Tracee Ellis Ross Signs Overall Deal With ABC Signature
“Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross has signed a multi-year overall deal at ABC Signature, which produces the critically-acclaimed ABC sitcom.
Her production company, Joy Mill Entertainment, will be housed at the studio and will produce content across broadcast, cable, and streaming.
“I love sharing stories and using storytelling as a way to connect and celebrate humanity,” said Ross. “As an actor, I’ve had the joy of inhabiting nuanced and dynamic roles. As an executive producer, I am able to build stories, gather creatives and shape worlds as a way to illuminate different realities. This deal continues my journey as a storyteller and content creator. I am thrilled to finally be sharing the news and expanding this part of my artistry at my home studio, ABC Signature. Jonnie Davis, Tracy Underwood, and their team have been incredible collaborators, and I am eager to continue our shared journey.”
Adriana Ambriz is joining Joy Mill Entertainment as head of development. She was most recently with One Community, responsible for acquiring, developing and producing feature films. Prior to that, she was senior director of original programming at BET, responsible for overseeing the development and production of network shows such as “Tales,” “Street Dreams: The Story of Nas,” and “Mandela.”
“Tracee is a beloved member of the ABC Signature family and, as everyone knows, has brought so much to our ‘ish’ universe,” said Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature. “We also love and admire Tracee’s passion for storytelling and developing projects, so we’re thrilled that Joy Mill Entertainment will be housed at our studio. We’re already incredibly excited by the projects she’s bringing to us in this new role.”
In addition to her role as Dr. Rainbow Johnson on “Black-ish,” Ross also serves as executive producer, narrator, and co-creator of the prequel series “Mixed-ish,” which also airs on ABC. Ross is currently up for her fourth Emmy Award for her work on “Black-ish,” for which she has also won a Golden Globe and six NAACP Image Awards. In addition to her acting credits, Ross is the founder and CEO of Pattern, a haircare brand she created for the curly, coily, tight- textured masses.
She is repped by UTA, Artists First, ID, and Hansen Jacobson.
News of the deal comes as the so-called “ish” universe continues to expand. In addition to “Black-ish,” “Mixed-ish,” and “Grown-ish” on Freeform, it was recently announced that ABC is developing a new spinoff called “Old-ish.” Laurence Fishburne and Jenifer Lewis would reprise their roles from “Black-ish” in the potential new series, which would follow them as they move to a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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