On a special Thursday edition of Shadow And Act’s Locked Down With ___, we had the one and only Tracee Ellis Ross take over for a live Facebook Q&A.

Ross stars in the new film The High Note, which is her first-ever major film role. Not only is she acting in the movie, she sings in it and has several songs on the soundtrack.

Ross spoke with the S&A community about the role and overcoming her singing fears. “I think that the most obvious thing that I learned is that my fear of singing…this big monster….was just smoke and mirrors. It was worth me walking through to the other side because, during the process, there is no way you could have told me that fear wasn’t real. But on the other side is freedom. I feel even more myself having let out my voice,” she said.

“I also discovered through this process that I didn’t know what I would sound like. I had such an expectation… like I’m supposed to sound like Jennifer Hudson or Aretha Franklin. I think we would all know by now if I had a voice like Jennifer Hudson or Aretha or even my mother,” she joked.

“But I discovered through the process that I didn’t need to sound like anyone but myself. My job was actually to get out of my own way and let the honesty of my voice out. I realized that it is the same in all aspects of my life and my work. Even on black-ish, my job and what I share is about telling the truth.”

You can watch the entire Q&A above, which also talks about why she chose this as her first major film role, wanting to play Lena Horne or Carmen Miranda in a biopic, her upcoming Jodie-focused Daria spinoff and more. She also spent time talking about current events and the recent police murder of George Floyd. Check it all out above!

READ MORE:

‘The High Note’ Trailer: Tracee Ellis Ross Is A Music Superstar In Upcoming Film

 

Photo: Focus Features