California Official Visitor's Guide 2021 - 9

Spirit
California
the

of

Tracee Ellis Ross is an actor, entrepreneur, activist, and a generous
giver of travel tips. Lots of tips. Where to shop and eat. Where to see
owls and where to buy fragrances. Where to get succulents and what
audiobooks to listen to on a drive along the coast or up to Big Bear.
" I really love living in California, " the Los Angeles native says. " I'm so
excited to talk about this. " Ross has so much California love to share
that she's even prepared notes for this conversation. She clears her
throat. " OK, so we know I'm a fashion girl, right? I remember as a
child my mom saying there's a freedom in Los Angeles. A freedom to
dress how you want. But it's more than that-it's a freedom to be who
you are. I've really held onto that. There is such possibility here. It's
the spirit of California. "
" That's what California is about for me, " she adds. " Everyone is
welcome-as they are. "
It's hard to imagine that Tracee Ellis Ross, the Big Hollywood Star,
was ever anything but exactly who she wanted to be. Watching her
on TV every week as the funny and relatable Dr. Rainbow Johnson
on ABC's Black-ish, or perhaps looking at the 5-foot-7 beauty staring
out from fashion magazine covers or listening to her speaking frankly
(and hilariously) about her plants from her Instagram feed reveals a

WHERE DOES TRACEE ELLIS
ROSS FIND HER ENDLESS JOY
AND OPTIMISM? SHE CREDITS
THE CREATIVE FREEDOM AND
WELCOMING SPIRIT THAT
PERMEATES THE GOLDEN STATE

consistent through line. She possesses an ease of spirit that seems
to follow her from endeavor to endeavor. Today she is an in-demand
performer (she sang professionally for the first time in the 2020
film The High Note), producer (she executive produces the spin-off
Grown-ish and has several other projects in development with ABC),
and founder and CEO of the beauty company Pattern. Indeed, Ross,
48, has emerged over the last decade as a walking, talking beacon
of ingenuity. She credits her home state. " The creativity I've learned
here doesn't conform to a particular set of standards. "
Ross grew up in Beverly Hills with her mother, legendary Motown
singer Diana Ross, her father, music manager Robert Ellis Silberstein,
and her siblings. " We were a big park family. The biggest memories
are Coldwater Canyon Park and Pink's Hot Dogs. " She says there
were regular trips to Disneyland and Six Flags Magic Mountain, and
lots of waiting for the candy truck to come by. " I have really good
memories of my childhood in the sun. "
After high school in New York, Ross attended Brown University
and worked as a model and then fashion editor. In her mid-20s she
returned to California and came into her own. She turned to acting
and broke through in 2000 with the acclaimed Los Angeles-based
sitcom, Girlfriends. She also began to explore her creativity. " There is
a sense of collective artistry that happens here, " Ross says.

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California Official Visitor's Guide 2021

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