Tracee Ellis Ross never confirmed or denied her wage disparity on “Black-ish” but things are looking up nonetheless. The star revealed she’ll direct an upcoming episode of the hit ABC sitcom titled “Fifty-Three Percent.”
“I’m so excited….I’m directing an episode of @blackishabc!” Ross announced on Instagram Friday, Feb. 2. The accompanying image included a photo of the script with Ross peeking behind it and a nameplate indicating her role on the episode.
She expanded her thoughts further to People magazine, saying “It’s not my first time directing, but it’s my first time directing here. I’ve gotta be honest: I’m a little bit nervous because I heard Tracee Ellis Ross only likes to receive direction in a whisper tone, while Anthony Anderson only likes direction given through song. … All jokes aside, I’m really looking forward to working with my TV family in a new capacity.”
The move follows Ross publicly acknowledging a report that claimed she’d threatened to appear less on the show if her pay didn’t match that of co-star Anthony Anderson’s.
“I wanted to be compensated in a way that matches my contribution to a show I love for many reasons, including the opportunity it allows me to reshape what it is to be a fully realized Black woman on TV,” she said.
But today, followers are celebrating her new gig.
“Awesome!!” a fan applauded. “You are going to rock it.”
“Congratulations Mrs. Ross!!!” said another. “Go get [em] BEAUTIFUL.”
And someone else simply added, “Dope.”
