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If you ever tune into the red carpet interviews for most awards shows, I’m sure you would agree that they can be a bit much after about 10 minutes. But a brief chat between actress Rashida Jones and reporter Danielle Demski (who was covering the red carpet for TNT), definitely offered both an entertaining and awkward moment on Sunday evening.

As Jones stepped up to be interviewed by Demski about her gorgeous Emanuel Ungaro gown and new TV work, Demski inquired about why Jones looked so tan. She was clearly expecting Jones to say that she had just come back from some lavish vacation, but that was not the case whatsoever.

Demski stated, “You look like you’ve just come off of an island or something! You’re very tan. Very tropical.”

Jones offered that silly statement a tongue-in-cheek response: “I mean, you know, I’m ethnic.”

Laughs ensued, especially from Demski, who said, “Just being ethnic! That’s what it is!” And the other red carpet reporter for People, JD Heyman, a white man, responded to Jones with, “Me too!” I’m going to at least give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he was probably joking…

But for those who didn’t realize it after all these years, Jones is indeed ‘ethnic.’ Her background includes everything from Welsh and Cameroonian roots, to Russian and Latvian roots as well. Her father is the legendary Quincy Jones, and her mother is Peggy Lipton, of The Mod Squad fame.

When asked back in 2012 what her experiences have been as a biracial actress in Hollywood, she had this to say to BET:

“It’s more of a challenge for other people than it is for me. I have no issues with my identity.

Other people think I should be settling into one thing or another, but I don’t want to be limited. I spent so much time when I was younger being limited. I wasn’t dark enough for some parts, or I was too light, or I wasn’t quirky enough.”

Check out Jones and Demski’s brief exchange below:

 

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