Marsai Martin: Heir To Black Hollywood

Marsai Martin knows exactly who she is. Though her dewy skin, bright smile, and deep dimples give away her sparkling youth, Marsai’s spirit isn’t bogged down with the uncertainty of teenhood. The 18-year-old carries a sense of self many people don’t embody until at least the third decade of their lives. The black-ish alum certainly hasn’t had the typical upbringing, but her parents, Joshua and Carol Martin, have always been loving anchors for her —her bridges to normalcy. Marsai’s confidence is why she has no problem taking up space. 

Marsai’s eight-year stint on black-ish came to a close earlier this year. However, the Genius Entertainment Productions Founder has yet to slow down. You don’t become the youngest person to ever produce a movie by being complacent. Her latest film, Fantasy Football, where she stars alongside Omari Hardwick, Kelly Rowland, and Rome Flynn, will debut on Paramount+ on November 25. The film was initially written as a father/son story. However, things changed when Marsai joined the project as an executive producer and star. 

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'Black-ish' Star Marsai Martin And Mega-Producer Will Packer On The Melanated Magic Of 'Little'

Marsai Martin’s portrayal of the precocious and witty Diane Johnson on ABC's Black-ish has been brilliant since she premiered on the show in 2014. However, Martin has had her sights set on the big screen since the beginning. The Texas native was just ten years old when she approached Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and Hollywood mega-producer Will Packer with an idea for her very own film — the body-swap comedy, Little.

"It was me, mommy, and daddy, we were actually talking about the movies that they're watching back in the day,” she explained to Shadow and Act during a visit to the Little set on a hot day in July 2018. "One of my mom's favorite movies growing up was Big. That's where it all started and then we just started brainstorming and thinking about how it could be turned into a Black Girl Magic-type of situation."

Will Packer remembered that meeting and what compelled him to back the film and subsequently pitch it to Universal. "It’s crazy, what were we doing when we were ten years old?!" the Night School producer said. "I could see the movie even back then. It’s interesting because it’s Hollywood, it takes time to get a movie going, and because she is on Black-ish we could only shoot during her hiatus which is a certain time every year. She pitched it when she was ten, so we tried to get it ready to hit her hiatus when she was 11, but the script wasn’t ready. We tried again when she was 12, but the actors we wanted —their availabilities didn’t line up. Then I was like 'Yo! This is the last chance, she’s going to get too old and the movie won’t work.' Fortunately, we got it done just in time and I’m glad because as a teen, she’s able to embody the character differently. It’s funnier now — it’s edgier."

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Photo Credit: Eli Joshua Ade/Universal Pictures

Photo Credit: Eli Joshua Ade/Universal Pictures