Texas-native and actress Marsai Martin attended Guitar Center’s 28th Annual Drum-Off Finals Event at The Novo by Microsoft on January 14, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The young star recently sat down for an exclusive interview with Assignment X to chat about her role on ABC’s hit, Black-ish, which has returned to the airwaves for the second half of its third season.
Fun fact: twelve-year-old Martin, who plays the role of younger daughter, Diane Johnson on the half-hour comedy, is in actuality older than her character on the show. Although Diane, who is about nine-years-old this season, Martin tells Assignment X that because of the role, she has learned a lot about the entertainment business in general and has become a bit wiser beyond her years.
“[My ideas about show business have changed during my years on Black-sish]. I didn’t even know what a season finale was. I didn’t even know what a season was before this. So I learned more about the industry and what goes around. So it’s exciting. I really am really focused on what’s going on now, more focused about what are the consequences that might happen, or what’s going on, and what will happen if you do this or something like that.”
Martin, who had a natural affinity for the spotlight, was signed with the Dawson agency in Dallas at five-years-old. Soon after, she landed her first national commercial, appearing in The Choice Hotel ad, “Voice of the People.” Shortly thereafter, she secured representation with CESD in Los Angeles and in 2013, relocated to Hollywood. When she was cast as a part of Black-ish, Martin could not be happier. For her, to secure such a major project along-side an all-star cast at such a young age was a feat that most actors can only dream of. Securing more and more professional opportunities as a result of the show, Martin knows that Hollywood is where she wants to be. “…I probably want to keep acting, because that’s my passion,” Martin tells Assignment X. “I probably might do more things like singing and directing and [work] in the entertainment industry more.”
But for now, Martin just wants to know how to “cry on demand” and to let everyone know that Black-ish is a “… family show. It’s all about family and what goes on in real life.” We definitely thing that the sky is truly the limit for this young actress and have no doubt that she will achieve that and much more.
To read Martin’s interview in its entirety, click here.
