Super Soul Special: Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist

0:00Hey, it's Paige DeSorbo from Giggly Squad. Okay, wait, have you ever had one of those moments where you're like, I should be doing something fun tonight, and then you just don't because you don't have what you need? Because same. But recently I've been trying to be more of a yes person, and honestly, Amazon Prime has been enabling that energy. Like the other night I randomly decided I was going to host a last-minute girls' night. No planning, no groceries, nothing. And instead of spiraling, I just ordered everything I needed and got it that day. Snacks, drinks, even like random hosting things I absolutely didn't need, but emotionally I did.

0:34And suddenly it went from maybe next time to yes, tonight. That's what I love. Prime's same-day delivery makes it so you can say yes before the moment slips away. Because let's be real, the only thing worse than a bad plan is a plan you never make happen. Same-day delivery, it's on Prime. Available in select areas, terms apply. So if you're trying to be more spontaneous or just less chaotic, go to amazon.com slash prime to find millions of items delivered fast.

1:24who's listening and book host-read sponsorships or run your own ads all from one platform. Transparent pricing, real-time data, complete control. Start advertising on podcasts by visiting acast.com slash advertise.

1:42I'm Oprah Winfrey. Welcome to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. I believe that one of the most valuable gifts you can give yourself Wealth is time, taking time to be more fully present. Your journey to become more inspired and connected to the deeper world around us starts right now. Sarah Shahidi!

2:13Hello, hello, hello. Hello, lovely girl. Hello, lovely girl. Wow! Wow.

2:22Hi, everybody. Get your arm on for Yara. It's so much pressure to be you at this moment, I think. Do you? Yes. I'm feeling it. You are being heralded, rightfully so, as this great spokeswoman, person, humanitarian for your generation. And I just ran across recently an old speech I had done when I was about your age, about 16 or 17, and it was entitled, What Young People Want Today. I was talking about something crazy like the generation gap between parents, but what I realized when I was looking at that, I really didn't know what young people want today, and it's really hard when everybody expects you to.

3:04Do you feel that? Quite honestly, well, first and foremost, I'm honored to be here. Thank you. Thank you for saying yes. But, of course, but quite honestly, I have to say I haven't had to feel too much pressure because I've been so fortunate to have support not only from my family, but from the world around me for being authentically myself. And so I've had the great fortune of not having to perpetuate a facade for the sake of love or support. Every little thing you say. Sounds like a tweetable moment. Well, do you recognize how incredible that is, that you get to be a true... I say this to my daughters from South Africa.

3:45They literally are the born-free generation born after Nelson Mandela was elected president, but to be born free Not just physically free but in heart and spirit where you get to be because I my definition of freedom Is that you get to wake up in the morning and decide for yourself What to do with the day to be born free in your heart and your spirit? To never have to pretend to be anybody else other than yourself It is surreal to even think about. And I do have to say, I mean, just being able to benefit from the work of previous generations is something that I do not take for granted. I come from a family of humanitarians.

4:25I mean, you mentioning Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was freed from prison, I think, February 11th. And I celebrate that because I was born February 10th, and even though the years don't line up, there's still a semblance of symbolism behind that. And, I mean, I have to agree with your definition of freedom, and I think it continuously changes, given our sociopolitical landscape, from the freedom to breathe and the freedom to have space and to be able to accept that freedom and have that freedom at this age is something that our generation, I'm pretty sure, is fairly aware of and isn't taking for granted.

5:00Well, I think for so long, not just your generation, because you're Generation Z. Yes. I don't even know who the Ys are. But a lot of people get lumped in with millennials, but you clearly are not. You're Generation Z. But you know, the millennials, I think, have been labeled, I think, many times unfairly as being this sort of me, me, me, me, me generation, generation, when in fact I think that this generation is probably more woke than a lot of previous generations have been and are certainly aware of what they need to do to step into the moment. Quite honestly, I think it is a matter of access, though.

5:43Millennials and Gen Z, we've had, again, the great fortune of an incredible amount of access at such a young age, whether it's social media, whether it's just in general the digital age of being able to watch people who inspire us, being able to watch you, being able to watch all of these people and absorb wisdom now in which it doesn't matter where you are in the world to be able to learn these lessons at such a young age. And so there is a general awareness. And I think this administration has put extra pressure on my generation in particular, who felt as though they had time to grow into their political awareness to really speed up, because we understand that the policies that are being implemented not only are a detriment to all of the work that's been done before us, but really will affect us as young adults.

6:28Well, do you think that... I think it's interesting that you say this generation has put pressure on. Because has this political moment that we're in right now has put pressure on this generation, or has it just lit a fire? Has it allowed you to be more lit? Definitely. I love that. Yes. May I say? Definitely. I mean, I think being such a history nerd and being somebody who is fascinated with the civil rights movement, fascinated with the women's movements and really any major movement, it is these moments of, I guess, terror in which we are so unsure of our future that I think does light a fire under everybody.

7:11Interesting you say you're fascinated by the civil rights movement. What fascinated you? What fascinated me? I mean, first and foremost, my own family's involvement. My papa, my mother's father, was involved in the civil rights movement. He's an educator, but also he was a Black Panther. And so I have a family. My family is here actually supporting me. This is very cool. Oh, I see you guys! Hello, hello, hello! But, I mean, I think part of it is coming from a family who was able to thrive, but really made a commitment to the society around them too, which has made me so interested, but also just the parallels between the work that was done in the 60s and my being able to exist now.

7:51Well, you know, what's always so fascinating to me is how young they were when I think about those freedom riders. John Lewis was 19 when he started? Was 19. And, you know, the year I ended the Oprah show, I had all of the remaining living, because, of course, I couldn't have the dead ones on, but I had the living freedom riders on the show. And what a stunning thing to know how young they were and how committed they were and how they were willing to stand up for justice, knowing that they might not even live through it. Yes. Yeah, it's quite honestly incredible. And I think seeing or really reading about our history puts into context this political moment for our generation, realizing that age has never been the limit in terms of social activity and being able to look back at the civil rights movement, for example, and see that it does not matter how old you are to be engaged.

8:43And if anything, it is so important to make it our mission, especially if we have the privilege to do so, to be socially aware and to help our global community. Okay, so what are the issues that you are most passionate about? Most passionate about? It's really hard to pinpoint. I think, first and foremost, I guess I would have to say the one thing that I feel like I'm continuously speaking about is just our underlying humanity, being half black and half Iranian and very proud of being both. I think being a part of... Here you call yourself a child of the world. Yes, if I can be so presumptuous, I would.

9:17But it gave me an appreciation for the world around me, but just how similar culture is at its core. And so I think so many of the problems that arise from today are by these arbitrary borders that we put up, these arbitrary distinctions we make between people. And so many of our issues, whether it is economic, whether it is discrimination that has been integrated into these systems, stems from somebody deciding that a difference is worth making a political, I guess, statement. I go back to the Reconstruction era and thinking about how we were, as black people, integrated into a system that did not include us.

9:52They just put us into a system without making actual adjustments to say, how can we be inclusive? And it's something that we are bearing the effects of even right now. That's so brilliant that you actually even understand that. You described yourself as living proof of the beauty of connectivity, because you were just talking about your father being Iranian. I know your mother is African-American, American Choctaw. So you are living proof of the beauty of connectivity. What does that mean to you? I mean, it really speaks to being able to have two wonderful families who are, I mean, theoretically from opposite parts of the world who understand and appreciate the beauty of the mother.

10:34And you embrace both sides. Yes, definitely. I mean, I have a name, Yarosaya Shahidi. and when you see me, you see a black girl, so you can't help but to embrace both sides. Yeah. But I think being able to come from a family that's both sides are very proud of our heritage. It made me interested in culture. I remember one Christmas I asked for a Bible when I was four, and then the next Christmas I asked for the Koran, and then, like, the next Christmas it was if I could have a book of all the major cultures. Really? Yeah. And your mother said, or your father said? They both said, yes, here it is.

11:09Wow. And so how do you describe your role right now in the culture? Oh, goodness. Well, I guess I'd have to say the one thing that I'm doing or one thing that I can point to that's happening currently is I'm turning 18 on Saturday, and it's also... Thank you. This is my early birthday present. I'm launching an initiative called 18 by 18, which is to increase voter turnout and youth voter turnout for first-time voters. Poor midterms. Yes. And I think being blessed enough to be on a show like Black-ish, being on shows like Grown-ish, and to be able to work with people who I align with more than creatively but politically and philanthropically, it has given me such a lovely platform to then say, I have these opportunities to speak about what's affecting our generation.

12:01I have these opportunities to speak about what's affecting our world. And so now trying to turn that into quantifiable action with this initiative and impress upon everyone that midterms are such an important moment for us to reclaim our government. I was just thinking, when I was 17...

12:24I remember going to the drugstore, waiting on Seventeen magazine. I didn't... I don't think I ever knew the word quantifiable action. at 17. Well, happy birthday early. Let's all say, Happy birthday to you, Yara. Oh, thank you.

12:51So how has the blackish experience informed more of who you are? I know it's not who you are. Right, but it has played such an integral part in who I am because I signed on to Black-ish. I was 13 turning 14. And it was the first place in which I was in an environment of people who really wanted to continue conversations. So many times I have fellow actors, fellow peers who aren't as supported by production, by writers, to have politically aware conversations. And so to be able to be on a show in which that is our core goal really allowed us to have so many more conversations at such a young age in which we were talking about our Hope episode in which we discussed police brutality, and they want to know how we feel as actors.

13:39So more than just how our characters feel, how do we feel? And so each episode brought with it a new conversation. And more importantly, I think it translated, because then when I stepped off of set, more people wanted to continue the conversations that Black-ish started. And so it allowed me to go from there and just pick up where Black-ish left off. And so when Grown-ish came about, which Grown-ish just got picked up for 20 new episodes. Yes, it did. Fantastic. When Grown-ish came up, were you really excited or were you thinking, this is going to interfere with my school plans? It was a bit of both.

14:15So Grown-ish came up, and funny enough, it happened the day after I submitted my own college applications. That's when Kenya at Paris had called with the idea, and he'd already called my parents a week beforehand, and they'd let me finish my applications in peace. before calling me with the idea. And I think it was really being able to sit down with him to hear his vision that sold me. And to have a creator of the show that is as dedicated to your education as you are is something that I'm very fortunate to have. And so they understand. Everybody from writers to production understand how much I value my education.

14:49And we're doing our best to figure out how we want to make it work. But I feel pretty lucky to be able to make a commitment to a school and to be able to make a commitment to a show. and going to do my best to figure them all out. I just believe you will. Thank you. I have no doubt. You said it, so now it's going to happen. I know it's going to happen. Are you thinking about postponing, though, now? Because you've gotten picked up for 20 seasons. So you're thinking about 20 episodes. 20 seasons. You might not want to do that. OK. You've gotten picked up for 20 more episodes. Does that mean you have to think about postponing, delaying college even more now?

15:27I can't really give you anything definitive, but we are trying to figure it out, because the end goal is to make sure that I'm not being mediocre in both my job and my school. Mm-hmm. And so that is what we are keeping in mind when proceeding with the 20 episodes in mind. Yeah. Is it as fun as it looks doing it? It really is. I have the best cast. Walking off of Black-ish, it was a nerve-wracking moment. I mean, I'm not gone from Black-ish, but leaving a set that I've been on for four years with a cast that we have... It's like family, right? Yeah. It's like another form of family. I was stepping away from that only to walk three yards away to the next stage.

16:04But nonetheless, it was pretty scary. And right away, I mean, pretty immediately everyone in the cast became friends. And we've had a group chat from the first moment that we met each other, like the very first table read of the first episode, and it hasn't stopped since. And so we've all actually become friends, and it's made the experience just ten times better. I think that's so great for you. I remember reading somewhere that you had told Forbes magazine that your greatest accomplishment so far is that you've been able to shift the perception of what is deemed possible. Yep, that's what you said.

16:40Did you say it? I hope I did. Okay, okay, that's a quote. Deemed possible within your generation of actors and entertainers. So do you see your generation becoming the change makers in Hollywood? I know you can't speak for all of them, but... I think, if anything, we are assuming the roles that have been set for us because this is not a new concept, seeing whether it's the iconic Sidney Poitier or Harry Belafonte or Dorothy Dandridge. There are so many amazing iconic entertainers, you, for example, who have really shifted perception. And so, if anything, I see my generation beginning to embrace that and embracing it as soon as possible and finding our own own ways that are true to ourselves to figure out how we want to expand because our goal is not to take on the same role but figure out where we have our strengths.

17:32Does the current movement, particularly of women in Hollywood and the Me Too movement and women standing up for themselves and speaking up and telling their stories, how has that impacted you? Well, again, I have to go back to my family because this entire industry moment has been a family affair from the beginning. My mother's a commercial actress. My Bubba is a DP director. But more than that, they've always been there for me on set. And even becoming a legal 18-year-old, there wasn't a day where they weren't there for me on set. And when my brothers are on shows, then we're all there together because we understand that this industry can be divisive and try and separate child from parent prematurely or try and make us feel like we're adults who have to make adult decisions prematurely without having the actual power to feel empowered and say, this is what I want, this is what I desire, this is what keeps me safe.

18:22And so being that I've been able to benefit from that, I'm really excited about these movements that are happening and how we've become increasingly aware of how we need them to be inclusive because then people will be able to have the same experience that I've been able to have with the protection of my family, knowing that even if they don't have a family there with them, there is now a support network of women and a support network of allies who are there with them. Your relationship on set on Black-ish with Tracey Ellis Ross, who plays your mom, So fresh, so honest. Do you have the same kind of relationship with your mom?

18:56Yes, I live right under her arm, quite honestly. She is right there. But, yeah, I think that's what's made me so close to my family. Family has always been first. And my parents have always been so extremely honest with me. Of course, there are certain things where, depending on my age, they're not going to tell me everything. But when it's time, when they feel like I have the awareness or maturity to know something, then they've been very honest from the get-go. And so we're able to have those conversations that usually aren't seen between teenagers and their parents. And so rather than using these moments of adolescence to turn into holding Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye, I've decided to go the opposite way.

19:39I think that's great.

19:44What can we say about this girl? You know, Rainn Wilson told me once that there's no difference between art and prayer. I never forgot that interview. And you have said, I've heard you say, that art is synonymous with activism and that the role of the artist is to disrupt and remold and to create. That I definitely said because I rode it in the car on the way. You said that. Yeah. So what does that look like to disrupt and remold and create? Well, art informs society. I think media, especially now, has become so prevalent in our world and is our first touchpoint for so many experiences. Before we live it in real life, we'll see it on TV, we'll see it in the movies, we'll see it on billboards, we'll see it in magazines.

20:39And so that first touch point is so important that we make it complex and multidimensional, and so people get a full picture of what's being experienced. And I guess to use Blackish as an example, to be able to be on primetime TV as a black family, and as Kenya Barris, the creator of the show, says, an unabashedly black family, has been important because I don't know how many times we've been able to see a successful businessman right now. And what we're witnessing, I call it the renaissance of black TV and the renaissance of TV, because we have, of course, have shows in the past that have done the same thing.

21:16But this is like activism through art. Right. And it's about making sure that we are so intentional in the stories that we tell and that we aren't trying to perpetuate stereotypes, because that's how stereotypes become realities, when people, not only for ourselves, but for the society around us, we're now making assumptions based off what they see on TV and now making assumptions because this is what has been perpetuated in the media. And so even with my character Zoe in particular, being a teenage girl and representing a young woman of color, it was important that what you saw was more than just her on her phone or her being self-absorbed.

21:51And that's why there were those episodes where of course she's going to take a selfie and of course she has those moments of being unabashedly self-confident even when it wasn't deserved, but also having those moments in which you see her as the unifier of her siblings, when you see her as a child who is worried, as you see her as somebody who's coming into her own, that was something that was very intentional on behalf of myself and Kenya and the entire team. You know what's so great about that show? We get to see black people the way most of us who are black people know that we are. We get to see ourselves reflected back to us as multi-dimensional, complex people.

22:32And that's what I love. Even the... Who are also funny. Yes. I mean, I thought they were bugging our house after reading the first three episodes because they had taken conversations that we had had the night before, and then we'd be reading them in scripts. Really? Yes, and so to see the intergenerational aspect of blackish, which I think is so important, but to even see how each character differs, to again go to your point of like, our blackness is not monolithic. Right. It is constantly being defined and redefined and hopefully undefined so that we can now exist in our fullness and not have our ethnicity be questioned.

23:14Quantifiable action here. Oh, wow. OK, so when you have all of this going for you, All of this going for you, first of all, your parents have done an incredible job. Incredible job.

23:36You've done some stuff right there, creating this powerful, independent woman. How do you keep yourself grounded? Well, one, you've heard the jingling of my shotgun necklaces in my mic. So that's one way, for sure. But also, I think my parents have done, again, a great job of giving me my semblance of normalcy. And I guess my normal may be different than everyone else's normal, but at the same time, they've always treated me as being a kid and being a human to be most important. And it may sound counterintuitive, but the one thing that they've always said is acting is something that we do, but it's not who we are.

24:11And that we're not allowing this one role in our life, even as instrumental as it is, and even with as much time as we've dedicated to it, to define our very existence. And so I've been able to enjoy school. I remember the first movie that I auditioned for, it was Imagine That. I ended up booking it. I played Eddie Murphy's daughter. And I remember it was the first big audition process ever. And I was seven. And there were like 10 auditions. Or it could be hyperbole. I was young, so it felt like a lot. And I remember halfway through, they were like, you know what? They haven't called yet, so let's go travel.

24:49And we went to travel, and we actually went to Italy, which was amazing because I was so into Renaissance art and Renaissance history that I was able to see. But...

25:03Of course you were. Yeah. But it's those moments of being able to... ...whether turn to my father. I just directed my first short film, and being able to turn to my father and have that conversation for him as a DP and a director of just, like, creatively, how am I going to go into this world? But to have somebody to turn to, to say, I am unsure of myself, I think is something that has kept me grounded, because it's when I am fully sure of myself that you realize that there's so much that you don't know. You're a powerful girl. You are a powerful girl. About to be 18 years old. Thank you. Happy birthday.

25:40This is amazing. Just amazing to talk to you. I'm amazing.

25:48I just want to say something. I just want to say something to you, and I'm going to pass this on to you. You don't even need it. But when I did The Color Purple, it was the thing I most wanted to do in the world. I never wanted anything and haven't wanted anything more since doing The Color Purple. And when I finished it, because it was the thing I most dreamed of, I thought, I guess everything's over now. I guess it's all done. And Quincy Jones said something to me that I want to say to you, baby, your future's so bright it burns my eyes. Oh, I will see you. Thank you. Your future's so bright it burns my eyes.

26:28Really. Really. Really, really, really. Really, really, really. What a wonder girl you are. Wow. Thank you. Yara Shahidi! I'm Oprah Winfrey, and you've been listening to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. You can follow Super Soul on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you haven't yet, go to Apple Podcasts and subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. Join me next week for another Super Soul Conversation. Thank you for listening.

27:06Hey, it's Paige DeSorbo from Giggly Squad. Okay, wait, have you ever had one of those moments where you're like, I should be doing something fun tonight, and then you just don't because you don't have what you need? Because same. But recently I've been trying to be more of a yes person, and honestly, Amazon Prime has been enabling that energy. Like the other night I randomly decided I was going to host a last-minute girls' night, no planning, no groceries, nothing. And instead of spiraling, I just ordered everything I needed and got it that day. Snacks, drinks, even like random hosting things I absolutely didn't need, but emotionally I did.

27:40And suddenly it went from maybe next time to yes, tonight. That's what I love. Prime's same day delivery makes it so you can say yes before the moment slips away. Because let's be real, the only thing worse than a bad plan is a plan you never make happen. Same day delivery, it's on Prime. Available in select areas, terms apply. So if you're trying to be more spontaneous or just less chaotic, go to Amazon.com slash Prime to find millions of items delivered fast. You've got social dialed in. Search is doing its thing. So why do your marketing results look the same as six months ago? That's because you're fishing in the same pond as everyone else.

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