Tracee Ellis Ross insists being Diana Ross’ daughter never helped her get work.
The 47-year-old actress – who is the child of the music legend and her ex-husband, Robert Ellis Silberstein – admitted her famous name may have got her auditions, but she always had to prove her talent to land the jobs she wanted.
She said: "When I was starting in my career, being the child of somebody famous was not what it is today.
"It might unlock the door, but the people sitting on the other side have their arms crossed and are asking: ‘OK, is she as good as her mom?’ "
Despite her wealthy parents, the ‘Black-Ish’ star was always taught to work hard for what she wanted and had a job through her teens in order to pay for her own clothes.
She told The Guardian Weekend magazine: "I’ve always been taught that you work for the things you want.
"My mom always joked:,’I’m not leaving you guys any of this money. I made this money for me! I’ll make sure there’s a roof over your head. You can have health insurance and food. But other than that…’
"I mean, I had a job in high school. I worked as a salesperson at Ralph Lauren.
"My mom was like, ‘If you want to keep buying those clothes, you’re going to have to figure out how to pay for them.’ There was a commitment on her part to a normalcy that I have taken into my adult life."
Tracee had a happy childhood and, despite her career commitments, the ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ hitmaker was always a present parent.
She recalled: "My mom always put us in bed, then she’d go to the recording studio while we were sleeping. She’d sit with us for dinner and she never left for more than a week."
Tracee Ellis Ross not helped by famous name
