Tracee Ellis Ross Covers Vibe Vixen

Tracee Ellis has been blessed with it all. Amazing career, check. Amazing hair, check. Amazing body, check. Inside the issue, she dishes on her own personal style, remembering the memorable 'Joan Clayton' on Girlfriends and her producing roleon the BET series 'Reed Between the Lines'.

On becoming a Show producer for ‘Reed Between The Lines’
I wouldn’t say difficult, but it’s definitely makes for a long day. But it is the kind of full plate that I adore. I adore this kind of work and it’s very rewarding. The producer role very much plays into the kind of person I am. In the evolution of my career it is a really exciting step for me because I am the kind of creative person that has a real opinion about the kind of images that I want to portray and want in the public in general. So having a seat at the table with the many voices that is part of the collaborative art of television is really and exciting and wonderful for me.

On if the Cosby Show comparisons set the bar to high for The Show

BET seems to be promoting it as the new Cosby, which I don’t think is helpful, and I don’t think makes sense.The way Malcolm [Jamal Warner] and I have been describing it is that we are in no way, shape or form trying to be a new Cosby Show. What we are doing is taking the recipe of what Cosby did, which was a family show that was timeless and good, and use those elements.

I can’t get invested in whether it hurts the show or not. The beauty of being on BET in this day and age is that on other network they do two episodes and they pull a show from television. Sometimes that’s the greatest thing, and sometimes it just never had a chance to grow. With BET, we did 25 episodes and we’re getting a chance. It’s really wonderful working with a network that wants your show and is behind your show. The audience asked for this kind of show, BET listened and they went out and have gotten behind our show. On other networks, I don’t know if that always happens.

The full interview and photo spread will be available December 19th on Vibe Vixen.