Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross is so much more than simply the daughter of the iconic Diana Ross. From her sartorial knowledge to her standout television roles and charity work, Ross is a force to be reckoned with. And she shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Born in Los Angeles, Ross was introduced to the spotlight at a pretty early age—thanks to dozens of photoshoots with her mother and siblings. The actress attended The Dalton School, Riverdale Country School and the Institut Le Rosey, balancing her studies with modeling before she pursued theater at Brown University. After graduating, she worked for Mirabella and New York magazine as both a model and fashion editor—which makes total sense, considering her unmatched style.

During the late '90s, Ross landed a few small roles in shows and independent films. But then came the sitcom Girlfriends, where she landed her breakthrough role as the neurotic Joan Clayton. After the show's eight-season run, she appeared in films like Life Support, Daddy's Little Girls and Five. She also starred in BET's Reed Between the Lines from 2011 to 2015. But her biggest role yet came in 2014, when she joined the cast of ABC's Black-ish.

For eight years, Ross portrayed the quirky Bow Johnson on the Emmy-winning series. And in that time, she also teamed up with show creator Kenya Barris to create the prequel spin-off, Mixed-ish. But aside from dominating the Hollywood scene, the star has also been using her platform to advocate for several causes, including Time's Up, a movement she co-created to help stop the discrimination, sexual harassment and assault of women.

Just a few of her accolades include a Golden Globe, six NAACP Awards and the People's Choice Award for Fashion Icon. Oh, and did we mention that Ross is the CEO and founder of Pattern Beauty, a successful hair care line that she launched in 2019?

She may have come a long way since her early modeling days, but something tells us she's just getting started.