The star from ABC’s Black-ish, Marsai Martin, has been going big with her own production company, Genius Entertainment. With the support of her parents Josh and Carol, Martin founded this production house to inspire young creatives.

The young entrepreneur has been working in collaboration with Universal Pictures for her latest projects, namely StepMonster and the adaptation from the book Amari and the Night Brothers.

Martin Has Always Been Creative

In one of her interviews with BET experience in June 2019, when asked whether she always knew she would be a producer, the talented actress replied by acknowledging that she was unaware of the job title. Still, it all started with her desire to create.

Martin expressed how she always had a knack for creative brainstorming and making content that had a creative edge, but she never knew how powerful that was.

However, it changed after she finished filming for Little and Universal Pictures offered her a first-look deal. 

The Little star admitted that she wasn’t aware that she wanted to be an executive producer and as she was still learning. She believed she would get to know more about her professional goals with time.

Her Family Had Her Back

As the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In her most recent interview with Forbes culture from March 2021, the young actress went on to compliment her parents for giving her a creative environment to grow in. 

The Black-ish star mentioned her family had her back and made the idea of Genius Entertainment into a whole family situation, quite literally, with her being the CEO, her father as the President, and her mother as the Vice-President of the company.

After realizing her desire to create while filming Little, the actress fell in love with the whole process. Talking about her love for producing, Martin said that for her to be able to create the exact situation she has in her head, from the costumes to the way the scene will look, is the most amazing feeling for her.  

When it’s all in your head and then you’re putting it out on screen for other people to see it is just the coolest feeling you’ll ever have.

Furthermore, the actress pointed out that she wished for every young creator to experience this feeling, as it felt like home to her.

The Inspiration Behind Genius Entertainment

In the same interview, when asked what inspired her to create Genius Entertainment, the actress replied that her passion for projecting her and authentic stories of people like her was the main motive behind it.

Further explaining, the actress said considering how the industry is a white male-dominated one, like every other industry, she believes that she could tell the stories of people of color’s experiences better.

I could make more projects that are more authentic, relatable, funny, dramatic, action or horror. Anything for Black girls, Black people or Black culture and I just wanted to keep doing that.