Yara Shahidi launches own production company with her mother: 'The vision is set'

The 'Black-ish' actress has vowed to pursue 'projects that touch upon themes of history, heritage, culture and joy'

Yara Shahidi's 7th Sun Productions will develop scripted and unscripted projects for ABC Studios. EPA

Yara Shahidi has launched her own production company with her mother in a newly inked deal with US network ABC.

The American-Iranian actress, 20, will develop scripted and unscripted projects for ABC Studios as part of the partnership.

Black-ish star Shahidi, who became the youngest network producer with the launch of spin-off show Grown-ish, will team up with her mother, Keri Shahidi, to create 7th Sun Productions.

"I'm thrilled to be partnering with my home family, ABC Studios, in this exciting next chapter, alongside my family," Shahidi said in a statement. "It’s exciting to add our production company to the roster of my peers and mentors who are also actively committed to sharing meaningful stories."

The actress, whose father is Iranian photographer Afshin Shahidi, told Deadline that the production company will "pursue projects that touch upon themes of history, heritage, culture and joy".

"The vision is set. The slate is built," Shahidi added on Instagram.

The actress rose to fame playing Zoey Johnson on the sitcom Black-ish, which debuted in 2014. She currently plays the character on Freeform spin-off Grown-ish, as well as studying at Harvard, after beginning her degree in 2018.

"When she's not studying at Harvard and starring in our series Grown-ish, she's mentoring and inspiring other young people, which makes us all feel like underachievers, but also very proud that she's part of our studio," said ABC Studios president Jonnie Davis.

The model and activist, who made her film debut in 2009, regularly speaks out about the need for greater representation in the film and modelling industries, telling US Vogue in 2016: "If I can add one more voice to the conversation, one more face to the spectrum, then I've accomplished something."

In 2018, the teenager teamed up with social news publisher NowThis to create Eighteen x 18, a platform that encouraged young people to vote in the US midterm elections.