Tonight, when ABC's Black-ish returns for its second season at 9:30 p.m. after Modern Family, all eyes will most likely be on the self-obsessed, slightly sassy, and strikingly beautiful Zoey Johnson. Portrayed by 15-year-old Yara Shahidi, Zoey is the oldest child in a family of four, who doesn't suffer fools — like her goofy younger brother Andre Johnson, Jr. — lightly. She's the stylish and popular older sister you always wished you had, and she doesn't camouflage her greatness. Yara, on the other hand, is similar to Zoey in that she has a mind of her own, but she's way more down to earth and apparently really into math and science.
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Yara was born to an African-American mother and Iranian father who did a lot of work with the musician Prince (she's danced on stage with him). When she was 4 years old her family moved to Los Angeles for her dad's job, and the rest, as they say, was history. Those tidbits aside, there's still a lot left to learn about this energetic high school junior who has big dreams of traveling the world, attending a certain Ivy League college, and wearing a certain badge. So in honor of Black-ish returning this evening, we thought we'd tell you 10 things about Yara that you probably don't know yet, but should, as we predict she's doing to be a permanent red carpet fixture.
1. She can't drive yet, but is a speed demon on a jet ski..."I'm in the process of getting my driver's permit, and I'm trying to figure out a way to use a jet ski instead of a car because I can drive them really well. Whenever we go on vacation to Cabo we love to jet ski, it's like a tradition for us. Last time I was going like 65 mph, and my dad was holding on for dear life."
2. She's taking five AP classes through New York City's Dwight School's online program..."We were looking for an online program that would work with my schedule, without sacrificing my educational plan, and Dwight offered the classes I wanted. There's Skype and group chats, and all of that. I'm taking five AP classes: AP Calculus, AP World History, AP Literature and Composition, AP Microeconomics, and AP Macroeconomics."
3. She has her eye on a certain college... "I'm touring for a college right now. I actually just visited Harvard, and I spent the day with [writer and professor] Jamaica Kincaid and some other professors, and it was incredible. Jamaica Kincaid, was like, 'You're in that movie Butter that I like,' and I was completely fangirling. She's amazing. She didn't even understand how excited I was. It's such a cool campus too, and at first it seems so unattainable, but it had such a good community feel. I'm also looking at Brown. Tracee [Ellis Ross], my TV mother, got her honorary doctorate from there, which was very cool."
4. Her favorite co-star on Black-ish is her TV brother Andre Johnson, Jr., played by Marcus Scribner..."I love all of them, they're all pretty awesome, but Marcus and I are like twins. We spend so much time together, and we're so in sync, we end up saying the same thing at the same time a lot. And sometimes we'll just look at each other and have a full conversation without even saying a word."
5. She's obsessed with detective TV shows..."I'm a detective show junkie. Law & Order SVU or Criminal Intent are two of my favorites. I just met Pablo Schreiber, who had a two season arc on Law & Order, and I was so excited I had no words. I'm pretty sure I freaked him out. We were at an Emmys event, and my mother had to tell him that I'm an actress too and not just some weird fan. If I couldn't act, I'd want to run the CIA or FBI."
6. She turns to social media (and menswear) for fashion inspiration..."Kerry Washington is definitely a style icon of mine, she's pretty fabulous. But I also like to just take from people around me, and I like Tumblr and Pinterest to check out different things. So it's never just one person. I also love Brooks Brothers, it's one of my favorite stores. I always shop in the boys' section. One of my favorite outfits was a Brooks Brothers pantsuit with oxford heels, so I like mixing and matching like that. I wear oxfords for everything through, they're my favorite style of footwear.
7. Her favorite beauty product is her face wash..."I'm obsessed with my facial cleanser, Ultra Bland by Lush. I have very sensitive skin, and I'm constantly wearing makeup for work and events. I try to do a fresh face whenever I'm not working, but if I have a breakout I've got to cover it up, but the makeup causes my breakouts. It's this whole cycle. But Ultra Brand has totally rejuvenated my skin."
8. She understands Farsi..."As I'm half Iranian, I can understand Farsi, and I used to be able to read and write it too. I'm starting up classes this year in school so I can be fluent again."
9. Show business is a family affair... "I have two younger brothers — 12 and 7 — and they're fantastic. My 12-year-old brother, Sayeed, is going to be starring in a new show called Uncle Buck on ABC, so I'll be on Wednesday nights and he'll be on Friday nights. And my 7-year-old brother is going to be on a new show by Ryan Murphy coming out soon called American Crime Story, he'll be playing Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s son! I mean my mother is a commercial actress, and that's really how we all got started. In Minnesota we did a lot of print and commercial work as a family, and from there we started auditioning for different things."
10. She doesn't have a celebrity crush, because she's in a serious relationship..."I'm currently dating AP Calculus, but I'm sad our relationship will end this May after the exam."
Want more of Yara? Make sure to tune into Black-ish tonight!
Related: 15-Year-Old Black-ish Star Yara Shahidi Is Doing Something Big for Science
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