Tracee Ellis Ross

Not to be confused with Tracey Ellis.
For the soap opera actress, see Tracey Ross.
Tracee Ellis Ross

Ross at the 2014 NAACP Image Awards
Born Tracee Joy Silberstein
(1972-10-29) October 29, 1972
Los Angeles, California, US
Other names Tracee Ellis Ross
Alma mater Brown University
Occupation Actress, Model, Comedian
Years active 1996–present
Parent(s) Diana Ross
Robert Ellis Silberstein
Website www.traceeellisross.com

Tracee Ellis Ross (born October 29, 1972) is an American actress, model, comedian, producer and television host.[1]

The daughter of singer/actress Diana Ross, Ross began her career acting in independent films, variety series and hosted the pop-culture magazine The Dish on Lifetime. From 2000 to 2008, she played the leading role as Joan Clayton on the UPN/CW comedy series Girlfriends, for which she received two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. She also has appeared in films Hanging Up (2000), I-See-You.Com (2006), and Daddy's Little Girls (2007), before returning to television playing Dr. Carla Reed on the BET sitcom Reed Between the Lines, for which she received her third NAACP Image Award.

In 2014, Ross began starring as Dr. Rainbow Johnson in the ABC comedy series Black-ish. The role brought her two more NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, and well as a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination.

Early life

Born Tracee Joy Silberstein in Los Angeles, California, she is the daughter of Motown singer/actress Diana Ross and music business manager Robert Ellis Silberstein. Actor and musician Evan Ross is her half-brother.[2] Her father is a Jewish, White American and her mother is a Christian, Black American .[3][4] Ross attended The Dalton School in Manhattan 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.[5] She later worked in the fashion industry, as a model and contributing fashion editor to Mirabella and New York magazine.[6]

Career

Ross in February 2012

Ross made her big screen debut in 1996, playing a Jewish/African-American woman in the independent feature film Far Harbor. Also in 1996, she was featured as one of the ten dancers in the video of the worldwide chart-topping hit Macarena. The following year, she debuted as host of The Dish, a Lifetime TV magazine series keeping tabs on popular culture.[5] 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.[7] Her next role was an independent feature film Sue. In 2000, she landed her first major studio role in Diane Keaton's Hanging Up. The 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.[8]

Ross' biggest career achievement came when she landed the lead role in the hit UPN/CW series Girlfriends in which she starred as the show's main protagonist Joan Carol Clayton — a successful (and often neurotic) lawyer looking for love, challenges, and adventure. The series centered on four (later three) young African-American women, and their male best friend.[9] In 2007, Ross won an NAACP Image Award in the category, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on the series. She won a second Image Award for the role in 2009.[10]

In 2007, Ross starred with her brother Evan Ross and Queen Latifah in the HBO movie Life Support,[11] That same year, she appeared in the Tyler Perry theatrical movie, Daddy's Little Girls.[12] She appeared in the 2009 film Labor Pains.[13] In 2010, she appeared in an episode of Private Practice as a pregnant doctor.[14] In 2011, Ross appeared in four episodes of CSI as the estranged wife of Laurence Fishburne's character.[15][16] 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.[17] In 2011, she appeared in the Lifetime film Five directed by Alicia Keys.[18] The performance in film earned her nominations for a 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.[19]

In 2014, Ross was cast in the ABC comedy series, Black-ish, opposite Anthony Anderson.[20][21] She plays the female lead role of Dr. Rainbow Johnson. The series debuted with generally positive reviews from critics.[22] Ross received 2 NAACP Image Awards and a Critics Choice Award Nominations for her performance in series.[23]

In 2015 Ross was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine art (honoris causa) by Brown University.[24]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Far Harbor Kiki
1997 Sue Lost in Manhattan Linda
1998 A Fare to Remember
2000 Hanging Up Kim
2000 In the Weeds Caroline
2006 I-See-You.Com Nancy Tanaka
2007 Daddy's Little Girls Cynthia
2009 Labor Pains Kristin
2011 Five Alyssa Segment "Lili"

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Race Against Fear Kaycee King Television film
2000 The Lyricist Lounge Show Various roles
2000–2008 Girlfriends Joan Clayton Series regular, 172 episodes
2004 Second Time Around Naomi Episode: "A Kiss Is Still a Kiss"
2007 Life Support Tanya Television film
2010 Private Practice Ellen Episode: "War"
2011 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Gloria Parkes Recurring role, 4 episodes
2011 Reed Between the Lines Dr. Carla Reed Series regular, 25 episodes
2012 Bad Girls Rachel TV pilot
2014–present Black-ish Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson Series regular
2016 Sesame Street Herself HBO Premiere
2016 Lip Sync Battle Herself Tracee Ellis Ross vs Anthony Anderson

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2002 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2003 Prism Award Best Performance in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2003 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2004 BET Comedy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2004 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2005 BET Comedy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Won
2005 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2006 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2007 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Won
2008 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2009 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
2009 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Girlfriends Won
2012 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Five Nominated
2012 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Reed Between the Lines Won
2012 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series Five Nominated
2012 NAMIC Vision Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Reed Between the Lines Nominated
2015 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Black-ish Won
2015 BET Awards Best Actress Black-ish Nominated
2015 Ewwy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy series[25] Black-ish Nominated
2016 Critics' Choice Television Award Best Actress in a Comedy Series[26] Black-ish Nominated
2016 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series[27] Black-ish Won

References

  1. ↑ Sweet, Lynn (2011-03-28). "Michelle Obama books stars to mentor: Hilary Swank, Geena Davis, Anna Deavere Smith, Michelle Kwan - Lynn Sweet". Blogs.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  2. ↑ "Diana Ross opens up on 'Oprah' show". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  3. ↑ Guthrie, Marisa (2011-10-11). "Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm-Jamal Warner Talk 'Reed Between the Lines'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  4. ↑ "Joanne Weintraub".
  5. 1 2 "Tracee Ellis Ross Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  6. ↑ Christian, Margena A. (2006-04-17). "Tracee Ellis Ross: 'Girlfriends' TV star takes center stage her way". Jet. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  7. ↑ Associated Press (8 September 1998). "Ross' daughter still auditions". Rochester Sentinel. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  8. ↑ "UPN'S GIRLFRIENDS TRIES TO SURVIVE". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Feb 25, 2001.
  9. ↑ "CW's 'Girlfriends' to End After 8 Years". FOXNews.com. 2008-02-14. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  10. ↑ Hite, N'Neka (2009-02-12). "'Bees' big at NAACP Image Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  11. ↑ Hale, Mike (March 4, 2007). "The Week Ahead: March 4–10 > Television". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  12. ↑ Morris, Wesley (2007-02-15). "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls Movie Review - Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls Movie Trailer". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  13. ↑ Retrieved 2009-04-02
  14. ↑ "Private Practice: War Episode Summary on". Tv.com. 2011-02-27. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  15. ↑ "CSI "All That Cremains" Season 11 Episode 14 Photos With Tracee Ellis Ross | Daemon's TV". Daemonstv.com. 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  16. ↑ "CSI – LOST’S L. Scott Caldwell to Guest Star". Bscreview.com. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  17. ↑ "It's Official - Tracee Ellis Ross Leaves BET's 'Reed Between The Lines'|Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  18. ↑ Porter, Rick (2011-07-27). "Lifetime's 'Five' gets a premiere date, Roseanne makes a press tour cameo". Zap2it. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  19. ↑ "Tracee Ellis Ross To Star In NBC Prison Drama Pilot "Bad Girls"|Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  20. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "Tracee Ellis Ross To Co-Star In Anthony Anderson Pilot; Ricky Blitt Pilot Adds One". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  21. ↑ "Tracee Ellis Ross Will Play Anthony Anderson's Wife In ABC's Kenya Barris Pilot, 'Black-ish'|Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  22. ↑ "Black-ish : Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  23. ↑ Variety Staff (2014-12-09). "‘Get On Up,’ ‘Selma,’ ‘Dear White People’ Score NAACP Image Award Nominations (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "Brown awards six honorary doctorates: Tracee Ellis Ross, Doctor of Fine Arts", Brown University, May 24, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Best Actress, Comedy - EWwy Awards 2015 - Meet Your Winners - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. 2015-08-07. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  26. ↑ Patrick Hipes. "Critics’ Choice Awards Nominations 2016 — Full List - Deadline". Deadline.
  27. ↑ Maane Khatchatourian. "NAACP Award Nominations 2015: ‘Creed,’ ‘Empire,’ ‘Black-ish’ Lead - Variety". Variety.

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