Marsai Martin, 16-year old actor, singer, dancer and writer now add producer to her list of accomplishments. Currently bringing the laughs as ‘Diane Johnson’ on ABC’s hit-show ‘Black-Ish’, she’s the older yet sinister twin sibling. Martin’s character is not only brilliant but sarcastic, snarky and lacks a filter for her mouth which often leads her into trouble. Her acting career began at the age of 5 when she was immediately signed to the Kim Dawson Agency in Dallas, Texas. After appearing in several commercials, she moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and 100 days later secured a campaign with Meineke.
Martin holds her own next to an all-star cast of actors such as Anthony Anderson, Tracey Ellis-Ross, Lawrence Fishburne and Jennifer Lewis. Her skills have earned her two National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by a Youth. While on break from ‘Black-Ish’, Martin performed in the 35th-anniversary celebration of the musical ‘ ‘Dreamgirls’ with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine and Jennifer Holiday. She also worked with Meagan Good in ‘How to Die Happy’, ‘Fun Mom’ and Amazon’s ‘An American Girl Story.’
Martin executive produced and starred in the film ‘Little’. She came up with the idea for the film which tells the story of an adult woman who gets the chance to relive her childhood after the pressures of adulthood become too much for her to handle. Martin executive produced the film alongside Regina Hall and Josh Martin and ‘Girls Trip’ producers Will Packer and James Lopez along with ‘Black-Ish’ creator Kenya Barris have also signed up to be a part of the project. When the news was released, Tracey Ellis-Ross shared her excitement for her co-star tweeting “Yaaaaasssss @marsaimartin!!!”.
The sky is the limit for this 16-year old as she has future goals adding more acting and executive producing roles to her resume. Well, that’s if she isn’t too busy clapping back at haters on Instagram. Martin posted a picture of her rocking box braids and a follower commented saying “Lay ur edges.” Martin politely responded with “I don’t have to. I like my hair kinks coils naps and all.” That’s how you clap back and let your Black Girl Magic shine!
Lisa Hammond is a 24-year old faith and lifestyle blogger from Cleveland, OH. With a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Cleveland State University, Lisa’s goal is to become a journalist, speaker, and author motivating women across the world.
6 Ways Black-ish Help Break Down Stereotypes In Hollywood
If you scan the internet, it is full of articles somewhat praising or fully bashing the ABC sitcom ‘black-ish’ for its portrayal of black families. However, what I didn’t see enough of were all the reasons why a show like this is needed.
Better yet, why this show is important. Some will of course only look on the surface and judge for its sometimes over-zealous “lessons to be learned” that are quite often strung throughout the entire show. However, I’ve found some gems that aren’t so quite clear, but definitely, need to be highlighted.
Check out these 6 ways ‘black-ish’ has helped break down African American stereotypes and barriers:
It Celebrates Black Women In Medicine
Not sure about you, but when was the last time you saw a black woman in medicine that was not only married but was also highly involved in their children’s day-to-day lives. Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson, played by