“Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross has signed on to star in the Comedy Central animated series “Jodie,” a spinoff of the MTV series “Daria,” which ran from 1997-2002. Ross will supply the voice of Daria’s best friend Jodie Landon, a new college graduate who is entering the job market for the first time. The MTV Studios series will include workplace, gender, race, privilege, and empowerment themes and issues faced by young Black women in the modern social media-ruled world.
Ross, who has amassed five NAACP Awards and a Golden Globe for playing Rainbow Johnson on “Black-ish,” will return in the series’ seventh season this fall. ABC had originally planned to hold its premiere till midseason, but reversed that decision in light of current events, after a discussion with creator Kenya Barris.
“Following recent monumental events, it’s imperative that the dialogue continues and empowers viewers to raise their voices, and there is no other show that does that like ‘Black-ish,’’ ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said. “It’s important to tell these meaningful stories during this moment in time.”
“While the last few months have felt overwhelming at times, they have also underscored just how important it is that Black voices are not only heard but empowered and amplified as well,” Barris said. “Our entire ‘Black-ish’ team is humbled to be a small part of telling our stories and are excited to get back to these conversations.”
