I was invited as media to cover this press event. All opinions are my own.
Yep, that’s me with the talented Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of legendary singer Diana Ross. Tracee was kind enough to join us for a tour of her new hit show “Black-ish” on ABC TV Network. While she walked us through the abnormally large set she answered questions about the show, fashion and more.
Tracee Ellis Ross Q&A:
How long does it take to shoot an episode? Tracee’s friend once asked her if it took a few hours to shoot since it was only a 22 minute show. Tracee quickly set her straight – it takes days! 5 days to be exact, and long hours too. They have to get the camera angles right she added.
Tracee plays a mom with 4 kids on Black-ish, so we asked how long the kids are allowed to work. (Kids are protected in this business with strict laws) She mentioned she wasn’t sure of the legalities, but “there’s a big calendar” which has blocks of school hours and times the kids are able to complete scenes. She added, “It’s kind of amazing and their teachers are fantastic. It’s really kind of special.”
She describes working with the kids as “pure joy” and “magic.” Adding, “between takes, there’s a lot of giggling and laughing and videos being taken and pictures and everything, so I really enjoy it.”
When asked about playing a biracial female on the tv show, Tracee adds “it’s really exciting that she’s mixed. I’ve actually never got to play a mixed character on TV. I usually play a black girl.” Tracee herself is half Jewish and half African-American. Although she adds, “I will say that I have been very clear, I’m not playing myself. The truth is we haven’t really been exploring that story line.”
Additionally we asked about her fabulous wardrobe. Tracee shares, “I do have a lot of input on my wardrobe. We have incredible costume designer.” Adding, “my style is a little bit different than Bow’s. Bow doesn’t wear heels ever. I wear heels all the time.” She also touched on being authentic to the storyline. Bow is a working mom of four children and wife, so her character’s make-up is pretty minimal. “Mascara and lipstick is the regimen.” She also shared that a pet peeve of hers is seeing an actress wake up with lip gloss on, yet it’s not on the pillow. Tracee likes to remove most of her make-up and mascara for scenes in bed to stay authentic to the everyday woman.
Black-ish “Man at Work” airing tonight (12/2/15) at 9:30pm ET
Dre has always looked out for the crew he grew up with, but when his childhood friend Sha (guest star Faizon Love) comes to stay at the house for a few days, Bow thinks he is taking advantage of Dre’s generosity. Meanwhile, Daphne Lido (played by Wanda Sykes), the now ex-wife of Stevens & Lido’s founding partner, gains control of half of the company and wants to start inserting herself in company business.
This episode is pretty hilarious. We were able to screen it just before doing a Q&A with Tracee. So definitely tune in tonight to watch the show!
Picture credits: courtesy of ABC Tv Network.
