Yara Shahidi says “learning is exciting” and adds that it adds “richness” to life.
The young actress is currently garnering lots of attention for her role of Zoey in the new hit sitcom, Black-ish, and recently opened up to Starpulse about the many pleasures in her life, including her love of learning and growing, within her career, and outside of it.
The young star has worked with a number of highly acclaimed actors, from her small role on Scandal to her current cast, and she says that those experiences have taught her a lot. “I have learned that success comes from being passionate.” And passionate she certainly is. Yara spoke excitedly about her character, Zoey. “I love that Zoey lives in a world of two extremes,” she explained. Although she comes off as self-absorbed (always attached to her phone), she never misses what is going on around her. Yara continued, “She is really a lot like her dad. She speaks her mind, that’s for sure!”
Recently, Yara admitted that she is nothing like Zoey, so the role has taught her to step outside of herself quite a bit. She told Starpulse that one lesson she has learned from her many wonderful co-stars is to be open. She said, “being willing to take risks and experiment in order to find your best performance is important.”
So what else is Yara passionate about?
“I am most passionate about chocolate, acting and my education,” Yara laughed. She went on to say how important reading is to her, and added, “I suggest picking up poetry and seeing how it relates to your world! Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger are great reads about figuring out what makes a person happy.” Right now, Yara is reading Candide by Voltaire.
Travel is another way to gain insightful knowledge and experience. On her recent trip to England, Yara noted the value of getting out into the world. “I would recommend that other teenagers really take the time to get to know new people and situations and allow yourself to explore, because it can only add to the richness of life – it has for me.”
Catch Yara on Black-ish Wednesday nights on ABC.
Photo: Starpulse
