Biography
Who is Yara Shahidi?
Early life and real name
Yara Shahidi Sayeh Shahidi was born on February 10, 2000, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her full given name is Yara Sayeh Shahidi. Her mother, Keri Salter Shahidi, is of African American and Choctaw descent, and her father, Afshin Shahidi, is of Iranian heritage. Her father worked as a photographer, especially for musician Prince. When Yara was four years old, her family relocated to California for her father's work.
She has two brothers named Sayeed and Ehsan. Her cousin is the rapper Nas. Growing up, Yara attended the Immaculate Heart School before finishing her high school education through Dwight Global Online School in 2017. She later attended Harvard University, where she studied Interdisciplinary Sociology and Black American Studies, graduating in 2022.
Acting career
Yara began working at a young age, appearing in commercials for brands like McDonald's, Ralph Lauren, and Target. Her first television appearance occurred in an episode of the HBO series Entourage in 2007. In 2009, she made her feature film debut opposite Eddie Murphy in the comedy film Imagine That, earning a Young Artist Award nomination.
She subsequently appeared in films such as Butter in 2011 and Alex Cross in 2012. From 2012 to 2013, she played Chloe Johnson in the sitcom The First Family. She also played a young Olivia Pope in the political thriller series Scandal in 2013.
Black-ish and Grown-ish
In 2014, Yara was cast as Zoey Johnson in the ABC comedy series Black-ish. Her performance earned her an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She continued this role in the spin-off series Grown-ish, which premiered in 2018 on Freeform.
She starred in Grown-ish for five seasons before transitioning to an executive producer and recurring guest star role for its final season. Her work on these television shows established her as a prominent young television actress.
Other films and projects
Yara took on her first adult lead film role in the 2019 drama The Sun Is Also a Star. She also provided voice acting for animated films including Smallfoot in 2018, Fearless in 2020, and PAW Patrol: The Movie in 2021. In 2023, she played Tinker Bell in the fantasy adventure film Peter Pan & Wendy.
Alongside her mother, she launched a production company called 7th Sun in 2020 and signed a deal with ABC Studios. She also executive produced and starred in the 2023 romantic comedy-drama film Sitting in Bars with Cake.
Birthday and age
Yara Shahidi was born on February 10, 2000, which makes Yara 26 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Yara shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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