Yara Shahidi Talks Tinkerbell, Shows Off Her Karate Moves and Plays Cornhole

[Interviewer] Yara Shahidi, I am so happy to be here

in sunny LA asking you 73 questions.

I'm happy to have you. Come on in.

[Interviewer] Okay, let's start things off

with a quick check in.

Yeah. How you feeling today?

I'm pretty good.

[Interviewer] And other than this interview,

what was the best part of your day so far?

My morning cup of tea cause I have it every morning,

cup of Sadaf.

[Interviewer] Nice, and to be honest,

how many times did you hit the snooze button this morning?

Only two times, which is like an all-time minimum for me.

[Interviewer] Very good job.

Who was the first person you spoke to?

My brother. I accidentally woke him up this morning.

[Interviewer] Oh no.

Do you book end your day with news still,

or has that changed recently?

I had to change it 'cause I was getting nightmares.

[Interviewer] That's pretty understandable.

What are some other rituals included in your day to day?

Yeah, okay, so rituals, start the day, of course,

with tea, I love listening to podcasts,

I try and write every night, and then, as you can see,

this is my handy-dandy record collection,

There you go. and I love

listening to music.

I literally listen to music every moment of the day.

[Interviewer] Good. Well, this music has some good vibes.

This is just something chill. It's a compilation record.

[Interviewer] Would you say that you're more

into the lyrics or the music?

I'm so into both because first,

I just love the way it feels and the way it sounds,

and then I am a lyric analyzer.

[Interviewer] Can you describe your music taste

in one word?

All over the place, hyphenated, one word.

[Interviewer] You and I have something in common there.

So do you or do you not have a tattoo inspired

by Frank ocean?

[laughs] Okay, so I have tattoos because of Frank Ocean,

but they're all inspired by different things.

It's just in Chanel, he says hide my tattoos in Shibuya.

I heard that. I was 16, hadn't had tattoos yet.

And so when I got tattoos, I was like,

When I go to Shibuya, now I have something to hide.

[Interviewer] Well, I hope you can get there soon.

And you said he's inspired your work, right?

Mm-hmm. Can you tell me how?

In so many ways, his artistry and his work ethic,

but also, I'd have to say his music is so rife

with cultural references, whether it be Kerry James Marshall

or somebody else that it's oftentimes like an entry point

to learn about other artists.

[Interviewer] Okay, so you love music,

and I can see that you love books.

Yes. 2020 is definitely the year

of reading books.

How would you describe your reading regimen?

I probably read like four for work and school a month

and then one for pleasure, so like five.

And I love to annotate my books,

so I'm always rereading them.

[Interviewer] Would you say that any

of these books are your favorite?

This is actually a book inspired by my favorite book.

[Interviewer] A book inspired by a book.

So what is this book?

This is The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.

It's a photo book. It's completely beautiful.

[Interviewer] So you've been in the biz

since you were six weeks old? Yeah.

[Interviewer] Can you tell me more about that?

I started in printing commercials with my Bubba,

Who's a VP, my mother, who's a commercial actress,

and my brothers,

and it was really just like a fun family affair.

Didn't take me out of school or any of my other passions,

and I still have commercials to this day.

[Interviewer] And then you started Black-ish at age 14.

Did you find it hard growing up in the public eye?

[laughs] It's definitely different.

But if there is any set to grow up on,

I'd have to say it's the Black-ish set.

Everyone from our crew to our cast is so supportive,

and even with some of the hate that we got

for covering topics like police brutality or politics,

we all have each other's back.

[Interviewer] Any hints on what Zoey

and her friends are going to be getting into

in the next season of Grown-ish?

Okay, I've already said, I'm not the weakest link.

I cannot be the weakest link.

So all we know is that Zoey has dropped out of school.

[Interviewer] All right,

I'll let you off the hook on that one.

So what's been your proudest career moment or achievement?

This is so random, but top of mind,

I'd have to say I was in Cincinnati,

and this girl got out of her car to tell me

that she took AP world history because of me, and as a nerd,

that is the highest level of compliment one can receive.

[Interviewer] There you go.

See, you're having an impact on people's lives.

Now in a few months, you have something big to celebrate.

You are gonna be 21

Yeah, that's soon. in February.

How are you gonna mark the occasion?

At home with my family. I'm such a homebody.

[Interviewer] What would you say

is the hardest part of adulting for you?

That it's all the time.

[Interviewer] It is all the time.

What's the most fun part?

Continuing to honor my desires and passions.

[Interviewer] What is one thing

that still remains on your bucket list?

To start a think tank.

[Interviewer] And I think that you

are a black belt in karate.

Did I read that?

I am. Okay.

What was the hardest skill to master in karate,

and can you please show me?

It just really takes a level of discipline.

There's not too many moves I can do in this shirt,

but I'd have to say we had to learn Korean

for every move that we learned.

But I think the one thing that I've taken away with it

that's helped in like every life skill is just balance

'cause from a balanced center, you can do anything.

[Interviewer] You definitely make that look easy.

What is your take on the use

of the gender specific term actor or actress?

I think it's definitely based on one's preference,

but as we continue to expand our vocabulary

to reflect everyone's just different gender presentations,

I think we'll have to expand those words, too.

And I always love a good gender-neutral thespian.

Feels very official. Thespian, it does.

And you once chose to opt out of a magazine photo shoot

when you discover that there was a lack

of diversity in the cast.

How did it feel

in that moment standing your ground like that?

It was totally uncomfortable and totally important.

Moments like that actually happen way more often

than you would expect in this industry,

and it was an important lesson to move through

at that age of making sure that my voice and my values

are front and center in everything that I do.

[Interviewer] I agree. That's important.

And how did you find the courage within yourself to do that?

From my awesome support network of family

'cause there'll be like the best hype men I know,

and you know what?

I'm learning to become more confident in myself, so.

I have so many lemons. [laughs]

[Interviewer] [laughs] Yes you do.

When fear sets in, what pushes you to continue advocating

for yourself and others?

Really it's because I try and come

from a place of being thoughtful.

And so when I think that what I am caring about

isn't that important, I try and remind myself

that it is from a place of thoughtfulness,

and so there is a reason to pay attention

to what I'm thinking about and to advocate.

[Interviewer] Yeah.

So for your next film, you're headed to Neverland

as Tinkerbell in Peter Pan.

Were you a fan of Peter Pan growing up?

I was because the TV was actually off Monday

through Friday in our household,

and everything I watched was usually based

on folklore of some kind from around the world.

So Peter Pan was one of the things

that I watched all the time.

[Interviewer] Oh, I watched it all the time, too.

Now Tinkerbell flies.

So does this mean that they're gonna strap a harness on you

and hoist you up in the air and make you fly, too?

I actually don't know yet,

but I'm excited by the prospect of flying.

You wanna go outside?

[Interviewer] Let's go inside. Let me help you with that.

Thank you. There you go.

Give this to you. Get this off your hands.

Perfect. Okay, got the cups. Good to go.

They've been sanitized. That's important.

Now moving on,

are there any hidden talents that I might not know of?

I can fall asleep anywhere, tornado, concert, anywhere.

Those are real instances, by the way.

[Interviewer] All right, well,

I'll believe it when I see it, and that looks like cornhole.

It is. Are you any good at it?

Well, why don't you come find out?

[Interviewer] Oh, that's a challenge.

That's a challenge accepted. Texting or calling?

I would say text. I will watch a phone ring.

[Interviewer] Would you rather talk

to animals or speak every language?

Talk to animals. I'm too nosy to speak every language.

[Interviewer] Puzzles or board games?

[Yara] [laughs] Board games.

[Interviewer] Online or in-person shopping?

[Yara] Online.

[Interviewer] Does pineapple belong on a pizza?

No, I am lactose intolerance and allergic to pineapple.

[Interviewer] Ah, don't do that.

Now if I offer you immortality, would you take it?

No, not at all.

[Interviewer] Are ghosts real?

[Yara] Yes.

[Interviewer] Brief intermission while I put

down this pitcher of ice tea.

Yara, do you have a nickname?

Too many to count, actually.

[Interviewer] Would you say that you're good

at keeping secrets?

I am, but you would not know that.

[Interviewer] Yara, you ready for a game of cornhole?

I am. Okay.

I'm gonna ask you a few questions as we go.

You wanna go first?

Yeah, let me see what I got.

Okay, here we go. I'm kind of nervous.

[Interviewer] Go for it. Drum roll.

And, whoa!

[Yara laughs]

You got it in!

Yes!

[Interviewer] Is that the first time you've got it in

on the first try?

I've gotten it before, but it's few

and far between, quite honestly.

[Interviewer] All right, I'm gonna give it a shot.

Here we go.

[grunts] Oh!

You're so close! So close.

Yara, a life lesson you learned from your parents

at a young age was abundance must flow.

Yeah. Can you elaborate on that?

[both grunt]

I got the hole in one. That's what's important.

[muffled speaking]

It really came from when my brother

and I started earning money.

From working at a young age, they sat us down.

Okay, so close.

That basically together counts as a hole in one.

[Interviewer] If you say so.

And they had jars, one for saving one for spending,

but the most important one was for donating

'cause their basic premise that we live by is that

in order to receive, you must constantly be giving.

[Interviewer] That's really beautiful.

And your dad Prince's photographer?

Yeah.

[Interviewer] When was the moment growing up

that you realized the significance of that?

When we moved to LA.

I've always felt his impact personally,

but to see how many people around the nation,

around the globe were inspired by him is surreal.

[Interviewer] Is it true

that he rented an entire movie theater

so that people could come see your first movie,

Imagine That? True.

I cannot believe it to this day.

[Interviewer] How did that make you feel?

Just really supported.

[Interviewer] Your mom

is also your business partner right now.

Yes. How do you

balance your mother-daughter relationship?

Oh, it's so easy 'cause we're legit the same person,

so the perfect person to be in business with

'cause we hold each other to our values

and what's important and our goals,

and we always take being mother and daughter first.

[Interviewer] So cool.

Now, who do you think you inherited your work ethic from?

Both of my parents are very focused, so both of them.

[Interviewer] And your family of pranksters, I hear?

[laughs] I am. We are.

[Interviewer] And your mom once hid

under your bed and grabbed your ankles?

Mm-hmm.

[Interviewer] Did you ever get her back for it?

I'm sure I have. I just don't remember.

But the most recent one is that we got my brother.

We did a haunted house this Halloween.

[Interviewer] Oh, that's so much fun.

Now what's the rest of your day looking like?

I just have a couple of Zoom meetings,

you know the ones where you only get dressed

from here up?

[Interviewer] [laughs] AKA every Zoom meeting ever.

Yes. Now, the clothes we wear

say a lot about our identity.

What do you want your fashion choices to say about you?

My fashion helps me take up space.

I'm a young person always in new environments,

and so I use wearing loud clothes

to just feel more present, quite honestly.

[Interviewer] How would you describe your style evolution?

Can you take me on a tour of your phases?

[laughs] Yeah.

Oh, I started with only high top sneakers

and skirts when I was little,

and then I switched to super preppy.

I would only wear, let me think,

plaid skirts and long knee socks and Oxfords.

And now I wear a loud prints like this or blazers

or really a monochrome tracksuit.

Nothing in between, though. It looks cool.

And is there a favorite item

in your closet or are any of them here?

I actually pulled one of them out.

These are a pair of jeans, just a regular pair of jeans

that we customized with a little yellow, my favorite color.

And most importantly, it says vote on the bottom.

[Interviewer] Fully support that.

Now who or what is most influential

when it comes to your personal style?

[laughs] My mother and my middle brother Sayeed.

We all wear the same clothes,

so we go through fashion phases together.

[Interviewer] Do you have any fashion regrets?

None. Lucky you.

And what's a staple you think everyone

should have in their closet?

Oh, white tank top, preferably taken

from your brother's room.

Ooh, a stolen staple. Yeah.

[Interviewer] Do you have a favorite outfit

of Zoey's and Black-ish or Grown-ish?

That's so hard.

Michelle Cole kills it, but I'd have

to say most recently our homage to Aaliyah

in Zoey's 21st birthday party, one of my favorites.

Now do you want something to drink? We have that ice tea.

[Interviewer] I've been waiting for you to ask.

[laughs] Okay, come on. All right.

So how would you define beauty?

I try and undefine it, which may sound super broad,

but that's the point 'cause everything is to be beautiful.

[Interviewer] All right, now taking it back

to The Sun is Also a Star,

do you believe in love at first sight?

I do, 'cause that's how my parents met. They locked eyes.

[Interviewer] And what about fate?

Yeah, a nice little mix of fate and free will.

Profound. Here.

Cheers to that. Yes, cheers.

[Interviewer] There we go.

Now Yara, what's your take on the multi-verse

and alternate realities?

Do you think that we get to live multiple lives?

I do.

I do. [laughs]

[Interviewer] So would that mean

that there could be endless versions of you?

There could be, and I'm so glad we're on different planets

'cause one Yara is enough.

[Interviewer] How would you describe the alternate version

of you in another universe?

A professional jet ski rider,

which is the first thing I wanted to be when I was little.

[Interviewer] I was not expecting that answer.

And what's your biggest fear?

Biggest fear, heights.

[Interviewer] And what do you do to get out of a funk?

Listen to music. Yup.

And what would you say is your biggest pet peeve?

Booths. I hate restaurant booths.

[Interviewer] [laughing] That is so specific.

What do you wanna be remembered for?

I try and think of impact over legacy,

so I don't quite know.

[Interviewer] Hmm, that's fair.

All right, Yara, a few more questions.

What is your favorite Sade song?

King of Sorrow.

[Interviewer] And what would you say

is your favorite place to be

in the entire world or the entire universe?

Under a blanket for napping.

My favorite spot. That's your blanket.

My go to spot.

[Interviewer] You said your hidden talent was napping.

What a coincidence.

What a coincidence. What a coincidence.

And that's a great transition to the last question.

Question number 73 for an insomniac like me,

can you please give me some tips

on how to fall asleep properly?

Yeah. I have so many tips.

Sleep meditations, don't be on your phone past 30 minutes,

a great pillow, like you find your pillow,

a weighted blanket, tea, great tea, chamomile,

and other things. And other things.

[Yara] And then you just [sighs and yawns].

[Interviewer] Yara?