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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 11 april 2019
At just 14, Marsai Martin is a Hollywood mogul in the making

By LINDSEY BAHR the cast is “Insecure’s” Issa
Associated Press Rae (“a creator like me”),
LOS ANGELES (AP) — You as Jordan’s undervalued
might have heard the story assistant.
by now: That Marsai Martin Martin loved the whole
pitched “Little,” a modern development process and
spin on “Big,” to Universal is glad that it took a few
Pictures at age 10. It’s true, years for filming to start, al-
she did, but that preco- lowing her to mature a little
cious move was preceded bit into who she is today.
by another, more impres- And then, this past Febru-
sive act of rebellion and a ary, something even bigger
pivotal moment in putting came along: Martin got a
her on the path to becom- first-look deal with Univer-
ing the youngest executive sal, too.
producer ever: She fired “It was so exciting, but to
her agents after the first be honest, I didn’t even
year of “black-ish.” know what it meant at the
The ABC show, in which she beginning,” Martin said. “I
plays the Johnson’s whip- was like, ‘Oh cool! What is
smart daughter, Diane, was that? Like, OK, this seems
on its first hiatus and Martin very professional. Am I in it
and her family wanted to now? Like is this some Jor-
know what opportunities This March 27, 2019 photo shows actress Marsai Martin posing in her office, Genius Productions, dan Peele-type stuff?’”
there were. in Los Angeles. When she realized that it
“They were like, ‘You should Associated Press meant the studio gets first
just stick to “black-ish,” just said. “So, we fired them.” in the lobby (as well as her with anything I want,” Mar- dibs on anything she cre-
chill, take a break,’” Martin Four years later, it’s almost NAACP Image Awards). tin said. “I’m very grateful ates, she was thrilled.
said. ancient history for the now Her own office is well on and doing it with my family “I was like, ‘Oh, OK! So I can
Besides, the agents ex- 14-year-old sitting in the its way to having the Al- is even better.” create whatever I want?’ I
plained, there weren’t any conference room of Genuis ice in Wonderland-feel she After the break with the thought that was so cool
roles for a young black girl Productions, the company wants with “grand plants” agents, “black-ish” creator because this mind has a lot
out there. But the Martins she founded, as she pre- and colorful throw pillows. Kenya Barris helped nudge of things,” she said. “I can
persisted and suggested pares for “Little” to hit the- There’s also a very teen- Martin in the right direction, keep creating things that
creating something them- aters nationwide Friday. appropriate Polaroid wall, securing a meeting with his people don’t get to see of-
selves. The office space is a pro- and a perfect view of the friend, producer Will Pack- ten.”
“They kind of just laughed jection of Martin herself, Universal sign out the win- er, who’s been behind such She knows it’s unusual to be
at us. They didn’t see with accent walls in her fa- dow. high-profile hits as “Girls wielding this much creative
the vision. But I think they vorite color blue, her and “It’s a creative spot for me Trip” and “Night School,” to power in Hollywood at this
didn’t see it because they her baby sister’s preferred and a place where I can hear her idea. young age, but she also
saw what I looked like: A snacks in the break area express how I feel and just “I didn’t expect much, be- enjoys catching people off
little black girl that no one (Goldfish crackers, rice get my mind in a cool place cause, you know, I hear guard.
would want to see,” Martin crispy treats, etc) and a PS4 where I can just come up a lot of pitches and most “It’s like, ‘Oh, snap, THIS
of them aren’t great. I girl, created this film?’ And
said ‘Listen, I’m sure she’s it’s kind of shocking,” she
Man wins over $110K, breaks single- sweet. I’ll do it as a cour- laughed.
tesy,’” Packer said. “And Her life is pretty crazy right
day record on ‘Jeopardy!’ she comes in and she’s got now promoting “Little” and
this fully thought out, really developing new films and
coherent, cohesive narra- television projects. She’s
Associated Press tive, with characters and home-schooled with a tu-
CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP) themes. I was like, ‘She’s tor, which she prefers, and
— A 34-year-old profes- how old again?’” she doesn’t have any re-
sional sports gambler from Her story would be about grets about missing out
Las Vegas won more than bullying and female em- on the high school experi-
$110,000 on “Jeopardy!” powerment. ence.
on Tuesday, breaking the “We wanted it to be as au- “I used to be the shy kid
record for single-day cash thentic as possible... even who would barely raise her
winnings on the trivia televi- though it’s a fantasy, body- hand or speak her mind,”
sion game show. swap film,” Martin laughed. she said.
The show says in a state- She stars as the young Jor- Even now she suffers her
ment that James Holzhau- dan Sanders, a science- own share of self-con-
er won $110,914 during the obsessed teen who is bul- sciousness.
episode. The previous epi- lied so much in high school “That’s something that I
sode record of $77,000 was This image made from video aired on “Jeopardy!” on Tuesday, that she grows up to be an have to work on: Self-con-
set by Roger Craig in 2010. April 9. 2019, and provided by Jeopardy Productions, Inc. shows insufferable bully herself, as fidence and loving myself,”
Tuesday’s win was the James Holzhauer. the head of a major tech she said. “Your girl gets a
fourth consecutive vic- Associated Press company. The adult ver- lot of anxiety. It’s OK. It’s a
tory for Holzhauer, whose day. with advanced pancreatic sion of Jordan is played learning process. I feel like
winnings total more than “Jeopardy!” host Alex cancer but said he intends by Regina Hall, who Mar- a lot of kids my age get it,
$244,000. He will face two Trebek revealed in March to fight the disease and tin had worked with on whether they’re in the in-
new challengers Wednes- that he was diagnosed keep on working. q “black-ish.” Rounding out dustry or not.”q