GL: Tell us a little about Zoey. 

Yara: Zoey’s very edgy with everything she does. Her fashion sense changes every single episode, so one week she’s wearing harem pants, the next week it’s all dresses and then the week after it’s vintage clothes. That’s just kind of who she is – she doesn’t stick with the trends, she chooses her own. It’s the same with her own life. She’s kind of a mastermind. Even if it doesn’t really matter in the big picture, she’s in control of every single thing and every single thing she does is very meaningful and with a purpose. I think that comes out to beat her when she’s up against her parents. She’s up against the other super power; they're the one thing that she can’t be in control of.

GL: Is your style at all like Zoey's?

Yara: I experiment a lot too, but I think that’s because I don’t have any particular style. I am all about comfort, and whatever comes along with comfort. I wear a lot of sweats. But I’m also very preppy naturally. My friends always laugh because I’m the kind of person who bought the Brooks Brothers school skirt, even though it’s not my school’s uniform skirt, but just because I liked it. I’m a knee-high socks kind of person.

GL: Rumor has it you're big on footwear, too.

Yara: I have so many pairs of oxfords; it’s ridiculous. It started because at my school you have to wear oxfords for our uniform, but after I got my first pair I realized they were really comfortable so they became my regular walking shoes, too. But then I started collecting them, so I have a reflective pair that glows, I have a blue pair, I have a pair in a weird, crazy texture that’s a cream color, I have one with heels and one with an even bigger heel...I have a lot.  

GL: That's awesome. We hear you're also super studious. How do you balance school with everything else?

Yara: The one thing I’ve been fortunate enough to do is the alternative form of schooling. Being homeschooled for half of my life allowed me to choose my own curriculum, and find things I really enjoy and that’s kind of inspired me. I’ve always been intrigued in or interested in the topics I’ve been covering. And I want to go to college. I want to go to Harvard and Oxford and I understand that [great] grades are necessary for that.  

GL: Keeping your goals in mind is a great tip. What would you use your degree for? Any other jobs you'd want to try out?

Yara: It changes every single year. A few years ago I wanted to be part of the FBI, but then I realized you had to do a push up, so I was like, hmm, not my kind of job. Right now, I’m really into advertising and PR. I think one thing that I’m becoming ever more aware of is that there are a lot of negative images in advertising – the way that women are objectified, for one. I think it’d be really cool to be a part of changing that. I’m also really interested in Islamic studies. I have a lot of people in my family who observe the Islamic faith, so I think that would be really interesting because it’s a part of my heritage. 

GL: Awesome. BTW, congrats on your NAACP Image Award win for a supporting actress in a comedy!

Yara: Thank you! It’s so crazy. To get as many nominations and awards as we did and for the show to not even be completed with its first season is absolutely incredible. It’s crazy for me to think that people are looking at me and my performance. In my head it’s always ensemble, that I got a separate nomination and won is trippy.

GL: What's the best part about playing Zoey?

Yara: I think one of my favorite things is that we’re going through the same phases. We're both trying to figure out who we are – I have an idea of who I am because I haven’t changed much throughout the years, but I’ve been fortunate enough to play characters that are my complete opposite who let me just experiment with life. I’m given the opportunity to live a weird double life without being tracked by the CIA.

GL: Do you have a dream role?

Yara: Detective shows are basically all I watch in my free time. White Collar and Law & Order – I think being able to play a part like that would be amazing. I don’t know how I’d be involved, but that would be cool. 

Do you relate to Zoey on Black-ish? Are you as jealous of Yara's shoe collection as we are? Tell us what you think in the comments below, and don't forget to watch the new episode on ABC tonight (2/11) at 9:30 p.m.

Photo credit to: Afshin Shahidi

by Chelsea Duff | 2/1/2016