Marsai Martin on Navigating the Transition from Child Producer to Mogul in the Making: ‘I\’ve Learned What It Takes to Become a Legend\’

Marsai Martin’s evolution from a young producer to a 20-year-old mogul has endowed her with wisdom that surpasses her age.

Marsai Martin recounts, \’I was incredibly young. I had no idea of the actual situation I was stepping into. There wasn’t any anxiety for me at all.\’
Velvet Voque
Reflecting on her initial years in the industry, she mentioned, \”\’The nine-year-old version of me possessed the audacity to stride into any chamber.\’\”

That confidence assisted the talented actor in making history, becoming the
the youngest individual to ink a first-look agreement
At the age of 14, she started working at a studio. After producing a comedy titled \”Little\” at the young age of nine, she presented her idea to Universal. She starred alongside Regina Hall and Issa Rae in this movie released in 2019, which achieved moderate success by grossing $48 million worldwide.

At 20 years old, Martin acknowledges that the following years in the cutthroat entertainment industry had their fair share of ups and downs. Although she found success with the 2022 sports comedy film \”Fantasy Football\” on Paramount+, she faced disappointment when \”Saturdays,\” a Disney Channel comedy series she executive produced, was cancelled after just one season.

I have witnessed various experiences, and now I grasp what it has been like for African American women who came before me, the hurdles they had to overcome,\” she states, reducing her highly attractive charisma as she adopts a more solemn demeanor. \”These stories are frequently told, yet people often do not fully comprehend them.
know
Until you actually experience it yourself.

Watching \”Saturdays\” arrive and depart was difficult. She continues, saying, \”Having the chance to feature three Black girls in these roles is truly awesome.\” The show stars Danielle Jalade, Daria Johns, and Peyton Basnight. This experience also made her recognize areas where she needs to keep pushing for changes in the industry. It’s clear to her that this field wasn’t designed with Black individuals in mind, yet continually building and transforming something initially not intended for us seems challenging—and that excites her!

Despite the ups and downs, Martin developed resilience. She states, \”When I was young, I expressed my wish to be a legend, and I discovered what it entails to achieve this status.\” She adds, \”The main point is to believe in yourself.\”

Martin started performing at the age of 5, before securing her first significant part on ABC’s \”Black-ish\” in 2014. Once the series concluded following eight seasons, she faced a turning point.

She remembers, “I felt inclined to agree with anything and everything simply because I wasn’t sure about what lay ahead.” She adds, “Actors often find themselves uncertain about their next role or project. It’s possible that you might become prominent for a period but later end up wondering where your career stands.”

Not long ago, Martin received an offer from a Netflix film which she thought might lead to more substantial acting opportunities. However, there was an issue: The project included more explicit sexual scenes than she felt at ease with. According to Martin, when young performers move into adult roles, they frequently get pushed towards increasingly provocative content.

“I’m thinking, I shouldn’t have to display what I’ve got just so everyone can confirm that I’m an adult,” she explains. However, it wasn’t an easy decision. “This job could have been one of the larger payments I’d receive,” she acknowledges. Following deep reflection and discussions with her parents, Joshua and Carol Martin—who co-run Genius alongside her—Martin opted out of taking the part. “I needed to determine whether this path aligned with my professional goals, and ultimately, I chose not to proceed.”

Rather than that, she opted for a different film that ticked all the necessary boxes without necessitating her to undress. Martin was also behind the production of this unnamed indie project, featuring Courtney B. Vance alongside and focusing on a distant father-daughter relationship.

She explains, \’They’re attempting to reclaim what was taken from them.\’ Sometimes, we fail to view our parents as fully formed individuals until a moment strikes when you think, ‘Wow, they really are just like us!’

Until that movie gets distributed, Martin appears in the action-thriller \”G20,\” set to premiere on April 10 on Amazon Prime Video. This provided an opportunity for him to share scenes with Viola Davis, who also produced the film.

Martin states, \”I thought, \’Alright, she’s really going to seize control of this project, and I’m eager to witness how that unfolds – I’ve encountered various approaches to production.\’\”

In the movie, Davis portrays the U.S. President, becoming the primary target for terrorists during an international conference; Martin stars as her defiant adolescent daughter. During filming, Davis did not seek reverence; instead, her mere existence demanded it. \”Her strength lay simply in who she was—she barely needed to speak,\” Marsai remembers. \”Any minor adjustments she suggested to the screenplay or queries she posed were subtle yet clearly transformative.\”

As Martin navigates the forthcoming roster for her company, Genius Entertainment, she’s embracing this philosophy wholeheartedly. Among the initiatives under way is an adaptation of the fantasy novel “Amari and the Night Brothers.” “Think of it as our version of ‘Harry Potter,’” Martin shares enthusiastically. Additionally, there are plans for ventures centered around tennis and track and field. She reflects on these projects with affection: “In a manner of speaking, they’re akin to my offspring,” acknowledging her maturity. “Or perhaps more accurately, I’m their godmother.”

She’s collaborating again with Rae for a sitcom centered around life in a franchise restaurant similar to the Waffle House locations scattered throughout her hometown of Dallas. Martin jotted down this concept in her notebook, envisioning scenarios where she didn’t rise to prominence in Hollywood until after reaching driving age.

\”As young adults, that’s one of our genuine first responsibilities,” she states. “This is what it would be like if my circumstances were different, if I were still living in Dallas.”