Martin is making history by becoming the youngest person to ever executive produce a film.
Coming out from Universal Pictures on April 12th is producer Will Packer’s upcoming comedy Little, starring Black-ish star Marsai Martin, Issa Rae and Regina Hall. The movie is based on a pitch by Martin.
Regina Hall and Marsai Martin both star as Jordan Sanders — Hall as the take-no-prisoners tech mogul adult version of Jordan and Martin as the 13-year-old version of her who wakes up in her adult self’s penthouse just before a do-or-die .
Insecure’s Issa Rae plays Jordan’s long-suffering assistant April, the only one in on the secret that her daily tormentor is now trapped in an awkward tween body just as everything is on the line. Little is an irreverent new comedy about the price of success, the power of sisterhood and having a second chance to grow up — and glow up — right.
With this film, Martin is making history by becoming the youngest person to ever executive produce a film. Not bad for the 14 year-old, who is also making her leading role debut with Little. She recently spoke exclusively with Blackfilm.com regarding this project and circumstances in the film that reflected her life.
Nicole Granston: What was the process like getting this film made? What obstacles did you face?
Marsai Martin: To be honest, I didn’t face a lot of obstacles. I started this entire process at ten years old when I pitched LITTLE. I’ve been able to take things at a comfortable pace, which made it easier. Pitching the idea, developing the script and just trying to figure out the overall direction was a collective effort between Will Packard, Tina Gordon and my parents. They were the greatest support system and ultimately, made sure I didn’t fall on anything. It was such an easy road to get to the point where I am now. Well, easy and hard at the same time because a lot of people didn’t believe in me. The easy part is working with people that trust you and believe in your story is the best thing.
NG: When you say ‘believe in you’ are you referring to people believing in the fact that you would be able to get this movie made and on screen?
MM: Yes. People doubt sometimes and judge a book by it’s cover.
NG: So talk about “Homegirl”. Who came up with the concept? It was an unexpected and cool surprise.
MM: We wanted to incorporate technology in this movie and ‘Homegirl’ was it. With Jordan (Regina Hall) being the tech mogul that she is, we wanted to make sure she had a cool project to work on for the buyers to have. I think it was a mix between Tina Gordon (Director/Writer) and Tracey Oliver (Writer) who came up with the idea. We didn’t want it to be any ole’ regular Alexa, we wanted this to be a ‘for real homegirl’, like those girls who would be honest with you all the way.
I feel like that was a small detail for the film but something that everyone would love in real life. To be honest, I didn’t know ‘Homegirl’ was going to be a part of the movie until Tracey told me about it at one of our table reads of Blackish.
NG: How did the personas of Jordan’s come to be? Did you model them after anyone in particular?
MM: There were certain parts that we thought of in certain time spans. Tina saw Little Jordan with an afro and so we adopted that. We all contributed pieces to them. It all just came together. There was zero inspiration as to who we were modeling them after. We just wanted them to be totally different from each other as well as characters that nobody had every seen before. We wanted to have something that could define who Little Jordan was; natural hair and pink power suits. Big Jordan was the mean boss who was spoiled.
NG: There’s a lot of #blackgirlmagic tied to this film. There’s also the message of showing young girls who they can be. Is there another message you hope young people seeing the movie will take away?
MM: The biggest message is about b`ullying, which I know happens in a lot of schools, and a lot of kids can relate to whether they are the b`ully or they are being b`ullied. Jordan’s story begins when she is b`ullied and then she turns into the b`ully, to protect herself. She thought that was a way to put her guard up, which isn’t the case at any point. You don’t have to change who you are for anyone: if you are your regular, authentic, confident self, then you can push to do whatever you want. And that’s what people want to see.
NG: Were you ever b`ullied when you were younger?
MM: Sometimes, but they never directly said it to my face. I was kind of sensitive, but I could get crazy in a whim.
NG: It sounds like they might have been a little scared to say something to you.
MM: Yeah, they were a little scared. Probably not because of me but because of my parents. They stand up for me. They would show up at school and show out.
NG: There’s a line in the movie that Older Jordan says when reflecting – When we’re kids, we know who we are, it’s the world that beats it out of us. How much truth do you believe is in that statement and how do you plan to hold onto “who you are” as you make your way in Hollywood?
MM: I feel like fame can get into people’s head and you always hear that child actors are doing this, or parents are making their kids do that. I feel like since we’re kids, we have an imagination where we can do whatever we want at anytime time and if that it is their passion they will tell you.
But of course, kids need help with that. With me, it’s cool to stick to my grounds and just have the time to hang out with my friends or be with my family. It’s nice to have the time to be the normal, regular girl that I am. I reflect that in the films that I’m making. The creating is for people, but it’s also telling stories that are relatable to people.
NG: What do you want the 14 year-old (LITTLE) Marsai to remember to tell the 30 year-old (BIG) Marsai?
MM: Not to think too much into stuff. Everything that I do now I get nervous and have anxiety. I want to tell her to be comfortable and be who you are because these people are just like you.
NG: For the younger viewers, let’s tell the readers a few quick things about you.
What’s your favorite ice cream?
MM: Cotton Candy from Baskin Robbins.
What’s your favorite song?
MM: Garden Shed by Tyler The Creator
What’s your favorite female artist?
MM: Rihanna or Beyonce.
Clip – Promote to Creative Exec
