Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross are a fine example of two people with a great working relationship. Their chemistry is just as powerful in real life as is in on screen. They laugh together and feed off one another infectiously. And the result is always the same.

Magical.

“It’s the magic that happens between us,” Ellis Ross, 44, tells EBONY. “That’s why it’s so fun working with Anthony, ’cause the two of us work the same way.”

For three seasons, the pair has graced our television screens on the hit ABC comedy black-ish. This quirky yet hilarious couple has navigated several real-life instances related to Blacks in America, from teenage sex to police brutality.

In 30 minutes, the entire cast, crew and its producers manage to reel us in with humor but also make us think. Each minute counts, and due to Ross and Anderson’s magnetic chemistry, they effortlessly hold the attention of millions each week.

That’s why choosing them for our September issue cover story made sense. They just … fit, much like the chemistry they possess, naturally.

EBONY’s very own Tracey Ferguson, may have conducted the interview, but it wasn’t long before Anderson and Ellis Ross took over during our time with them in L.A.

ELLIS ROSS: My whole philosophy is if you get too big for your britches and [say,] “I’m not auditioning for that,” well, there’s someone who’s gonna come right off a bus and be happy to. So I went into the audition with Anthony [for ‘black-ish], Larry Wilmore was in there, Kenya was in there. It was Valentine’s Day. Anthony snatched my paper away from me, which he loves to do. He thinks it’s funny, and it’s just rude.

ANDERSON: But you know that character.

ELLIS ROSS: I know, Anthony, but sometimes it’s a safety blanket for people.

ANDERSON: You don’t need a safety net. As long as I have you, you don’t; as long as you have me, you don’t.

See?!

Chemistry.


Read the exclusive article in full in the September 2017 issue of EBONY magazine, on newsstands now! Click here to subscribe.

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