Hi everyone and thank you for tuning in to episode 177 ofatter, the Hollywood Reporters Awards

podcast. I'm the host Scott Feinberg and my guest today is a terrific

actress currently playing Dr Rainbow Johnson on ABC's funny, smart, and edgy sitcom Blackish, a show for which she won this

year's best actress in a comedy series Golden Globe, becoming that category's

first black winner since Debbie Allen won for Fame 35 years ago and for which she's Emmy nominated

for the second year in a row also for Best Actress in a comedy series and

could become that category's first black winner since Isabel Sanford took home the prize for the

Jefferson's 36 years ago, Tracy Ellis Ross. Over the course of our

conversation at the offices of the Hollywood reporter in Los Angeles, the

44-year-old and I discussed a wide range of topics, among them.

What it was like for her, growing up as a daughter of pop star Diana Ross and ultimately

following her mother into the arts.

How important it was to her, after years of rejection and almost quitting the business,

to land a starring role on Girlfriends, a comedy series that ran on UPN and then the CW between 2000 and 2008 and what impact

or lack thereof that show had on her career thereafter? What motivated Kenya

Barris who had been a writer on girlfriends to create the show Blackish and with Ross in mind the character of Dr. Rainbow Johnson?

And why Ross feels the character, a working mom who loves her husband is so important.

Why Ross loves that Blackish is exploring controversial topics like the N-word, police

brutality, and mixed-race relationships on one of the major broadcast networks and has been receiving major awards

recognition for doing so plus much more. So without further ado let's go to that

conversation.

Tracy, thank you so much. station.

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