Tracee Ellis Ross

Early life

Ross was born October 29, 1972, in Los Angeles, California, to Motown singer/actress Diana Ross and music business manager Robert Ellis Silberstein. Her father is Jewish while her mother is African-American and a Baptist. She adopted the name Tracee Ellis Ross, wishing to retain both of her parents' names after her father dropped the name Silberstein. She has a younger sister, Chudney Lane Silberstein, and an older half-sister, Rhonda Ross Kendrick. Actor and musician Evan Ross is her half-brother.

In the 80s, Tracee was photographed along with her mother, Rhonda and Chudney by Andy Warhol. Her mother used her own photo for the cover of her 1982 album, Silk Electric, for which Warhol was given credit.

When her mother married Arne Næss Jr. in 1985, Tracee gained three step-siblings: Katinka, Christoffer, and folk singer Leona Naess. She remains on close terms with all of them. Before her mother and Naess divorced in 2000, they welcomed her two half-brothers, Ross Arne in 1987 and Evan Ross in 1988.

Ross attended The Dalton School in Manhattan, Riverdale Country School in the Bronx and the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. She was a model in her teens. She attended Brown University, where she appeared in plays, and graduated in 1994 with a theatre degree.

Ross has ptosis, slightly affecting her left eyelid. Following a speech at the American Music Awards, Internet trolls commented on her condition, leading her to post an Instagram video saying, "I know y'all make fun of my eyes, you know what I mean? Well, f**ck off, 'cause it's not my fault, alright? My body does what it does, I don't know why. But sometimes when I'm tired, this one just gives up, and it's like, 'Goodnight!'..."Go ahead, make fun of my eyes, OK? But I think they're nice, I think they're so nice, I do."

Career

Early works

Ross made her big-screen debut in 1996, playing a Jewish/African-American woman in the independent feature film Far Harbor. The following year, she debuted as host of The Dish, a Lifetime TV magazine series keeping tabs on popular culture. In 1998, she starred as a former high school track star who remained silent about having been abused at the hands of a coach, in the NBC made-for-TV movie Race Against Fear: A Moment of Truth. Her next role was an independent feature film titled Sue. In 2000, she landed her first major studio role in Diane Keaton's Hanging Up. That same year, she broke into comedy as a regular performer in the MTV series The Lyricist Lounge Show, a hip-hop variety series mixing music, dramatic sketches, and comedic skits. In February 2006, she starred in Kanye West's "Touch The Sky" MTV music video, playing the role of the best friend of Kanye's ex.

2000–2013: Breakthrough with ''Girlfriends''

In 2007, Ross starred with her brother Evan Ross and Queen Latifah in the HBO movie Life Support. That same year, she appeared in the Tyler Perry theatrical movie Daddy's Little Girls. She appeared in the 2009 film Labor Pains.

In 2010, she appeared in an episode of Private Practice as a pregnant doctor. In 2011, Ross appeared in four episodes of CSI as the estranged wife of Laurence Fishburne's character.

Ross starred in the sitcom Reed Between the Lines with Malcolm-Jamal Warner airing on BET starting in October 2011. She won a third NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 2012 for her performance in the series. In August 2012, it was announced that Ross would not return for Season Two. In 2011, she appeared in the Lifetime film Five directed by Alicia Keys. The performance in the film earned her nominations for an NAACP Image Award and Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series. In 2012, Ross starred in the NBC drama pilot Bad Girls.

2014–present: ''Black-ish'' and mainstream success

In 2014, Ross was cast in the ABC comedy series Black-ish, opposite Anthony Anderson. She plays the female lead role of Dr. Rainbow Johnson. The series debuted with generally positive reviews from critics. Ross received three NAACP Image Awards and received nominations for two Critics' Choice Television Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her performance in the series. Ross's 2016 nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series was the first for an African-American woman in that category in 30 years. The same year, Ross and Anderson faced off on Spike's Lip Sync Battle. She emerged victorious with performances of Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" and Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield".

In 2015, Ross was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts (honoris causa) by Brown University. Ross hosted the BET Awards in 2015 and 2016, and the American Music Awards in 2017 and 2018. She also hosted The Fashion Awards in 2019.

As of 2018, as CEO of Pattern Beauty LLC of El Segundo, California, Ross produces a line of "Juicy and Joyful" beauty hair care products made with safe ingredients for curls and promotes support organizations to empower women and people of color. Ross appeared in the fourth episode of A Little Late with Lilly Singh.

In 2019, Ross created, alongside Kenya Barris, a prequel spin-off of Black-ish called Mixed-ish. Ross serves as a narrator for the series starring Tika Sumpter and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Ross completed voice work as the title character and executive produced the adult animated comedy television movie Jodie, but the film lacks a studio or distributor. It was intended to be the first in a series of spin-offs based on MTV's Daria franchise. Ross voices the title character, Jodie Landon.

In 2020, Ross played the leading role of Grace Davis, a legendary superstar singer, in the musical comedy-drama film The High Note for Focus Features. The High Note marks the first big-screen role for Ross since the 2007 comedy-drama Daddy's Little Girls. The film was scheduled to be theatrically released on May 8, 2020, but the theatrical release was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film later moved its release date to May 29, 2020, through video on demand. In The High Note Ross made her singing debut, recording a soundtrack album titled The High Note (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). The lead single, pop-ballad "Love Myself" was released on May 15, 2020, through Republic Records.

Ross emceed the second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In September 2020, she signed a deal with ABC Signature. In 2021, she was included on the Time 100, Times annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

From 2021 until 2023, Ross hosted the podcast, I Am America, a collection of audio portraits exploring and deepening conversations about identity and community.

In 2022, after the series finale of Black-ish, Ross appeared as Lainie in the seventh episode of the revived The Kids in the Hall, released in May 2022. She produced The Hair Tales, a limited docuseries for hulu and Oprah Winfrey Network. Later in 2022, she starred in the upcoming psychological thriller film, Cold Copy. She starred with Jeffrey Wright in the film American Fiction (2023) based on the novel Erasure. Also in 2023, she starred opposite Eddie Murphy in the holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane directed by Reginald Hudlin.

In 2025, "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross" premiered on the Roku Channel. Over the course of the three-part series, Ross takes the audience along on her solo travels through Morocco, Mexico, and Spain. Variety reported in August 2025 that the series, having set records for the channel, was being renewed for a second season. Most recently, in 2026, she had signed an overall deal with Fox Entertainment Studios.

Personal life

Throughout her career, Ross has been vocally childfree. In a February 2018 Glamour interview, she stated "It's really interesting to be a woman and to get to 45 and not be married and not have kids. I'm a good friend, a solid daughter, a hard worker, my credit is good, I take out the garbage before it gets smelly, I recycle, and I won a Golden Globe!"

She endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Tracee is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Discography

• The High Note (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2020) :"Love Myself" (single) :"Stop for a Minute" :"Bad Girl" :"New to Me" :"Like I Do" − with Kelvin Harrison Jr. :"Love Myself" (Film Version) − with Amie Doherty

Awards and nominations

Business

Tracee Ellis Ross is the founder of Pattern Beauty, a company that makes natural hair care products for curly and textured hair. The company was founded in 2018.

References

References

1. Sweet, Lynn. (March 28, 2011). "Michelle Obama books stars to mentor: Hilary Swank, Geena Davis, Anna Deavere Smith, Michelle Kwan". Chicago Sun Times.
2. (December 15, 2014). "Diana Ross's Daughter Tracee Ellis Ross: Her Time to Shine". [[People (magazine).
3. Windeler, Robert. (January 26, 1976). "Mr. & Mrs. Diana Ross?". [[People (magazine).
4. Miller, Gerri. (January 20, 2015). "Tracee Ellis Ross: Black-ish and Jewish".
5. Guthrie, Marisa. (October 11, 2011). "Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm-Jamal Warner Talk 'Reed Between the Lines'". The Hollywood Reporter.
6. (September 7, 2017). "Tracee Ellis Ross Has Definitive Proof That Diana Ross Is the Greatest Mom of All Time".
7. Whitall, Susan. (February 26, 2011). "Diana Ross opens up on 'Oprah' show". [[The Detroit News]].
8. Christian, Margena A.. (April 17, 2006). "Tracee Ellis Ross: 'Girlfriends' TV star takes center stage her way".
9. Park, Andrea. (November 20, 2017). "Tracee Ellis Ross Explains Why Her Eye Was Twitching at the AMAs".
10. "Tracee Ellis Ross Biography".
11. (September 8, 1998). "Ross' daughter still auditions". [[Rochester Sentinel]].
12. (2001-02-25). "UPN's Girlfriends Tries to Survive". [[South Florida Sun-Sentinel]].
13. (February 14, 2008). "After 8 years, 'Girlfriends' comes to an end".
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17. "Newsvine".
18. (February 27, 2011). "Private Practice: War Episode Summary". TV.com.
19. (January 28, 2011). "CSI "All That Cremains" Season 11 Episode 14 Photos With Tracee Ellis Ross". Daemon's TV.
20. "CSI – Lost's L. Scott Caldwell to Guest Star". Bscreview.com.
21. "It's Official – Tracee Ellis Ross Leaves BET's 'Reed Between The Lines'". Shadow and Act.
22. Porter, Rick. (July 27, 2011). "Lifetime's 'Five' gets a premiere date, Roseanne makes a press tour cameo".
23. (2012-05-15). "Tracee Ellis Ross To Star In NBC Prison Drama Pilot "Bad Girls"". Shadow and Act.
24. Andreeva, Nellie. (2014-02-19). "Tracee Ellis Ross To Co-Star In Anthony Anderson Pilot; Ricky Blitt Pilot Adds One".
25. (2014-02-20). "Tracee Ellis Ross Will Play Anthony Anderson's Wife In ABC's Kenya Barris Pilot, 'Black-ish'". Shadow and Act.
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27. (December 9, 2014). "'Get On Up,' 'Selma,' 'Dear White People' Score NAACP Image Award Nominations (Full List)". [[Variety (magazine).
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29. [https://news.brown.edu/articles/2015/05/citations#Ross "Brown awards six honorary doctorates: Tracee Ellis Ross, Doctor of Fine Arts"] {{Webarchive. link. (November 30, 2016, Brown University, May 23, 2015.)
30. Courtney, Ian. (March 27, 2019). "Dates Set For 2019 American Music Awards".
31. Conti, Samantha. (October 31, 2019). "Tracee Ellis Ross to Headline 2019 Fashion Awards in London".
32. (September 19, 2019). "A Little Late With Lilly Singh". NBC.
33. (September 8, 2019). "Our Story". Pattern Beauty.
34. Darrisaw, Michelle. (May 15, 2019). "Tracee Ellis Ross Will Star in Her Own Black-ish Spin-Off Called Mixed-ish".
35. (September 24, 2019). "TV Review: 'Mixed-ish'".
36. (March 6, 2024). "MTVE Studios Not Moving Ahead with 'Jodie' Animated Movie; Will Redevelop Unscripted Show 'Power Game'".
37. (June 13, 2019). "Tracee Ellis Ross To Star & Exec Produce 'Daria' Spinoff From MTV Studios".
38. (February 28, 2020). "Tracee Ellis Ross Is a Pop Star in the Trailer for The High Note".
39. McClintock, Pamela. (August 25, 2019). "Todd Haynes' 'Dark Waters' Lands November Release; Nisha Ganatra's 'Covers' Opens in Summer 2020".
40. N'Duka, Amanda. (May 4, 2020). "Focus Features Sets Digital Release For 'The High Note' Starring Tracee Ellis Ross & Dakota Johnson".
41. (May 15, 2020). "Tracee Ellis Ross Debuts 'Love Myself' From Film 'The High Note'".
42. Romano, Nick. (May 15, 2020). "Tracee Ellis Ross releases her first song from 'The High Note' soundtrack".
43. (17 August 2020). "Eva Longoria, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington and Julia Louis-Dreyfus announced as Democratic convention emcees".
44. Petski, Denise. (2020-09-15). "Tracee Ellis Ross Signs Overall Deal With ABC Signature".
45. (September 15, 2021). "Time 100 revealed: Harry and Meghan, Britney Spears, Simone Biles, Dolly Parton make 2021 list".
46. (2023-04-11). "Tracee Ellis Ross is an icon – and our favorite rich auntie : It's Been a Minute".
47. (April 13, 2022). "It's Head-Crushing Time! Prime Video Announces the Premiere Date and Trailer Release for Canadian Amazon Original Series The Kids in the Hall".
48. (November 10, 2022). "Hulu's Tracee Ellis Ross-Hosted 'Hair Tales' Is Storytelling by and for Black Women".
49. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (September 28, 2022). "Bel Powley, Tracee Ellis Ross & Jacob Tremblay Lead Thriller Pic 'Cold Copy'".
50. (December 2, 2022). "Tracee Ellis Ross, Erika Alexander, Sterling K. Brown, Issa Rae Join Jeffrey Wright in Cord Jefferson's Directorial Debut for MGM's Orion Pictures".
51. (January 3, 2023). "Tracee Ellis Ross Joins Eddie Murphy in 'Candy Cane Lane' for Prime Video".
52. (2025-07-25). "Tracee Ellis Ross on the Joy and Loneliness of Solo Travel".
53. Jackson, Angelique. (2025-08-07). "Tracee Ellis Ross' 'Solo Traveling' Renewed for Season 2, Sets Record as Roku's Most-Watched Unscripted Series (EXCLUSIVE)".
54. Dawson, Shannon. (2026-01-09). "That's My Girlfriend! Tracee Ellis Ross Secures The Bag And The Power With Major Fox Studios Deal".
55. (2018-01-02). "Tracee Ellis Ross Has a Powerful Message for Men About Consent".
56. (July 25, 2024). "These 20 Celebrities Are Rallying Behind Kamala Harris For The 2024 Election, And It's Making Waves".
57. (15 July 2021). "Tracee Ellis Ross Is Now An Honorary Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha".
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