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Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and '' Black-ish'' (2014–2022) receiving nominations for five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the latter. Ross is a daughter of actress and
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
recording artist
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
and Robert Ellis Silberstein. She began acting in independent films and variety series. She hosted the pop-culture magazine ''The Dish'' on Lifetime. From 2000 to 2008, Ross played the starring role of Joan Clayton in the UPN/ CW comedy series '' Girlfriends'', and received two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for the role. She also has appeared in the films '' Hanging Up'' (2000), '' I-See-You.Com'' (2006), and '' Daddy's Little Girls'' (2007), before returning to television playing Dr. Carla Reed on the BET sitcom '' Reed Between the Lines'' (2011), winning her third NAACP Image Award for the lattermost. From 2014 to 2022, Ross starred as Dr. Rainbow Johnson in the ABC comedy series, '' Black-ish''. Her work on it has earned her six NAACP Image Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She has also received nominations for two Critics' Choice Television Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2019, she co-created a prequel spin-off of ''Black-ish'' titled '' Mixed-ish''. In 2020, she starred in and recorded the soundtrack album for the musical film '' The High Note''.


Early life

Ross was born October 29, 1972, in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, to
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
singer/actress
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
and music business manager Robert Ellis Silberstein. Her father is
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
while her mother is
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
and a
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
. She adopted the name Tracee Ellis Ross, wishing to retain both of her parents' names after her father dropped the name Silberstein. She has a younger sister, Chudney Lane Silberstein, and an older half-sister, Rhonda Ross Kendrick. Actor and musician Evan Ross is her half-brother. In the 80s, Tracee was photographed along with her mother, Rhonda and Chudney by Andy Warhol. Her mother used her own photo for the cover of her 1982 album, '' Silk Electric'', for which Warhol was given credit. When her mother married Arne Næss Jr. in 1985, Tracee gained three step-siblings: Katinka, Christoffer, and folk singer Leona Naess. She remains on close terms with all of them. Before her mother and Naess divorced in 2000, they welcomed her two half-brothers, Ross Arne in 1987 and Evan Ross in 1988. Ross attended The Dalton School in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, Riverdale Country School in
the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
and the
Institut Le Rosey Institut Le Rosey (), commonly referred to as Le Rosey or simply Rosey, is a private school, private boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland. It was founded in 1880 by Paul-Émile Carnal on the site of the 14th-century Château du Rosey in the tow ...
in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. She was a model in her teens. She attended
Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
, where she appeared in plays, and graduated in 1994 with a theatre degree. She later worked in the fashion industry as a model and contributing fashion editor to '' Mirabella'' and '' New York'' magazines. Ross is the recipient of an Honorary degree from
Spelman College Spelman College is a Private college, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black, Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia ...
Ross has ptosis, slightly affecting her left eyelid. Following a speech at the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
, Internet trolls commented on her condition, leading her to post an
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
video saying, "I know y'all make fun of my eyes, you know what I mean? Well, f**ck off, 'cause it's not my fault, alright? My body does what it does, I don't know why. But sometimes when I'm tired, this one just gives up, and it's like, 'Goodnight!'..."Go ahead, make fun of my eyes, OK? But I think they're nice, I think they're so nice, I do."


Career


Early works

Ross made her big-screen debut in 1996, playing a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
/
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
woman in the independent feature film '' Far Harbor''. The following year, she debuted as host of '' The Dish'', a Lifetime TV magazine series keeping tabs on
popular culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art
f. pop art F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet. F may also refer to: Science and technology Mathematics * F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems * ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function * F-distributi ...
or mass art, sometimes contraste ...
. In 1998, she starred as a former high school track star who remained silent about having been abused at the hands of a coach, in the NBC made-for-TV movie ''Race Against Fear: A Moment of Truth''. Her next role was an independent
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
titled '' Sue''. In 2000, she landed her first major studio role in
Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...
's '' Hanging Up''. That same year, she broke into comedy as a regular performer in the MTV series '' The Lyricist Lounge Show'', a
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
variety series mixing music, dramatic sketches, and comedic skits. In February 2006, she starred in
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
's " Touch The Sky" MTV music video, playing the role of the best friend of Kanye's ex.


2000–2013: Breakthrough with ''Girlfriends''

Ross's biggest career achievement came when she landed the lead role in the hit UPN/
The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
series '' Girlfriends'', starring as the show's
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
Joan Carol Clayton — a successful (and often neurotic) lawyer looking for love, challenges, and adventure. The series centered on four (later three) young
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
women, and their male best friend. In 2007, Ross won an
NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
in the category, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on the series. She won a second Image Award for the role in 2009. In 2007, Ross starred with her brother Evan Ross and Queen Latifah in the HBO movie ''
Life Support Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform bas ...
''. That same year, she appeared in the
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Madea, Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her ...
theatrical movie '' Daddy's Little Girls''. She appeared in the 2009 film '' Labor Pains''. In 2010, she appeared in an episode of '' Private Practice'' as a pregnant doctor. In 2011, Ross appeared in four episodes of '' CSI'' as the estranged wife of Laurence Fishburne's character. Ross starred in the sitcom '' Reed Between the Lines'' with Malcolm-Jamal Warner airing on BET starting in October 2011. She won a third NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 2012 for her performance in the series. In August 2012, it was announced that Ross would not return for Season Two. In 2011, she appeared in the Lifetime film '' Five'' directed by
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
. The performance in the film earned her nominations for an NAACP Image Award and Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series. In 2012, Ross starred in the NBC drama pilot '' Bad Girls''.


2014–present: ''Black-ish'' and mainstream success

In 2014, Ross was cast in the ABC comedy series '' Black-ish'', opposite Anthony Anderson. She plays the female lead role of Dr. Rainbow Johnson. The series debuted with generally positive reviews from critics. Ross received three
NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
and received nominations for two Critics' Choice Television Awards, four
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her performance in the series. Ross's 2016 nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series was the first for an African-American woman in that category in 30 years. The same year, Ross and Anderson faced off on Spike's '' Lip Sync Battle''. She emerged victorious with performances of
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
's " Super Bass" and Pat Benatar's " Love Is a Battlefield". In 2015, Ross was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts ( honoris causa) by
Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
. Ross hosted the
BET Awards The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...
in 2015 and 2016, and the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
in 2017 and 2018. She also hosted The Fashion Awards in 2019. As of 2018, as CEO of Pattern Beauty LLC of
El Segundo, California El Segundo ( , ; ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments. The population was 17,272 as of t ...
, Ross produces a line of "Juicy and Joyful" beauty hair care products made with safe ingredients for curls and promotes support organizations to empower women and people of color. Ross appeared in the fourth episode of '' A Little Late with Lilly Singh''. In 2019, Ross created, alongside Kenya Barris, a prequel spin-off of ''Black-ish'' called '' Mixed-ish''. Ross serves as a narrator for the series starring Tika Sumpter and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Ross completed voice work as the title character and executive produced the adult animated comedy television movie ''Jodie'', but the film lacks a studio or distributor. It was intended to be the first in a series of spin-offs based on MTV's ''
Daria ''Daria'' is an American adult animation, adult animated sitcom television series created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis, Susie Lewis Lynn. The series ran from March 3, 1997, to January 21, 2002, on MTV. It centers on the titular character, D ...
'' franchise. Ross voices the title character, Jodie Landon. In 2020, Ross played the leading role of Grace Davis, a legendary superstar singer, in the musical comedy-drama film '' The High Note'' for Focus Features. ''The High Note'' marks the first big-screen role for Ross since the 2007 comedy-drama ''Daddy's Little Girls''. The film was scheduled to be theatrically released on May 8, 2020, but the theatrical release was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The film later moved its release date to May 29, 2020, through
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...
. In ''The High Note'' Ross made her singing debut, recording a soundtrack album titled ''The High Note (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''. The lead single, pop-ballad " Love Myself" was released on May 15, 2020, through
Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...
. Ross emceed the second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In September 2020, she signed a deal with
ABC Signature ABC Signature was a production arm of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company. The studio ...
. In 2021, she was included on the ''Time'' 100, ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
''s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2022, after the series finale of ''Black-ish'', Ross appeared as Lainie in the seventh episode of the revived '' The Kids in the Hall'', released in May 2022. She produced '' The Hair Tales'', a limited docuseries for
hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
and
Oprah Winfrey Network The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN, also known as the OWN Network) is an American multinational basic cable television network which launched on January 1, 2011, effectively replacing the Discovery Health Channel, which one month later merged with ...
. Later in 2022, she starred in the upcoming psychological thriller film, ''Cold Copy''. She starred with Jeffrey Wright in the film '' American Fiction'' (2023) based on the novel '' Erasure''. Also in 2023, she starred opposite
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
in the holiday comedy '' Candy Cane Lane'' directed by Reginald Hudlin.


Personal life

Throughout her career, Ross has been vocally childfree. In a February 2018 ''Glamour'' interview, she stated "It's really interesting to be a woman and to get to 45 and not be married and not have kids. I'm a good friend, a solid daughter, a hard worker, my credit is good, I take out the garbage before it gets smelly, I recycle, and I won a Golden Globe!" She endorsed Democratic presidential nominee
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
in the 2024 presidential election.


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Discography

*''The High Note (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2020) :*" Love Myself" (single) :*"Stop for a Minute" :*"Bad Girl" :*"New to Me" :*"Like I Do" − with Kelvin Harrison Jr. :*"Love Myself" (Film Version) − with Amie Doherty


Awards and nominations


Business

Tracee Ellis Ross is the founder of Pattern Beauty, a company that makes natural hair care products for curly and textured hair. The company was founded in 2018.


See also

* African-American Jews


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Tracee Ellis Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses American television actresses Brown University alumni Living people Alumni of Institut Le Rosey 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Dalton School alumni Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners African-American Jews Riverdale Country School alumni Silberstein family California Democrats 20th-century African-American actresses 21st-century African-American actresses 1972 births Disney Legends