Yara Shahidi’s Family: All About Her Parents and Siblings

Yara Shahidi comes from a family of fellow performers and creatives.

The Grown the actress was raised by her mother, actress Keri Shahidi, and father, photographer and director Afshin Shahidi. Her two younger brothers, Sayeed and Ehsan, are also actors and active on social media. And the fun gene also runs in the extended family; acclaimed rapper Nas Kerin is a cousin.

The talented family has collaborated on several occasions — Yara and Keri have their own production company, 7th Sun Productions, and Sayeed has guest-starred on Black-like — but the martyrs also enjoy each other’s company very much. In May 2020, Keri and Yara shared s Vogue that they enjoy discussing philosophers, reading books like Alchemist and they practice together in their downtime.

During April 2017 Glamour interview, Keri noted that her and Afshin’s different cultures play a role in how close-knit her family is. “We are so involved in each other’s lives,” she said. “It might look like helicopter parenting, but in black culture and Iranian culture, that interconnectedness is extremely important.”

So who are the members of the Shahidi family? Here’s everything to know about Keri Shahida, Afshin Shahida, Sayeed Shahida and Ehsan Shahida and their relationship with Grown star and Harvard graduate.

Yara and Keri have a production company called 7th Sun Productions

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In July 2020, Yara and Keri announced their new production company, 7th Sun Productions. “We’re eager to tell more stories, continue to expand the media landscape together with our colleagues, and keep the door open for other creatives,” Keri wrote on Instagram at the time. According to Deadline’s announcement, the mother-daughter duo’s intention for 7th Sun is to “continue projects that touch on themes of history, heritage, culture and joy.” Yara has her own Facebook Watch series produced by 7th Sun called Yara’s day offwhere he gets to know his famous friends a little better.

Prior to her career in production, Keri was also an actress. She appeared in various commercials, a 2005 sitcom American Dad! and series from 2009 In The Motherhood. Yara’s mother currently has 295,000 followers on Instagram and shares a mix of family life documentation, blog-style posts and professional updates.

Afshin immigrated to the United States from Iran when he was a child

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When Afshin was just 7 years old, he immigrated to the United States from Iran without knowing a word of English. These days, he uses social media to celebrate his Iranian identity and speak out about the ongoing civil rights movement in his homeland. “The women of Iran need us to keep pushing,” he wrote on Instagram in October 2022. “We need talent, brands and all platforms to understand that this is not a protest, this is a civil rights movement, a revolution and the history of gender apartheid is happening right now now.”

In March 2023, the director celebrated the Persian New Year with a solemn and thoughtful announcement. “Nowruz Mobarek,” Afshin said in his caption. “As we celebrate the new year with family and close friends, we reflect on the innocent lives lost and pray for a better year ahead.”

Sayeed and Ehsan are also actors

Sayeed Shahidi Instagram

Yara’s younger brothers, Sayeed and Ehsan, share her passion for entertainment. Sayeed has appeared in prominent shows like Black-like, Replaced at birth, uncle buck, Housewives and more. He also has over 180,000 followers on Instagram, where he posts tons of photos of himself with his family.

Ehsan used his acting skills to play OJ Simpon’s son, Justin, in three episodes The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story in 2016. When he’s not working, Ehsan often shares videos of him and his siblings having fun on TikTok.

Afshin worked for Prince

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Afshin is a photographer and filmmaker, and has worked on a number of notable projects, including the 2020 documentary With arms outstretched and the 2007 film Man from Earth. When he was just starting out, he worked as a camera assistant for the legendary singer-songwriter Prince, per San Francisco Art Exchange. Their various professional collaborations led to a successful working relationship and lasting friendship. Yara’s father continued to photograph Prince at concerts, photograph the singer and photos at the famous musician’s 3121 parties. He also published a book of Prince photos, Prince: Private Viewin 2017.

During the interview with S. in November 2017 TIME, Yara discussed how Prince and his relationship with her father affected the family. Afshin’s experience with the musician set a precedent for her own “creative experiences, business relationships and personal relationships,” she explained. The photographer added: “It was about not seeing the limitations.”

The family visited the White House together

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When Yara was chosen to co-host the Obama Administration’s Sixth Science Fair in April 2016, her family joined her at the White House for the event. “My family and I were extremely honored to meet President and Mrs. Obama,” Yara wrote alongside a Facebook photo of her family posing with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. “They are an example of focus, determination and persistence.” She also shared a funny photo of her younger brother Ehsan tapping in front of the White House.

They are related to rapper Nas

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Multi-platinum musician Nas is Keri’s cousin, and the Shahidi family has a close relationship with the rapper. In November 2022, Yara had Nas as a guest Yara’s day off, and they talked about the Grammys, education, UFOs, his music, his dreams of writing books and building hotels, and more. Her brother Sayeed and Nasa’s daughter Destiny Jones also joined the mocktails and games in the episode.

Yara opened up about her relationship with the rapper during an interview with The White Guy Talk Show. “I think it was always weird to realize that he was famous,” she said. “I mean, in my head I was like, ‘He’s a great rapper.’ I didn’t know a lot of people were listening to it.”

Yara and her brothers influence each other’s styles

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During 2017 Glamour interview, Yara revealed that she and her brothers inspire each other when it comes to fashion sense. “I learned a lot from Sayeed,” she said. “Our style is very similar. He flaunts which I love, but where I would wear jeans and a T-shirt, Sayeed adds a chain or a bomber jacket.” The Black-like the star added: “A lot of Ehsan’s clothes are things I’ve worn, but he puts his own remix on it.”

Keri and Yara are very close

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Keri and Yara deeply admire each other and have a very close relationship. During a Glamour in the interview, Keri described Yara as “otherworldly” and Yara called her mother a “renaissance woman”. According to the activist, Keri taught her “self-confidence in all situations.”

Yara told her mother during the interview, “You’ve always been an example of owning your space.” Keri noted that she also learned from her daughter. “The most important lesson I learned from Yara would be kindness — consistent kindness,” she shared.

In May 2018, the duo played Jimmy Fallon’s Mother-Daughter Challenge on Tonight’s show, and they succeeded. Yara correctly answered that Keri says “housewife” more than anything else, and Keri knew that Yara would choose Frank Ocean Blonde if she could only take one album to a desert island.

While speaking to PEOPLE in November 2023, Yara applauded her mom for insisting she has a “full life outside of entertainment.”

“I had hobbies and interests at school and I think that gave me a core strength,” she explained. “Even when I was in college, as absolutely insane as that schedule was, I really needed to have something else out of this world.”

The family is super supportive of each other

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Yara opened up about her family’s relationship and thanked them during an interview with WGN-TV. “I am grateful to have my mother as a business partner and to have a family that makes it a priority to be there for each other every step of the way,” she said.

The actress continued, “They were on set with me when I got my first TV role, my first movie role, so everything has always been a family experience. And I’m thankful that I have a family and a select family who can and are willing to go on that ride with me because I couldn’t have done it without them.”

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Source: HIS Education