If “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin is a major Hollywood player by the time she reaches adulthood, don’t be surprised. That’s because with her new movie “Little,” 14-year-old Martin has become the youngest executive film producer in Hollywood history.
And it’s not like the young actress received an executive producer tag on the back end of the project; the film is her idea and she actually pitched it to a studio with scriptwriter Tracy Y. Oliver.
Oliver sent a message about the pitch meeting on social media and said she was blown away by Martin’s confidence.
“True story,” she wrote. “I went in Universal to do a joint pitch with a then 11-year old @marsaimartin for this movie that she dreamt up. So young but so confident. Way more than me. Thank you for the honor of writing this movie. Proud of you, girl.”
The “Black-ish” star responded to the message and said the movie got made because she was able to find folks who believed in her ideas.
“When the world tells you your dream is too big, you search for the folks that can see your vision,” wrote Martin. “Tracy Oliver is the writer, I had an idea, we took it to @kenyabarris, he told @willpowerpacker, we met with Kenya and Tracy to get the pitch perfect and the rest is history.”
“Little” is about a woman named Jordan, played by Regina Hall, who turns into a 13-year-old girl, played by Martin, due to a curse. The film also star’s Issa Rae, and Martin said this is just the beginning of her executive producing career.
“This is the first movie where I have been in front of the camera and behind the camera,” she told “Entertainment Tonight.” “And it’s not gonna be the last.”