Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi says she came into the fourth season of her collegiate show extremely proud of how she and the cast have “all grown and done so many things” since the series first launched in 2018. 

Shahidi, who returns as Zoey, a Cal U senior, tells ABC Audio that coming into this season as a soon-to-be graduate is both “cool and sentimental.”

“It’s been an honor to witness it both on screen and off screen in terms of what our characters have done and… gone through [in the] four years of college on screen,” Shahidi says. “But I think what’s even more impressive is [the] opportunity to have such an incredible group of people together, being able to work together and then go off into the world and do their own incredible things.”

She adds, “It’s both cool and sentimental. And also, when you know that something will last forever, whether it be a family relationship or a show, it’s never sad.”

Shahidi’s co-star Trevor Jackson agrees, explaining that for his character, Aaron, who’s now a Cal U graduate but sticks around for his girlfriend, Zoey, season four is all about embracing life’s growing pains.

“I think [it’s about] getting older and realizing the error in your ways,” Jackson says. “And I think in a relationship, you never really see it until time goes on.”

He continues, “And sometimes you need that time apart to really grow up and…see yourself in a different way. And I think that [Aaron] understands and [is] trying to do his best to make the relationship work. I think [Zoey has] grown up in a lot of ways. So the unfolding of it all is pretty exciting.”

Grown-ish airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Freeform.

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