Tracee Ellis Ross has long been #goals for many of us for many reasons. One is how stunning she looks at 50 years old. The Girlfriends and Black-ish star recently posted on Instagram, posing in a bikini makeup-free while on vacation in Jamaica. The actress shared pictures of her getting out of the water and captioned the image with a Jamaican flag. Tracee’s natural juicy and joyful curls looked healthy and lush in the photo, a reminder that Black girls can swim without worrying about their hair.
Although many of us see Ross’ body as perfection, that isn’t always the perception she has of herself. In an interview with Glamour Magazine, Ross opened up about body image.
“My weight fluctuates. I have years where I wear a size 10 and years where I wear a size 4,” she said. “On Girlfriends, I kept complaining to our stylist, saying, ‘The cleaners are shrinking all my clothes.’ Finally, she said, ‘I know that’s what you keep saying, but I want to be clear: Your body has changed, and we need to buy you bigger clothes.’ It took me out for a minute. In the context of our world, sizes 8 and 10 are teeny, but not for Hollywood. I had to ask myself, Do I want to be somebody who worries about what I’m eating? Or do I want to find a balance where I can be healthy and not consumed by that and maybe have to buy some larger pants? I bought new pants.”
Ross is known for being open and vulnerable and telling her truth, and she manages to do so through different mediums. One of her recent projects where she does so through Hair Tales, which she is the executive producer of. In the docuseries aired on Hulu and OWN, Ross does an excellent job exploring the culture around Black hair and how it intersects with beauty and identity. Oprah was also an executive producer of the show.
“For me, the intention was for it to be intimate and for it to feel like a sacred space where we could contextualize our humanity and our legacy and so much of what we experience that never gets space to be held together,” Ross told PEOPLE in October. “It’s a love letter to black women. A show that centered us in the narrative that was about us, but for everyone. And that allowed us space to explore not only with each other but in the fullness of who we are.”
Another example of her ability to connect with fans by having authentic conversations is her more recent interview with Glamour magazine back in November, where she discusses the joys of aging.
“I don’t understand the obsession with antiaging,” said Ross. “I think it is an honor to age, and so many people shy away from it and don’t want to tell their age.”
She continued, “I love getting older. I look at women who are steps ahead of me and see so much beauty and wisdom in them. This obsession with youth is confusing because I wouldn’t return if you paid me. There’s nothing wrong with being young. It’s beautiful. There are so many wonderful parts of that. But trying to stay that way, I just never understood. If we let go of that, people could revel in how much deeper and more beautiful people get as they get older.”