Johnson family as they co-ordinate personal, familial, and sociopolitical matters, more so, in trying to harmonize their desire to be authentic to their black identities while living in a wealthy, suburban white neighborhood
Shahidi departed from the show at the end of SN 3 to join her spin-off series, Grown-ish. Her role in Black-ish earned her a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Yara Shahidi Grown-ish
Shahidi reprised her role as Zoey Johnson in Grown-ish from 2018 to 2024. Grown-ish follows Joey as she leaves her family to go to college at the fictional California University of Liberal Arts (Cal U for short). She won three nominations for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Grown-ish.
Yara Shahidi Tinker Bell/Peter Pan & Wendy
Shahidi starred as Tinker Bell in Peter Pan & Wendy. Tinker Bell is a small-sized fairy with magical abilities and a spirited personality. She is also one of Peter Pan’s closest friends, and she helps him on adventures in Neverland.
Yara Shahidi Career
Shahidi launched her career at the age of 6, with appearances in TV commercials and print advertisements for companies like GapKids, Disney, Guess Kids, McDonald’s, Ralph Lauren, Target, and The Children’s Place. Frequently, she worked with her mother and younger brother in several print and broadcast campaigns.
Shahidi made her first screen appearance in 2007 in an episode of HBO’s Entourage. In 2009, she portrayed the recurring role of Esther in ABC’s In the Motherhood. That same year, she had a guest role in Cold Case and Wizards of Waverly Place. She had her big screen debut that same year starring in Imagine That opposite Eddie Murphy.
2010 to 2019
Shahidi’s role in Imagine That won her a Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film Award nomination. In 2010, she starred opposite Angelina Jolie in Salt starring as the next-door neighbor to Jolie’s character. The following year, she starred in Butter as Destiny. Next, she starred in Alex Cross opposite Tyler Perry and her brother, Sayeed Shahidi.
Between 2012 and 2013, Shahidi was a regular cast member in the sitcom, The First Family. She starred as the daughter of President William Johnson, Chloe Johnson. She starred opposite Olivia Pope in two episodes of ABC’s Scandal.
Shahidi had her career breakthrough starring as Zoey Johnson in ABC’s Black-ish from 2014 to 2022 and its spin-off series Grown-ish from 2018 to 2024. Her role in Black-ish earned her a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She won three nominations for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Grown-ish.
In 2017, Shahidi was listed in Time’s “The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016” list. She provided voice-overs for the films Smallfoot, Fearless, PAW Patrol: The Movie, and My Father’s Dragon. Shahidi starred in her first adult lead role in 2019 in The Sun Is Also a Star.
2023 to present;
Shahidi appeared in Apple TV+’s Extrapolations and Peter Pan & Wendy in 2023. Further, she starred opposite Lena Headey in Ballerina Overdrive. Later that year, she worked as the executive producer and the lead role in Sitting in Bars with Cake. In the film, she portrays a law student who’s struggling to achieve her parent’s dream for her future while being a caregiver to her friend who has cancer gaining praise. For her role, she won a nomination for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
Activism
Shahidi worked as the founder of Eighteen x 18 with social news publisher NowThis. She also has other organizations including Yara’s Club which gives online mentorship to end poverty through education.
Michelle Obama commended her activism and wrote a letter of recommendation to Havard University. In 2017, she interviewed Hillary Clinton after Teen Vogue gave her the opportunity.
Shahidi participated in the Dior Stand with Women campaign in 2021. She signed an open letter for the “Artists4Ceasefire” campaign in October 2023. The campaign urged President Joe Biden to push for a truce and a stop to the murder of civilians amidst the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip in 2023.
Yara Shahidi Movies and TV Shows
Shahidi has starred in several films and TV shows such as
- Unthinkable
- Detective Pikachu
- Hair Love
- Lie to Me
- Rip City
- Bad Teacher
- The Fosters
- Trollhunters
- 3Below
Yara Shahidi Social Media Platforms
She is active on her social media accounts and often posts on her Instagram and Facebook. She has over 2M followers on Facebook and over 8.5M on Instagram.