14
The actor had just joinedblack-ish, and was still learning to juggle work, school, and life.
I literally had PAs driving my assignments back and forth, Shahidi tells Bustle.
Id go to school and take my tests, then Id go back to set.
It was a real hustle at 14.
After pushing past some imposter syndrome, it all just clicked, she says.
Its a lot and its all thanks to the first steps she took in 2014.
I never realized just how fulfilling this world or work could be.
Take me back to 2014, when you were 14.
How were you feeling about life?
I was a sophomore at my all-girls Catholic school and was pouring [myself] into school.
My acting career at that point had been about dipping in and out of shows as a guest star.
What do you remember about yourblack-ishaudition?
He wasnt supposed to be there, but he came in to say hi to everybody.
As a young actor, no one says, Hey, youre about to enter this set.
This is how it works.
Youve just gotta figure it out.
That must have been intimidating for a 14-year-old.
I remember how scary my first big table read was.
I dont know if I can impress upon people how scary table reads are.
Every executive, every bigwig writer, every person just is staring at you as you say your lines.
You cant use your body, you cant get up and act with people.
I just remember going over and over this monologue, and I felt like Id nailed it.
[But when] I got the script for Episode 1, theyd removed the monologue.
I was like, Oh boy, here we go.
But they ended up bringing it back later.
You mentioned having concerns about missing events like your winter formal.
How exactly were you able to prioritize and preserve a sense of normalcy?
I made it to winter formal, which was great!
Honestly, it was a constant experiment.
By Season 2, when I was 15, we had it more down pat.
In what ways were you able to live as a kid at 14?
My Fridays consisted of roller-skating in Glendale and a lot of other fun moments.
There were a lot of other kids who were in my shoes, too.
I mean, we werent the only kids on TV, especially on ABC.
So I got a sort of pseudo-community of people who were going through similar moments and transitions.
Disney would even host things, like a Disney prom.
Theyd literally invite anyone from the ABC Disney ecosystem who was a kid under the age of 16.
My first Disney prom was a little crazy and scary.
I remember, without naming any names, somebody asked me to go to prom through my agent.
I remember being like, Welcome to Hollywood!
Id been expecting a little sign, you know?
Like, Yara, prom?
But it was a fun time.
Who were some of those fellow young actors you bonded with?
I had friends like Peyton and Spencer List.
We went to almost every event together.
Id known Cameron Boyce since I was 4 [from working] in Disney ads.
Marcus Scribner and I were the same age, so we spent a lot of time together.
Also, our school trailer was kind of small, which meant we were in very close proximity.
Like, you had to get along.
But my parents were always big on family, so everyone on set was familiar with my brothers.
And my little brother, Ehsan, would go back and forth and rank our craft services.
Hed go up to directors and be like, You know,black-ishhas better snacks.
What do you think 14-year-old Yara would think of your life now?
I dont know if 14-year-old Yara would have guessed where I am.
Even withgrown-ish, that was such an unexpected surprise.
I thought I was going to get written off.
I remember dealing with that anxiety, having no clue that they were setting up [a] spin-off.
So it was really exciting, but it came with a lot of questions.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
