Tracee Ellis Ross has been calling in to several interviews promoting her hair care line, Pattern, and her film The High Note. Anytime we get a Tracee interview it’s a gift, but she was recently a guest of her on-screen husband Anthony Anderson when he filled in for Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live. They have such a fun rapport, listening to them together feels like tapping into a friendly phone call. During their chat, Anthony asked Tracee how she’d been whiling away the hours at home and Tracee said she’s been super busy, because everything is the same priority level – whether its promoting, cooking or calling her mom. The first quote below is taken from an interview Tracee did with Dion Deezy for The Heat on Sirius about embracing success as a POC, the other two are from her interview with Anthony.
On success as a Black person
If you think back, there used to be a place for one black person to be a success in a thing. Bull crap, there’s tons of us. There’s enough sun for everybody. You don’t have to try and grab it all and think there’s going to be none left for anybody else.On how she’s doing in lockdown
I have been really busy. Pattern had a launch recently for phase two. It’s been a lot of zooming, a lot of cooking. Cleaning, laundry, cooking, calling your mom all of these things are at the same level of importance.On her parents
My mom is actually great. She will pop up on a Zoom, I’m like ‘why do you look so gorgeous?’
‘What? I’m just in my sweats.’My mom is really technically savvy, we’ve got group threads. My dad, on the other hand, this is doing a facetime with my dad [shows neck on camera] ‘Can you see me sweetheart?’
[From The Heat on Sirius and Jimmy Kimmel Live]
I love how Tracee talks about her mom, Diana Ross. I’ve always like Diana but she was such a legend in my mind, she took on almost mythical quality. Tracee presents a more approachable side to her mom, it just makes me like Diana even more. I can absolutely see Diana showing up in Zoom looking effortlessly fabulous. Speaking of icons, Tracee talked about Jenifer Lewis during her interview with Anthony and said Jenifer puts her fingers in her ears every time Tracee tries to sing. Considering how much it Tracee had to overcome to sing publicly, this should make me feel bad for her. Because Tracee told it so playfully – and it’s Jenifer Lewis – the image made me giggle.
I understand exactly what Tracee’s talking about as far as how our lockdown days are spent. Every phone call, every meal, each work obligation, appointments whether remote or in person – they all seem to have the same weight. I feel busier now than I did before lockdown and I can’t figure out why. And yet, I still feel trapped inside.
Also, I love her use of the phrase, “There’s enough sun for everybody.” That should to be said and embraced by everyone.
Here’s Tracee’s full interview with Anthony:
Photo credit: YouTube, Instagram and WENN/Avalon
If we ever have “normal” again and if that “normal” ever includes a Super Bowl, Diana MUST be the halftime act. Her shows are still energetic, fantastic, glorious fun. The legend is still with us, accept no substitutes.
I appreciate the “feel good” stories!
Same! Also I just adore Tracee and Diana Ross
She just seems like a really lovely person. I love the TV show she’s in, Blackish
Funny because Blackish is really not my jam (it feels dated and the humour is too caricatural) but I watch it just to stare at Tracee. This woman…
Blackish is must-see television in my household. I appreciate the show’s ability to educate the viewer of the black experience, tackle uncomfortable topics (e.g., BLM, women of color being silenced in the feminist movement, crashing the glass ceiling while black, etc.). The topics are timely and relatable. To be honest, I appreciate that the show doesn’t buy into the tropes surrounding black folks like us being impoverished, strung out on drugs and/or living in crime-ridden communities (See: “Good Times”). That was not my experience growing up and I certainly don’t experience it now. As far as Tracee Ross is concerned, she is truly a gem and I find her relationship with her mom fascinating. I wish that I could be a fly on the wall to see what she and her mom discuss during their Zoom teleconferences.
The billionaires who own the politicians want all the sunshine, they want us to die in the dark. Bezos wakes up every day and chooses not to end world hunger with his money.
He could do it and still be obscenely wealthy/ but he doesn’t care. They want ALL the money. And we suffer and die for their worldview.
Can you imagine that power… I sure can’t. 🙁
I listened to Tracee’s interview for Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations and it made me love her (and Diana!) so much more. Highly recommend!!
At the end of the interview, did you hear the opening notes of “Heavy Makes a You Happy” by The Staples Singers or was I tripping?
I’ve loved her since Girlfriends. She’s just such a full person; sometimes celebs seem like paper cutouts of themselves. Perhaps that’s from trying not to give away too much of their personal lives or personal selves, and that’s understandable, but Tracee just seems well rounded.
She is so beautiful, the kind of beauty you can watch all day. And her mom is ageless.
Tracee brings such a joy in so much of what she does. She’s an amazing actress and I would imagine a great girlfriend. (See what I did there!) I love these stories on BIPOC celebrities that we don’t see enough in media.
“I feel busier now than I did before lockdown and I can’t figure out why.” Same here. I think because I’m home constantly I prioritize keeping my house tidy more than ever, and it feels like there’s an endless list of things to maintain in the house. I also think part of it, for me, is about feeling in control of something — I can’t control what’s going on outside my house, but I can control keeping a routine, completing housework, doing projects, etc. When I don’t keep busy I get too anxious about all the things I should be doing, which definitely steps from my anxiety about the state of the world.
The High Note is wonderful. It isn’t just a romcom, or even mostly that. It’s really about two women at different stages in their lives and careers. Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Fanning have really good chemistry in it too. And there is a romcom element also that works!!! I recommend it for sure.