Now that Yara Shahidi‘s Freeform series grown-ish has officially aired, she and her character Zoey have a whole lot going for them. In the black-ish spin-off, Zoey is off to college experiencing all that freshmen life on campus has to offer. Turns out, Yara is totally has totally been on the same page as Zoey throughout filming Season 1.

yara shahidi grownish

“There was so many moments that were happening that were parallel to my own life. I had just finished my own college apps, and turned in my Yale application [when I found out about grown-ish],” Shahidi said in an interview. “Zoey opened her acceptance letters [on black-ish], and then I opened mine a week later. It was just kind of surreal.”

The spin-off follows Zoey’s journey as she juggles class and partying, makes new friends and adjusts to life away from her fam. And just like Zoey did on campus, Yara has made lifetime friends on set. Yep, that’s right. Trevor Jackson, Chloe and Halle Bailey and Francia Raisa, just to name a few, are all super tight now.

“I love my cast here, and they’re so amazing and nice, and we’ve all been getting along, which is all anyone could ever hope for,” she said. “So that’s been a lot of fun.”

As a matter of fact, Chloe and Halle are even responsible for the theme song of the show – and it’s a total jam, if we do say so ourselves.

But of course, her OG castmates are definitely missed.

“I love everybody on black-ish, from cast to crew, and it was kind of scary moving onto this other adventure,” she shared. “I’ve been on this show for almost four years, and now I’m across the lot, and it feels like miles away.”

So sweet!

Watch: Catching Up With Yara Shahidi

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