Tracee Ellis Ross is officially bringing her creative vision to Fox Entertainment Studios.
The award-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur has signed a multi-year deal with the studio through her production company, Joy Mill Entertainment. The agreement includes a first-look deal for scripted projects and an overall deal for unscripted content, positioning Ross and Joy Mill to develop a wide-ranging slate across genres and formats.
Under the deal, Ross will executive produce scripted series spanning comedy, drama, and animation, alongside unscripted and reality programming. Joy Mill’s head of development, Adriana Ambriz, will continue overseeing development, a role she has held since joining the company in 2020.
The move marks Ross’ next major chapter following her previous scripted overall deal with ABC Signature and continues her steady expansion behind the camera. In addition to starring on screen, Ross has increasingly shaped projects that reflect her long-standing interest in identity-driven storytelling, cultural nuance, and joy-centered narratives.
“Joining the Fox Entertainment Studios family marks an exciting next chapter for Joy Mill Entertainment,” Ross said in a statement. “At Joy Mill, our focus is on creating and producing entertaining, culture-bending stories centered around identity and joy, and from our earliest conversations with Fox, it was clear that they shared the same vision.”
At Fox Entertainment Studios, Ross will collaborate closely with Hannah Pillemer, Head of Scripted, Allison Wallach, Head of Unscripted, and the broader creative leadership team as the studio continues to grow its development partnerships.
“Tracee is a singular force—creative, purposeful, and culturally undeniable,” Pillemer and Wallach said in a joint statement. “Her instincts, curiosity, and drive make her an exceptionally creative and prolific partner. We’re excited to team up with Tracee and Joy Mill Entertainment to create work that inspires, entertains, and reflects the world through their distinctly authentic lens.”
Ross joins a roster of high-profile creators currently partnered with Fox Entertainment Studios, as the company continues to invest in talent-driven development deals across scripted and unscripted television.
Best known for her eight-season run as Dr. Rainbow Johnson on Black-ish, Ross also co-created the spinoff Mixed-ish and remains one of television’s most recognizable comedic and cultural voices. Prior to that, she starred for eight seasons as Joan Clayton on Girlfriends, a role that remains foundational in Black TV history.
Her recent on-screen credits include American Fiction, Netflix’s Black Mirror, and The Family McMullen. Behind the scenes, Ross created and executive produced Hulu and OWN’s The Hair Tales, a docuseries exploring the cultural and personal significance of Black hair. She also hosts and executive produces Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross, which was recently renewed for a second season.
Beyond film and television, Ross is the founder of Pattern Beauty, a haircare brand centered on curly, coily, and textured hair—further reinforcing the throughline of purpose and identity that defines her work across industries.
With this deal, Ross and Joy Mill are poised to deepen their footprint in television, bringing stories to the screen that are as intentional as they are entertaining—now with Fox as their creative home.