Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross has signed an overall deal at ABC Signature.
Ross, who also co-created and narrates the spinoff Mixed-ish, will house her company, Joy Mill Entertainment, at the Disney Television Studios unit and develop and produce content for all platforms under the multi-year deal. ABC Signature, formerly ABC Studios, produces all three shows in the -ish franchise, including Freeform’s Grown-ish (and is developing a fourth, Old-ish, that would focus on Laurence Fishburne’s and Jenifer Lewis’ characters).
Joy Mill has also hired former One Community and BET executive Adriana Ambriz as head of development.
“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.”
Related Stories
Added Davis, president of ABC Signature, “Tracee is a beloved member of the ABC Signature family and, as everyone knows, has brought so much to our -ish universe. 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.”
Ross is a four-time Emmy nominee for her role on Black-ish, where she’s also a producer. Mixed-ish, meanwhile, is entering its second season on ABC in 2020-21. Ross is also executive producing and voicing the title character in Jodie, a spinoff of animated series Daria that’s set to air on Comedy Central. She’s repped by UTA, Artists First, ID and Hansen Jacobson.
