Who Is Yara Shahidi - Disney's Black Tinker Bell?

Yara Shahidi has become the center of attention after the black actress was revealed to be the person taking on the role of Disney's black Tinker Bell. On February 28th, Disney released the official trailer for their latest live-action adaption “Peter Pan & Wendy". Needless to say, Yara Shahidi's first look in the role of Tinker Bell is causing a divide among Internet users. Some people are excited to see more black representation on the screen, while the others think that Disney's race-swapping characters are becoming "too much to handle".
This is not the first time a Disney princess stirred such a huge debate on the Internet. We have already seen similar cases with Disney's black Ariel and brown Snow White. Aside from the current controversy, it can't be denied that the audience are all interested in Yara Shahidi. In preparation for the upcoming adaptation of everyone's favorite childhood story, now is definitely the time to learn more about the new Disney pixie.

#1. Yara Shahidi Full Name, Birth Date And Nationality

Source: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Turner Image

Yara Shahidi real name is Yara Sayeh Shahidi. The lovely actress was born in February 10, 2000. Yara is actually an actress of African-American and Iranian descent, with her mother being African-American and her father being Iranian. She grew up in the neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Yara's mother used to work as an actress, while her father is usually known as Prince’s photographer for many years.
Yara usually talks about her multi-cultural heritage openly and proudly. "Being multicultural, you can’t help but be interested and connected to the world around you. My family is from all over the world, so how can you not care for people around the world too?", she shared in an exclusive interview with Bazaar.

#2. Yara Shahidi Is A Harvard Student

Source: Yara Shahidi's Offical Instagram

After graduating an online independent school, Yara Shahidi began her life as a Harvard student in 2018. In fact, she even received a recommendation letter from former USA first lady Michelle Obama while applying to colleges. Yara's major is Interdisciplinary Sociology and African American Studies. She applied to a total of four colleges and got accepted into all of them, although the actress never reveals the full list.
Yara officially graduated Harvard in May 2022 after completing her 136-page thesis, which is titled "I Am a Man: The Emancipation of Humanness from Western Hegemony Through the Lens of Sylvia Wynter".

#3. Yara Shahidi Began Her Career When She Was Only Six

Source: Getty Images

Yara Shahidi first stepped foot in the industry through appearances in various commercials and printed advertisements for big brands, such as McDonald's, Ralph Lauren, Target, Disney, etc.
In 2009, she got her first cinematic role in "Imagine That". Since then, Yara has participated in various movie and television projects, such as "The First Family", "Wizards of Waverly Place", "Rip City", etc. She is usually known for her role as the oldest daughter Zoey Johnson in the famous sitcom "Black-ish" and its spin-off "Grown-ish".
"I remember having, like, the best time during that audition. I walked out and said, like, 'I honestly don't even need to book this,' the audition was just a really good time", Yara shared with The Guardian about her audition for "Black-ish".
In July 2020, Yara Shahidi announced the launching of 7th Sun Productions, a production company that she established with her mother. The company has also signed a deal with ABC Studios. According to Deadline, Yara and her mother is in charge of creating "scripted" and "alternative" television program for ABC Studios.
Also: 19 Actors Who’ve Been Working For A Decade And Aren’t Even 27 Yet

#4. Is Yara Shahidi Single Or Taken?

Source: Getty Images

In January 2023, the lovely actress casually shared to the media that she "has just got out of a three years relationship". At that time, this information came across as a huge suprise to the public. In reality, Yara Shahidi is a person who always tries her best to keep her love life private. No one knows who her partner was, no detailed information was ever disclosed, no dating picture was ever taken.
At the moment, Yara doesn't have any intention in meeting new people. "I’m a big commitment person. It was three years. So, I don’t even know what to do with myself. I’m just taking some me time. My friends and I are calling it 'selfish season'", the actress opened up.

#5. Yara Shahidi Is Related To Rapper Nas

Source: Getty Images

This may come as a surprise to many people, but Yara Shahidi is actually the second cousin of an extremely famous rapper, Nas. According to Essence, Yara even appeared at Nas's wedding ceremony in 2005 as a flower girl.
In the recent years, the duo often mention the other's name in public, showing great support to their cousin. Yara once shared in a conference that she had always felt Nas's impact and the influence of his music when she grew up. According to Yara, Nas is a person who always supports her goals and celebrates her achievement, always be there for her whenever she goes through a tough time.
Fun fact, Nas is not the only famous cousin of Yara! Yara's another cousin, Anousheh Ansari, has created history as the first woman to be a private-space explorer, as well as the first astronaut who is Iranian-American.
Also: 17 celebrities You Didn’t Know Are Related

#6. Yara Shahidi Is Always Holding Out A Helping Hand

Source: Alessandra Sanguinetti/Vogue

Yara Shahidi has always been famous for her activism. The actress teamed up with Young Women's Leadership Network to launch Yara's Club, a mentorship program for teens to freely discuss about their own problems. She has actively spoken up about STEM awareness, intersectional feminism and inclusitivity in the industry.
"I feel like activism has always been ingrained into who I am because of how my parents have raised me. When I first started earning money, my mother would help me divide it into three: saving money, spending money, and donation money", the actress shared in an interview with Vogue.
Also: 12 Female Superstars Innovate Women’s Beauty Standards

Source: Pop Crave

So, it can't be denied that Yara Shahidi is an amazing actress. The question now is, could she win over the audience and be able to shine brightly in "Peter Pan & Wendy"? What would remain in the audience's minds, Yara Shahidi's impressive acting skill or only the heated controversy revolving race-swapping? Well, that's a matter to be find out in the future.
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