Life and career

Shahidi was born, and raised for the first four years of her life, in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

, to an Iranian father and an African-American mother Keri Shahidi. She moved with her family to California because of her father's work. She is the older sister of child actor Sayeed Shahidi.

She began her career when she was six years old, appearing in television and print advertisements for companies such as McDonald's

McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

, Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...

, Target

Target Corporation

Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

, GapKids

Gap (clothing retailer)

The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...

, Disney, Guess Kids, and Children's Place. She frequently worked with her mother and younger brother in various print and broadcast campaigns.

Shahidi made her theatrical debut in 2009, starring opposite Eddie Murphy, in Paramount Picture’s Imagine That, for which she received a Young Artist Award

Young Artist Award

The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...

 nomination.

Films

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...	Imagine That	Olivia Danielson	First film role, Lead Role
2010 2010 in film The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and...	Salt	Salt's Young Neighbor
	Unthinkable Unthinkable Unthinkable is an American suspense thriller film directed by Gregor Jordan and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Sheen and Carrie-Anne Moss. It was released direct-to-video on June 14, 2010.-Plot:...	Katie
2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :...	Butter Butter (2011 film) - Plot:A young orphan discovers her uncanny talent for butter sculpture in an Iowa town where her adoptive family lives. The talent pits her against the ambitious wife of the reigning champion in the annual butter sculpture competition....	Destiny	Post-production Lead role
	Rip City Rip City There are several well-known and commonly used nicknames referring to Portland, Oregon.-City of Roses:The official, and also most common, nickname for Portland is The City of Roses or Rose City. The first known reference to Portland as "The City of Roses" was made by visitors to an 1888 Episcopal...	Montana	Television movie
TBA	I, Alex Cross I, Alex Cross -Plot summary:Detective Alex Cross is enjoying a birthday party with his family when he receives a call from his bosses informing him that Caroline, the 24-year old only daughter of his late brother Blake, has been found murdered in Virginia...	Janelle Cross	Filming

Television appearances

Year	Television Series	Role	Episode/Notes
2009 2009 in television The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2009. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-June:-July:-August:...	In the Motherhood In the Motherhood In the Motherhood is an American television sitcom that debuted on ABC as a midseason entry and ran from March 26, 2009 to June 25, 2009. The series was produced by ABC Studios in association with Cabloom! and Mindshare.-Plot:...	Esther	"It Takes a Village Idiot"
			"Vacation"
			"Practice What You Preach"
			"Where There's a Will There's a Wake"
			"In Sickness and in Health"
	Cold Case	Meesha Sullivan '91	"Read Between the Lines"
	Wizards of Waverly Place Wizards of Waverly Place Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009...	Olive	"Doll House"
2010 2010 in television 2010 in television may refer to:*2010 in American television*2010 in Australian television*2010 in British television*2010 in Canadian television*2010 in Japanese television...	Lie to Me Lie to Me (TV series) Lie to Me is an American television series that originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009 to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr...	Olivia	"Teacher and Pupils"
	$h*! My Dad Says	Girl Scout	"Pilot", Voice Role
2011	The Cape	Layla	"Endgame"
	Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...	Little Girl	"Episode VI: It's a Trap", Voice Role

External links

• Official Home Page
• Fansite