CBS Casts Persian Actress Sarah Shahi as Nancy Drew

File this under 🙌 🙌 🙌.

Sarah Shahi
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Looks like CBS followed through with their promise to bring more diversity to the table, starting with the upcoming Nancy Drew reboot. Persian actress Sarah Shahi landed the role of modern day Nancy, making her the first person of color to play the inquisitive sleuth. We'll give you a moment to clap at your computer.  

Previous Nancy Drew actresses include Pamela Sue Martin, Maggie Lawson, and Emma Roberts, three very different women who all have one thing in common (hint: it's the color of their skin). However, the diverse casting of Nancy shouldn't come as a huge surprise—CBS' Glenn Gellar already noted that he was open to any ethnicity in the casting process, saying "We're not casting color blind, we're casting color conscious."

High five, Glenn Geller. Considering that we're coming off the whitest Oscars in recent history, casting "color conscious" (i.e. making a tangible effort not to exclusively hire white actors ) is the change this industry so desperately needs. Can't wait to see Sarah Shahi's take on one of Ruth Bader Ginsberg's favorite feminist heroes.

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Mehera Bonner
Entertainment Editor

Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm. She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.