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If there one thing in this world that you can be sure of, it's that we love us some Tracee Ellis Ross. She is the big sister we all wish we had, who is on a quest to live her best life, and absolutely nothing else. Not only that, she shows us that we can all do the same, by stripping ourselves of society's ideals and just...be.


And her relatable way of doing so is why we continue to come back for more. 

But this time, her message of marriage is what she's set her sights on, telling us all, that yeah, marriage may be nice, but waiting around on it is not the move. In an interview with Marie Claire, when asked for the hundredth time if she ever longed for a "traditional" life with the husband and picket fence, she answered in the most Tracee way:

"Well, how could you not? Our society spoon-feeds it to you. I used to put myself to sleep dreaming of my wedding. And I would still love all of that, but what am I going to do, just sit around waiting? Shut up. I've got so many things to do."

Shut. Up. I've. Got. So. Many. Things. To. Do.

And historically, she has expressed the same to others who've asked, as she's told anyone who will listen that we must normalize loving ourselves, first, openly, and unapologetically. And the way she says so, is always the content we deserve in our lives.

Additionally, she also touches on other brave subjects from Black-ish, to the type of mom her mother was, to the characters she'd most love to play. Continue reading for all the Tracee goodness!

On Playing Lucille Ball One Day:

After the interviewer suggests she should play Lucille Ball in an upcoming biopic due to their animated conversation, she shoots back:

"Do you know how many people would be upset if a Black woman played Lucille Ball?! But I want to so badly. Do you know who else I wanted to play? I wanted to play Miss Hannigan in Annie. Oh my God. It was my dream! My mom used to let me stay up late to watch Carol Burnett. And, no, none of these women are Black or looked like me, but I saw myself in them."

On Adjusting To Being A CEO:

"I've been in a growth curve around CEO stuff. And then I've got to get up at 5 a.m. and go to work [as an actress] and be pretty. Wooo, I want to go to bed. Oh my God, I just want to wear my glasses for the day.

But don't expect her to be a diva in the role:

"As a CEO, it's a lot of this [points to her temple] but I have to remind myself to stay connected to my heart and my gut. I don't know many people who thrive when they're yelled at. I shop the most when I feel good. I'm not sure why we have a marketing system that is based on shaming people. I don't get it. When I feel small, I don't want to do shit."

On Becoming Ulta's Diversity and Inclusion Advisor:

"I want the world to be a better place. And I want Black people to feel really good walking into a retail space."

On the Pandemic Stifling Her Fashion Creativity:

"I don't miss the frenzy of the red carpet. I don't miss the panic of the red carpet. But I miss beautiful clothes. I miss that form of creative expression for me. I miss glamour."

On Learning to Love Her Hair: 

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation and is an act of political warfare. Learning to love my hair in a world that doesn't mirror that celebration has been a form of both resistance and the claiming of my identity, my self-hood, my legacy, my ancestral lines, the history that I come from."

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Featured image by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

 

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