Best known for his role as Myles Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha, actor Marcus T. Paulk was in our homes every week when the show aired from 1996 through 2001.
The loveable character of Myles is all grown up, but that same big smile is there.
Describing himself as “a ball of glowing energy,” he began entertaining crowds from a young age. “I used to dance on Venice Beach when I was four years old,” recalls the actor. “Venice Beach is a popular boardwalk, and back in the ’90s it was very popular with street performers. When I was little my mom would take me down there and one day I must have seen someone dancing because I told her, ‘I can do that.’ My Mom said to me, ‘If you want to try it you can.’ So I did and loved it.
“Entertaining has always been in my blood. I used to watch M.C. Hammer and Michael Jackson, and those are the people I’d say inspired me to be an entertainer. They were musicians, but to me they were huge performers, too. They didn’t just sing and dance, they put on a show and on a large scale.”
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Coincidentally, one of Paulk’s first jobs as a child actor was voicing a character for M.C. Hammer’s 1991 Saturday morning cartoon show Hammerrman. He went on to appear in other such popular ’90s TV series as Grace Under Fire, Thea, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and The Parkers. The actor also spent six seasons playing Myles Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha starring actress/singer/dancer Brandy.
“Oh, man, that was terrific,” enthuses Paulk. “That was like having a second family when I worked on that set. I was a fan of Brandy; I’d met her when I worked on Thea and I also worked with her brother Ray J on The Sinbad Show. So that was a cool connection with this part coming up. When I booked that job I never imagined that Moesha would end up going for as long as it did. We passed the 100-episode mark and the show made it into the TV Hall of Fame. To this day people will call me Myles instead of Marcus, and that’s okay. It’s flattering to know that people were such fans of the show and that they connected with my character. It was a program that crossed many generations. I love being a part of projects that are for kids as well as adults.”
Being a proponent of good causes and a frequent participant in fundraisers, Paulk was the 1997 national spokesperson for the “Kids Are Paramount” campaign, which seeks to empower children with courage and confidence to overcome obstacles. He also appeared with Bow Wow in
