Tracee Ellis Ross

October 29, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Tracee Ellis Ross, born on October 29, 1972, is a talented actress and T.V. show and awards ceremony host. Ross began her acting career by starring in independent films and hosting variety and talk shows. She had previously starred in several dramas, but after performing in an M.T.V. comedy show, she discovered her love for comedy. She subsequently started writing and acting in a variety of comedy T.V. series that centered on the lives of African-Americans, especially African-American women, for which she has won several awards. Ross is also a talented singer and businesswoman! She’s also a gifted businesswoman and singer! Celebrate her birthday here today with us.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Tracee Joy Silberstein

Birth date:

October 29, 1972

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 7"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$16 million

Background

Tracee Joy Silberstein, known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, was born on October 29, 1972, in Los Angeles, California. Ross is a force to be reckoned with in acting, hosting, and singing. Her father, Robert Ellis Silverstein, is an American businessman and music executive and her mother, Diana Ross, is an iconic Motown singer, actress, and entertainer. She has Jewish heritage from her father and African-American heritage from her mother. Ross attended Dalton School in Manhattan and then the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the esteemed Ivy League university, Brown University.

In the 1996 movie “Far Harbor,” Ross made her acting debut as an African-American/Jewish woman. The next year, she started hosting “The Dish,” a Lifetime T.V. magazine dedicated to popular culture. In the 2000 film “Hanging Up,” which starred and was directed by renowned actress Diane Keaton, she had her first major acting role. That same year, she started routinely performing comic skits on MTV’s hip-hop variety show “The Lyricist Lounge Show,” where she quickly realized her love for comedy. In 2000, Ross made her acting debut on television as the lead character of the C.W. comedy series “Girlfriends.” She received many N.A.A.C.P. Image Award’ for her work on the program from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.).

In 2014, Ross got her second iconic comedy role as the female lead on the ABC comedy T.V. series “Black-ish.” She also received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and additional N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards for her performance on the show. The American Music Awards, the Fashion Awards, and other award ceremonies were among the many award ceremonies she hosted in the late 2010s. She portrayed Grace Davis, a famous singer, as the lead in the Focus Features movie “The High Note” in 2020. In her professional career, Ross performed vocals for the first time in the movie. Ross was listed among the top 100 influential individuals in the world by “Time” magazine the year after.

Career timeline

1996

She Makes Her Acting Debut

The actress stars in her first film, “Far Harbor.”

1997

She Begins Hosting

Ross hosts the T.V. show “The Dish.”

2000

She Lands Her First Major Role

Ross makes her film acting breakthrough in Diane Keaton’s “Hanging Up.”

2000

She Finds Her Comedy Chops

The actress stars in MTV’s hip-hop variety series “The Lyricist Lounge Show” and discovers her passion for comedy.

2000

She Has Her T.V. Breakthrough

Ross becomes a household name as she stars in the comedy T.V. series “Girlfriends.”

2014

She Continues Her Career in Comedy

Ross stars in the massively popular comedy T.V. series “Black-ish.”

2020

She Sings in Films

Ross stars in the musical drama film “The High Note” for which she recorded her character’s vocals.

2021

She Becomes an Influential Person

Ross is named as one of “Time” magazine’s top 100 most influential people.

Why We Love Tracee Ellis Ross

She’s a successful businesswoman
Not content with being just a highly decorated entertainer, Ross started her own beauty company. In El Segundo, California, she serves as Pattern Beauty LLC's chief executive.
She’s proud of her African-American heritage
Ross has never hidden the fact that she is proud to be a black woman. She consistently donates a portion of the profits from her beauty brand to groups that support the empowerment of women and people of color. Her brand features a range of hair care products specifically designed for African-American hair.
She is an active participant in American democracy
Ross actively supports her party as a registered Democrat. She hosted the Democratic Party national convention's second night in 2020.

5 Surprising Facts

Ross has seven siblings
She has two full siblings (Rhonda and Chudney), two half-siblings (Evan and Ross), and three step-siblings (Katinka, Christoffer, and Leona).
Ross worked in fashion
Before becoming an entertainer, Ross was a model and contributing editor for fashion magazines “New York” and “Mirabella.”
She has ptosis
The entertainer has been diagnosed with ptosis, which occasionally affects her left eyelid.
A Kanye West music video
Ross starred in the “Touch The Sky” music video by the rapper.
Ross has an honorary doctorate
Ross’s alma mater, Brown University, awarded her an honorary doctorate in fine art for her work in the entertainment industry.