Shahidi’s perceived perfection is by design. "I am, quite honestly, a tad bit of a perfectionist," she whispers, like it’s a secret and not the most obvious thing about her. "I attempt to do things that I'd be proud looking back in four months." But I suspect it’s more than that. Shahidi knows she doesn’t have the luxury of partying with abandon. Frankly, black women in Hollywood don’t get the same chances to fail as their white counterparts. Regardless of race, women in Hollywood must tread carefully for the sake of their images — but if you’re black, there is no safety net. Black women have to deal with fewer jobs , higher expectations, and one shot to get it right. There are a few examples of reformed "bad girl" child stars, but they’re all white. Think Miley Cyrus and Drew Barrymore. Cosby Show star Lisa Bonet (who also came of age in college onscreen with A Different World) saw her career stall significantly in the '90s after posing nude in Rolling Stone and filming a sex scene opposite Mickey Rourke in Angel Heart. She was labelled a rebel with a bad attitude, and the roles dried up. In a rare interview last year, Bonet blamed "slim pickings" . She may be back in the spotlight because of her husband or her daughter, but the hit to her career back then was undeniable.