Yara Shahidi and her mother and business partner, Keri Shahidi, have signed an overall deal with ABC Studios.
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Shadow And Act reports the Grown-ish star and her mom will “develop and produce scripted and alternative television projects for cable, streaming and broadcast” through 7th Sun, their new production company.
ABC Studios and the rising star have an ongoing relationship, beginning with her role on the hit series Black-ish.
“We can’t wait to extend and expand our relationship with the incredibly talented Yara Shahidi, who has been a member of the family since Black-ish,” said ABC Studios President Jonnie Davis, according to Shadow And Act.
“When she’s not studying at Harvard and starring in our series ‘Grown-ish,’ she’s mentoring and inspiring other young people, which makes us all feel like underachievers but also very proud that she’s part of our Studio,” the statement continued.
The actress made her own statement about the opportunity to continue her career with the network that made her famous.
“I’m thrilled to be partnering with my home family, ABC Studios, in this exciting next chapter, alongside my family. It’s exciting to add our production company to the roster of my peers and mentors who are also actively committed to sharing meaningful stories,” Shahidi says in a statement.
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Black-ish creator Kenya Barris is one of Shahidi’s mentors and she thanked him for paving the way in a celebratory Instagram post.
Barris praised his young protégé with his own statement acknowledging her talent and drive, reports Shadow and Act.
“Yara is a force. She is insanely talented, unreasonably smart and hardworking beyond compare,” says the Black AF creator.
He continues “I’ve called her ‘McMogul’ for years and seeing all that she has accomplished should come as no surprise to anyone that knows her. This deal is just the beginning for Yara, and I’m excited to see where she takes this next chapter and the storyteller she becomes.”
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