Tracee Ellis Ross says being Diana Ross' daughter had no role in success
London: Actor Tracee Ellis Ross says having a famous parent in singer Diana Ross may have opened some doors but she had to always prove her talent.
The 47-year-old star said Ross and her father Robert Ellis Silberstein's name did land her some auditions but it also invited more scrutiny.
"When I was starting in my career, being the child of somebody famous was not what it is today. It might unlock the door, but the people sitting on the other side have their arms crossed and are asking: 'OK, is she as good as her mom?'" Tracee told The Guardian Weekend magazine.
The "Black-Ish" star said her parents taught her to work hard for what she wanted, for which she took a job through her teens in order to pay for her own clothes.
"I've always been taught that you work for the things you want. My mom always joked: 'I'm not leaving you guys any of this money. I made this money for me! I'll make sure there's a roof over your head. You can have health insurance and food. But other than that...'
"I mean, I had a job in high school. I worked as a salesperson at Ralph Lauren. My mom was like, 'If you want to keep buying those clothes, you're going to have to figure out how to pay for them.' There was a commitment on her part to a normalcy that I have taken into my adult life."
Tracee had a happy childhood as her mother was always around despite career commitments.
"My mom always put us in bed, then she'd go to the recording studio while we were sleeping. She'd sit with us for dinner and she never left for more than a week," she recalled.
