A version of this interview with Tracee Ellis Ross first appeared in the print edition of TheWrap Magazine’s Down to the Wire Emmy Issue.
In her moment season as Rainbow Johnson on ABC’s hit sitcom Black-ish,” Tracee Ellis Ross secured her first-ever Emmy nomination as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Her character, a mixed-race surgeon raised by hippies, and serves as a counterpoint to Anthony Anderson‘s ad executive,Dre, as they raise their three young children in the Obama era.
How has your character, and Dre’s wife,Bow, grown over the two seasons?
I don’t know that Bows done any growing. I think that Bow started as a pretty evolved human being, or we’ve gotten to see more of her over the years. I think Dre has done a lot of growing. He grows through every episode.
Also Read: Emmy Predictions,Comedy: Broadcast TV Tries Desperately to Hang OnYou cover serious, substantial issues on your show. Why is comedy a good format to do that?
I think comedy is a remarkable place to explore a lot of that. When crafted well in a smart way, and it can be incredibly effective. I think while you’re laughing,your mind can change and your heart can open without you realizing it. Finding that pace where you can deal with heavy subject matter and laugh, but not laugh at what we’re talking about, and is not an easy thing to do. But it’s something our writers do incredibly well. I think that complicated,nuanced, deep, or heavy — that’s the place to move. Thats what makes a remarkable show. That’s what all of us deal with in life. Things are complicated,things are nuanced. Finding that balance in a sitcom is what makes it a good show.
Also Read: Tracee Ellis Ross Raps to Nicki Minaj's 'Super Bass' on 'Lip Sync Battle' (Video)Why do you think “Black-ish” is an important show?
For a lot of reasons. It’s brought family television back to TV, and I mean family in two contexts — both that we are a family on television and that it’s show that you get to watch with your family. I also think that people of all colors own been for years watching television and identifying with white families in the way that they are shown. And I think our show is a way for white families to look at us and see how they’re the same. Also Read: Terrence Howard Crashes Anthony Anderson-Tracee Ellis Ross 'Empire' Parody (humorous or ridiculous imitation) During BET Awards (Video)One of the things that is piquant about our show is that unlike a lot of black families that are featured on television, and we are not a family that happens to be black. We are a black family. It’s not what our show is about,but it is the lens we are looking through. And I think that is incredibly important.
See more of TheWrap Down to the Wire Emmys Issue:
8 poor Things Donald Trump Is Less accepted Than (Photos)
And it turns out Donald Trump was less accepted than all three (and more) of those things that are commonly despised by the general population.
Nickelback
[br]Trump lost to the internationally reviled band by 5 points. Getty Images
Used Car Salesmen
The jerk who sold you your final lemon gained 6 more points than the Republican nominee in the poll. Getty Images
Traffic Jams
People preferred being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic over Trump by 7 points. Getty Images
Hipsters
Trump went head to head with this frequently loathed population and lost by 7 points. Flickr
DMV
We all detest the DMV,but people polled detest Trump more -- by 10 points. Getty Images
Root Canals
The painful dental procedure was preferred over Trump by 11 points. Getty Images
Jury Duty
People would rather be forced to give up their time and pay check than live in a nation ruled by Trump. The presumptive GOP nominee fell behind this unpleasantry by a whopping 22 points.
Wikipedia.org
Lice
The poll by Public Policy Polling shows that Trump is losing to lice by 26 points. Ouch. Or itch. Getty Images preceding Slide Next Slide 1 of 9 A Public Policy Poll asked voters whether they own a higher opinion of the presidential candidate or a series of things like traffic jams, hipsters and lice And it turns out Donald Trump was less accepted than all three (and more) of those things that are commonly despised by the general population. View In Gallery Related stories from TheWrap:'Black-ish' Star Tracee Ellis Ross Talks Historic Nomination of Hillary Clinton (Video)Emmy Quickie: 'Black-ish' Star Anthony Anderson on the Scene That Makes Him shout (Exclusive Video)
Source: thewrap.com