Born: February 10, 2000
Age: 24
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Yara Sayeh Shahidi (born February 10, 2000) is an American actress best known for playing Zoey on the sitcom Black-ish.
Shahidi was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to an African-American mother, Keri Salter Shahidi, and an Iranian father, Afshin Shahidi, a photographer who was from Shahidi family generation. The family moved to California, for Afshin's work, when Yara was 4. She is the older sister of child actor Sayeed Shahidi and a second cousin to rapper Nas.
She began her career when she was 6 years old, appearing in television and print advertisements for companies such as McDonald's, Ralph Lauren, Target, GapKids, Disney, Guess Kids, and Children's Place. She frequently worked with her mother and younger brother in various print and broadcast campaigns.
Shahidi made her theatrical debut in 2009, starring opposite Eddie Murphy in Paramount Pictures' Imagine That, for which she received a Young Artist Award nomination.
In September 2014, Shahidi starred in ABC's prime-time comedy Black-ish as 14-year-old Zoey Johnson. In December 2014 she won an NAACP Image Award in the category of 'Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy'.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Imagine That | Olivia Danielson | |
2010 | Salt | Salt's Young Neighbor | |
2010 | Unthinkable | Katie | |
2011 | Rip City | Montana | Television movie |
2011 | Butter | Destiny | |
2012 | Alex Cross | Janelle Cross |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Entourage | Kandace West | Episode: "No Cannes Do" |
2009 | In the Motherhood | Esther | 5 episodes |
2009 | Cold Case | Meesha Sullivan '91 | Episode: "Read Between the Lines" |
2009 | Wizards of Waverly Place | Olive | Episode: "Doll House" |
2010 | Lie to Me | Olivia | Episode: "Teacher and Pupils" |
2010 | $h*! My Dad Says | Girl Scout | Episode: "Pilot" |
2011 | The Cape | Layla | Episode: "Endgame" |
2011 | Family Guy | Little Girl | Episode: "Episode VI: It's a Trap" |
2012 | The Finder | Adina | Episode: "The Conversation" |
2012-2013 | The First Family | Chloe Johnson | 23 episodes |
2013 | Scandal | Young Olivia Pope | 2 episodes |
2014-present | Black-ish | Zoey Johnson | Main Role NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series |
2014 | Bad Teacher | Jalissa | Episode: "Pilot" |
2014 | The Fosters | Maddie | 2 episodes |