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All The Times Tracee Ellis Ross Radiated Main Character Energy
OK, so I don't know about you, but Tracee Ellis Ross keeps me on my toes. Anytime I need fashion, gym, or beauty motivation, I know she is who I can run to to keep me together, an energy she has kept her entire career. She's relatable, although she is absolutely not relatable (because her entire life is a flex), but she still reigns supreme as the mascot of Black women.
Loud and proud.
In honor of her main character energy ways, here are 8 times Tracee Ellis Ross radiated being the main character of one's life.
The time she shined a light on Black designers when hosting the AMA's:
Tracee Ellis Ross is nottttt shy about crediting Black designers, which she wore on the big stage of the American Music Awards. She hosted the show and shared more information on her looks on Instagram via a screenshot of her Notes app.
"Not every piece I wore was by a Black designer, but I wore a Black designer in every look and Pat McGrath on my face."
She says it was a story she wanted to tell through her clothing, and her stylist, Karla Welch, made it happen.
"I was inspired by Issa Rae and Jason Rembert, who did it first at the CFDA Awards in June. I strongly believe in using my platform to shine light in directions I believe in, love, and celebrate my people."
When she actually was a main character in one of the best sitcoms in television history. TWICE:
Tracee may currently be known for her role as Rainbow Johnson on ABC's Blackish, but it was Joan Clayton on Girlfriends that placed her as cultural royalty. It began airing September 2000, and ran for eight seasons (including two on successor CW). In fact, the show was so legendary, it spawned another classic, spinoff, The Game.
"We were dealing with a lot of very real topics. We dealt with HIV, chlamydia, sexually transmitted disease, pregnancy, colourism, classism… all of these kinds of dynamics that come up as Black women, we were really diving in on 20 years ago, and I just feel so proud of the work we did, particularly because of how relevant it still feels."
When she strolled through Paris, stopped traffic, and made the girls stare:
Tracee looked mesmerizing as she wandered around in a beautiful flowing sheer dress that featured a ruched front, and an elaborate train that looked blew in the wind for the gawds. She looked stunning as people stopped and stared, and the internet went crazy as we all declared that Tracee is now the new owner of the color pink. #fightme
Or the time she existed in a world where her mother was THE Diana Ross:
Although her real name is Tracee Joy Silberstein, she is very much so a 'Ross.' And she is ever-so inspired by her mother Diana Ross in every single way. During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday, she told guest host Sean Hayes that she gets a kick out of recreating throwback photos of her musical legend mama.
"I had this necklace, of hers and I think it was a necklace attached to a jumpsuit she wore in Mahogany, and I have always said, every time I see the picture, I'm like 'Oh my god I have that necklace!' I steal stuff from her. I kind of love doing it."
When she won the 'Fashion Icon Award' at the People's Choice Awards:
Tracee Ellis Ross has been in the spotlight her entire life, and last year she was honored for her always-impeccable style. The actress took home the style icon award at the 2020 People's Choice Awards. Ross toldE!:
"As I was coming out of the womb, I was like 'Sparkles! Where's the feathers! Give 'em to me, fashion, I love fashion! It started very young. I come by it honestly, my mom is Diana Ross, she's the fashion icon that I actually follow. My father also has impeccable taste."
She also credits her fashion sense to her mom and her 'epic closet.'
When she showed off her unapologetic joy just because:
I mean, if there were ever a photo definition of a flex, I'm sure this one ranks somewhere up there.
When she decided to be more of a boss and create a natural haircare line:
Tracee Ellis Ross' efforts to highlight diversity, equity and inclusion certainly do not stop in Hollywood. In 2019, after years of being asked for her hair secrets, Ross launched her line of natural hair products, Pattern Beauty, ultimately to fill a void she had personally witnessed in beauty and culture. In fact, she spent 10 whole years fine-tuning her vision to embrace the "authentic" beauty of Black hair.
"My journey in hair care started with my own personal journey. The mission of the brand is to meet the needs of the curly, coily and tight texture community."
To date, Pattern has a partnership with numerous large retailers, and even landed Tracee a role as Ulta's newest high-profile diversity and inclusion adviser.
When she wore feathered Bottega around the house, because you know, it's Tuesday:
Here's Tracee, ladies and gentlemen, causally sitting on the floor of her home in a Bottega Veneta pre-fall collection, feathered pantsuit.
And finally, when she set the bar for solo travel, all while breaking the internet:
Ross holds nothing back in establishing her regal main character status on Instagram. And her solo vacations are legendary, as every year, she gives us our travel goals, and shows us how to do it right. She has said:
"I think that was a big growth opportunity for me as I was coming of age and learning how to be on my own. I'm very comfortable traveling alone and being my own best friend."
Now all we need, are her lessons on how to break the internet too.
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Featured image by Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."