Tracee Ellis Ross Recalls Being Dropped By Agent Who Told Her ‘You Just Don’t Pop’: ‘I Carried That Punch For So Long’

Tracee Ellis Ross Recalls Being Dropped By Agent Who Told Her ‘You Just Don’t Pop’: ‘I Carried That Punch For So Long’

Life can be a rollercoaster of highs and lows.

Some might think that Tracee Ellis Ross’ career has been smooth sailing from the moment she decided to follow her mother’s – Diana Ross – footsteps into the spotlight. However, the famed actress recently touched on the hurdles she had to overcome to be the star that she is today. During a chat with Conan O’Brien for his “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” podcast, Tracee Ellis Ross cleared up the common misconception that she booked “Black-ish” immediately after “Girlfriends” was canceled in 2008.

Explaining the six years between the two hit series she said,

“I think some of it, you know, is the segregation of Hollywood. And UPN then turned into CW and we were on what is considered a Black show. So there were so many people who knew our show, and we were a huge success, but there were also the majority of the industry did not.”

She continued,

“I really did think after being on a show that I considered a hit, that was so beloved for eight years as the lead, that the Pearly Gates of Hollywood was going to open when it finished. They did not. They were locked, there were no scripts, there was nothing.”

After discussing her love for one of the series she did before booking “Girlfriends,” MTV’s brief-running sketch comedy series “The Lyricist Lounge Show,” Tracee Ellis Ross revealed the discouraging remarks her former agent told her as she was being dropped from The Gersh Agency.

“The woman, the agent said to me ‘You just don’t pop.’ She said, ‘You come with all these things these bells and whistles, you’re pretty, your mom’s famous, you have good style, but then you get in the room and nothing happens. So, we’re going to drop you.’ I mean I carried that punch for so long.”

The Golden Globe Award winner later noted how doubtful remarks from naysayers can either act as your fuel or weigh you down indefinitely.

“We all have [a story like this]. I think my mom has one. Like, everybody’s got them and they, you know, to a certain extent, they become your fuel and they help you answer questions or they take you down. I think I’ve transcended.”

She jokingly added,

“I think I pop, I hope I pop, I want to pop.”

What are your thoughts on this entire situation? Have you ever had to prove someone wrong? Tell us in the comments below!