Inspiring the Younger Generation: Marsai Martin

Marsai Martin may only be 15 years old, but the talented actress and executive producer is a major inspiration to the younger generation. Marsai has made history in Hollywood, having becoming the youngest executive producer in the business while running her own film production company, Genius Productions!

Marsai’s acting career began at 5 years old when she was signed to a talent agency and starred in her first television commercial. She later decided to leave her home town of Texas to pursue her acting career in Los Angeles.

It wasn’t long before the young actress landed a major role on the comedy television series Blackish, receiving multiple awards, nominations and industry recognition for her work on the show.

In between her time on Black-ish, Marsai’s interest in directing and producing lead her to pitch an idea for her first film - and she was just 10 years old at the time! Her inspiration came from noticing that there was a lack of film role opportunities for young girls of colour and the talented actress wanted to change this. However, it was not an easy ride for Marsai, as many people along the way did not believe in her vision. Despite facing this challenge, in 2019 Marsai not only starred in her successful feature film, Little, but she also became the youngest executive producer for the movie! Through this achievement, Marsai set out to give a voice to young people and inspire them to be creative and tell their story.

“You’re gonna get a lot of nos than yeses, but you have to find the right people who trust in you and believe in you and will continue to work with you because you’ve got potential”. - Marsai Martin

Marsai is continuing to work behind the big screen and is now running Genius Productions, where she is working on exciting ideas for new projects. In fact, the company’s very first project, StepMonster, a comedy film about a girl and her stepmother, is in the works. Marsai’s idea behind the company is to help change the industry and create films that are both diverse and inclusive.

Despite her success, Marsai makes sure to stay grounded and has become an incredible role model for the young generation. Marsai has been involved in the launch of campaigns such as ‘Treat Yo friends’, a youth campaign to help fight against bullying and social isolation.

Through her work, Marsai wants to encourage young people to believe in themselves and follow their dreams. Her advice to those wanting to follow in her footsteps is to remain authentic and confident, and work hard to achieve their passion.

Marsai shows that with plenty of determination, it is possible to accomplish your goals and have your voice be heard! “A lot of people will say different stuff like, ‘You can’t do it.’ They’ll say no before I even say anything. You just have to believe in yourself, and there’s a reason they might say no, because they probably haven’t seen it before.” - Marsai Martin