We’ve seen him on the hit series ‘Black-ish’ but little was known about teen star Marcus Scribner, until now. The young star recently sat down with BlackCelebKids.com to talk about his experience as ‘Andre Jr.’ on the show and his career aspirations that include studying Journalism at Stanford University. Read what the teen shared below!
How old are you?
“I’m fifteen years old.”
Are you home schooled?
“Yeah, actually, now I am home schooled. [There was a time when] I went to public school, and we decided to go through a home school because it’s much easier to have my work all on the computer and everything, and not have to worry about actually going to classes. So it’s still the same level of intensity but just in a home school.”
I think I watched an interview where you said you wanted to go to Stanford one day. Would you want to continue in the industry that you’re in right now? What are your plans? What do you hope to major in?
“I definitely want to go to college. My top choice[s] would be either Stanford, UCLA, or Cal Berkeley; [schools] within the Pac 12, you know? But yeah, I definitely want to continue being an actor. I just want to go to college and study journalism because I feel like it’s very important to have that knowledge, even if you don’t use it in your field of work.”
So how is it working onset with ’Black-ish’?
“I mean it’s crazy getting to work with Anthony Anderson [and] Tracee Ellis Ross. I mean, everyday is a blast. We just have so much fun onset. We like to goof around. We like to adlib … all that stuff. So it’s really fun working on ’Black-ish.’”
What has been your favorite episode?
“I loved working on ‘The Dozens.’ It was a really fun episode to work on. Getting to trash talk was a cool change of pace for my character. I also liked working on ‘The Nod’ because it was really fun filming the basketball scene. Junior is a great character to get to play because he’s kind of different from how I am in real life.”
Yeah, that was my next question. How are you different from your character on the show?
“We’re pretty similar, like [we’re] both nerds and everything, but I think Junior handles situations a lot more differently than I would. He’s kind of like air-headed a little bit but he’s a pretty cool character to play because you get to have so much fun being him.”
Right. So you act. Do you sing? Do you have any other hidden talents?
“I like to play sports. I like to play basketball, lacrosse. I’m pretty good at video games (laughs). It could be a sport. I also like playing with my dog. … I play the clarinet too. I’ve been playing it since fifth grade. I kind of took a break [from playing] for a little bit.”
Do you ever get nervous being in front of the camera?
“Yeah I know when I first started I was definitely really nervous being in front of the camera. But now it’s gotten a lot easier. I mean, definitely every take is new and there’s still that sense of nervousness and urgency and everything. But I think I’ve grown a little bit used to it. So it’s a little easier now.”
It seems like people of all [races and creeds] love ‘Black-ish.’ What do you think makes the show popular?
“I think the fact that ‘Black-ish’ is definitely a family show, and it really pertains to all families no matter what your ethnicity is. [The family members on the show] go through the same problems that most families probably have, whether it’s ‘The Talk’ or ‘The Nod.’ So I feel like ‘Black-ish’ is a really great show because it’s not just for black people, it’s for everyone. Of course it’s a black family [being represented on the show].”
What advice would you give other teens aspiring to do what you do?
“I think one big piece of advice would be to always follow your dreams. If you believe in it, then it’ll make it so much easier to actually do. So try to stick with something that you actually would like to do. Don’t go to college to be a doctor if you want to be a lawyer or a writer. It’s always important to do what you want to do and what makes you happy.”
How did it feel being nominated for the NAACP Award?
“It was crazy. I was so honored to be nominated by an amazing organization like the NAACP because there’s been so many other great actors who [have] been honored by them, and to be one of them is just mind-blowing. I didn’t think I would ever get here so … I was in awe. I [am] in shock, still.”
And how is it working with Anthony and all your other co-stars?
“It’s crazy because everyday is like something different. … Every experience is different. So that really helps to keep the acting fresh, and to really have a comfortable place of truth because we know that we’re actually acting like this. We’ve grown into the characters. So we know what Junior would do. We know what Dre would do. … stuff like that.”
Do you have any upcoming projects? Anything we should look forward to?
“I’m really focusing on the first season of ‘Black-ish’ right now. But once it’s over, I’m definitely looking at a few projects I might want to do.”
Where can our readers find you on social media?
“My social media page for both Twitter and Instagram, and I have a Facebook now, [it’s] @Marcus Scribner. So, yeah, it’s pretty simple.”
Photos: Blackcelebkids.com
