I’m always so delighted to talk about Yara Shahidi. She is such an engaging young woman. When I listen to her interviews, I feel like I’d be that annoying friend of her mom’s who would always be asking her, “what’s next for you, Yara?” I also think she’d always have some amazing answer. Yara appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers via Zoom. She was calling from her trailer because she’s currently navigating her successful spinoff shown, grown-ish, which she both stars in and executive produces. She’s also attending Harvard University and just started a production company with her mother. Having only just turned 21, what is left for her to conquer? According to Yara, it’s about time she took over the Marvel universe. And she’s written a one sheet proposing how she’ll do it.
Her parents didn’t let her watch TV during the week
We were the kids listening to audiobooks and stuff. It wasn’t until I became a series regular on a show that TV started happening on Wednesdays.Her life is like her Grown-ish storyline
This season Zoey’s going between work and school and that’s literally what I’ve been doing, flying back and forth.Season three I was flying back and forth twice a week [to school]. Got so many miles. Everything is on Zoom now. I’ve been to a total of 12 different school programs, so I’ve done distance learning before.
She wants to be in the Marvel universe
I have storylines as to why I belong in the Marvel comic universe that I made up. I was in 12 seconds of a movie as Samuel L. Jackson’s kid at the age of 13 and I was like “if this is not an in, then I don’t know what is.” I should be Nicole Fury because Nick Fury has a son. I wrote a page for it, a one sheet. Marvel studios has a headquarters right where we shoot Black-ish and Grown-ish. This is perfect they should green screen me in.
I love the shifting priorities – alright, TV’s okay on Wednesday now that Yara’s on it. That’s like when I, a UCLA diehard, bought a USC t-shirt after my husband started working there. Yes, my allegiance can be bought when you pay my mortgage. Yara’s life exhausts me just listening to it. She’s been juggling school and work for so long, clearly, she has a handle on everything. She just keeps thriving. And her family is a solid support network, so I expect she’ll achieve every goal she sets for herself. Season three of grown-ish, whose finale airs tonight, was shot in 2019, thus all the flying back and forth. But she’s grounded currently due to COVID so she’s doing classes virtually and filming in person.
As for Marvel, if Yara wants to be a part of their world, they’d be lucky to have her. Apparently, she’s a huge comic book fan so I won’t cast her in any projected role, she already knows what she wants. Nicole Fury works for me. Or anyone else she proposes. She’s already at ABC, it’s a short jump to Marvel. Kevin Feige is no fool. If he’s caught wind of Yara’s interest, he’s already commissioned that script.
Photo credit: Instagram
Here for this, I would love to see a Nicole Fury! Especially as they’re retiring a lot of the characters and bringing in the next round of characters. And they should have a contingency for S.H.I.E.L.D. too, only makes sense. Her life sounds exhausting but she’s making use of all her energy for sure, wishing her all the success 😀
Her face is perfection. Is it wrong if I want her to star in everything? Her face is so mesmerising.
I really like Yara, she’s gorgeous and so engaging in interviews, but she can’t act period. She was terrible in the sun and their stars adaptation.
Not saying that everyone in the Marvel universe are award winning actors, but they do have some base standard.
That is sadly true. You can see her acting. She’s the week link in Grownish. Gorgeous young lady, though.
I agree, she seems like a lovely and bright young woman but her acting comes across self conscious to me.
On another note, I’m not a fan of the whole “my kids don’t watch tv” which implies to me that the parents in question look down on it, all the while their child is a tv actress… I’m not saying they should be glued to the screen but I love it when people can be enthusiastic about what they do. I mean like they have shows and performances that they love and are inspired by. it might have helped with the aforementioned acting weaknesses.
She did say they weren’t allowed to watch “during the week” so it might have been a situation where the parents were strict with school work and family time, and then on the weekends was more free and the kids could do whatever.
I haven’t really seen her in much to evaluate her acting skills, but I am continually impressed by all that she is accomplishing at such a young age. Harvard, plus acting, plus producing!? That’s amazing. Young women like her give me a lot of hope for the future.
When I’ve only seen an actor in one role, I never know for sure if it’s the actor or the character that doesn’t work for me. I watch black-ish and I watched the first season of grown-ish and Zoey has always been the weak link for me on both shows. But Yara is so delightful in interviews that I’ve always wanted it to just be the character rather than her. But if she’s not great in other things, then I might have to accept that it’s her performance and not the role. It’s a bummer, she’s very easy to root for.
She’s beautiful & extremely intelligent but she is a horrible actress. She cannot act.
Sad but true. She has specific emotions she can portray fairly well, or ok like spoiled brat selfish, self centered etc. But ask her to show empathy, sadness (a tear seems impossible there) and other strong emotions like her grownish character should experience, and you’re faced with a wooden board, unfortunately. Not even her voice is convincing.
She’s absolutely beautiful and a role model I wish I had as a kid, but I think she should either find her niche or really take some time to better her acting skills.
I would take a role as a extra to just stare if it means working with Samuel L Jackson.
And I think Nicole Fury would be great for her.
IDC about Marvel, but I love everything about this young woman. Her intelligence, her sense of style and her self confidence. Obvsly has great parents.
if she’s willing to go DCU instead of Marvel, perhaps she should talk to WB & NK Jemisin about optioning Far Sector to play Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein
on a non-Superhero note, I’d love for her to option & develop Octavia Butler’s Parables books
I had no idea that NK Jemisin wrote for the DCU. I love her novels.
I think Far Sector is her first graphic novel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1_Oc1t7A4I
Yara is beautiful and sounds so smart and engaging. I love her maturity and level headedness. I think she can do whatever she puts her mind too.