The Iranian/African-American actress has been in the public eye since she was six weeks old, having worked in all entertainment mediums-spanning print, film, and television. “Acting and going into TV and movies happened almost by accident,” Shahidi said. “I was so content with commercials and print. When they offered me a movie script I was like ‘hmm, no thank you.’ Then, I read it, and as a seven-year-old with a crazy imagination it was cool for my first character to be literally a girl with an imaginary world. From there, what’s been fun about the past eight years is that every role has been something close to my heart.”
Balancing life, for the most organized of adults can be a challenge but Shahidi relies on her amazing network of family and friends to help her stay grounded and balanced, giving her a sense of “normalcy” albeit different from the norm. She is able to gracefully balance work and play, all while being an exemplar student, looking towards the college years with excitement and anticipation.
However, what’s the one immediate future thing that Shahidi is looking forward to? Well, that would be prom and the dress, and maybe the back-up dress, of course. “I have a long ways to go,” Shahidi commented in the interview. “I have to get through the semester first. Prom is in May. I will plan accordingly. Knowing me, I will have one option and change my mind the day of.”
To read more of Shahidi’s interview with W, click here.
