YouSaid · the spoken record

Yara Shahidi

lines on the record: 26
first: 2018-03-26
most recent: 2018-03-26
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It's those moments of being able to, whether it 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 one I am fully sure of myself that you realize that there's so much that you don't know.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, one, you've heard the jangling of my shotgun necklaces and 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 normalcy. I remember the first movie that I auditioned for, it was Imagine that I ended up booking it, 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. I remember halfway through, they were like, you know what? They haven't called yet, so let's go travel. And 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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. 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, are blackness is not monolithic. It is constantly being defined and redefined and hopefully undefined so that we can now exist in our fullness and not have our ethnicity re-questioned.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 who are 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 to that what you saw was more than just her on her phone or her being self-absorbed. And 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 what 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 my”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 just done the same thing.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“While art informs society, I think media especially now has become so prevalent in our world. 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. And 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 Bears, the creator of the show says, and unabashedly black family.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 baba 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. And 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 Sydney Poitier or Harry Bellafonte or Dorothy Dandre, 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 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, and so their form of family. I was stepping away from that only to walk three yards away to the next stage, but 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 10 times better.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I have the best cast. Walking off of black and shit was a nerve-wracking moment. I mean, I'm not gone from blackish, but leaving a set that I've been on for four years with a cast that we have.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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. So that is what we are keeping in mind when proceeding with the 20 episodes in mind.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Was a bit of both. So Gronish came up, and funny enough it happened the day after I submitted my own college applications. That's when Kenya Paris had called with the idea and he'd already called my parents a week beforehand and they let me finish my applications in piece 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 and 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 I'm going to do my best to figure it all out.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“But it has played such an integral part in who I am because I signed on to Blackish. 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 conversation. 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 whole episode in which we discussed police brutality. And they want to know how we feel as actors. So 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 Blackish started. And so it allowed me to go from there and just pick up where blackish left off.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And I think being blessed enough to be on a show like Blackish, being on shows like Gronish, and to be able to work with people who I align with more than creatively but politically and philanthropically has given me such a lovely platform to then say, I have these opportunities to speak about what's affecting our generation, I 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 has happened currently is I'm turning 18 on Saturday and it's also... 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, definitely. I mean, I have a name Yarasaya Shahidi, and when you see me, you see a black girl, so you can't help but to embrace both sides. But I think being able to come from a family that 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 Quran, and then the next Christmas it was if I could have a book of all the major cultures.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 world.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, if I can be so presumptuous, I would. But 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. They just put us to 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 the party.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, 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 and 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 Sam. Hello, hello, hello. 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Definitely. I love that. 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Quite honestly, I think it is a matter of access, though. Millennials in 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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. I 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 socio-political 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.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“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 fa ⁇ ade for the sake of love or support.”
2018-03-26 · Oprah's Super Soul · Yara Shahidi: Next-Generation Actress and Activist · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source