美国国家公共电台 NPR Meet Marsai Martin, The Youngest Executive Producer In Hollywood

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The youngest executive producer working in Hollywood makes her big-screen debut¹ this weekend.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LITTLE")

MARLEY TAYLOR: (As Stevie) I wish you were little.

GREENE: "Little" is a comedy where a big and powerful executive wakes up as a little kid. From our Code Switch podcast, Shereen Marisol Meraji has more on the film's young star.

SHEREEN MARISOL MERAJI, BYLINE²: In the end credits for "Little," the screen reads, introducing Marsai Martin.

MARSAI MARTIN: Yes, it does.

MERAJI: So I thought it would be fun for you to introduce yourself to the NPR audience.

M MARTIN: OK. Hello, everyone. My name is Marsai Martin. I am 14 years old - almost 15. And I'm also an actress, a executive producer and entrepreneur.

MERAJI: Marsai may be new to the big screen, but she's not new to acting³. She's been in the game for almost a decade.

JOSHUA MARTIN: We stumbled upon this by accident. This was not planned...

CAROL MARTIN: Right.

J MARTIN: ...Just so you know.

MERAJI: That's Marsai's dad, Joshua Martin. He says the family was minding their business at a mall near their home in Texas when a woman handed them a coupon⁴ for glamour⁵ shots. Marsai was 5 at the time, and they signed her up to get her portrait taken. The photographer was so impressed with the way she took direction, he offered a bigger discount if her dad promised to show the photos to a few talent agencies. Here's Marsai again with her parents Joshua and Carol.

M MARTIN: And we promised, and now we're here.

J MARTIN: We kept our promise.

C MARTIN: Yep.

J MARTIN: And this is what it did.

C MARTIN: Even to add to that, all the agencies that they gave him - he went and...

J MARTIN: It was, like, four.

C MARTIN: Yeah - submitted her pictures. And three of the four agencies said, we already have a girl who looks like that. Basically, we already have a little, black girl. Like, we don't need two little, black girls. We got - we have our one.

MERAJI: Carol Martin says her daughter finally landed an interview at agency number four.

C MARTIN: She had all the agents in a conga line around the room. And they're like, we want to sign her. (Laughter) And...

J MARTIN: Yeah.

MERAJI: Marsai Martin's best known for her work on "Black-ish," ABC's sitcom⁶ about an upper-middle-class black family living in a mostly white neighborhood. It's loosely based on the show creator's life.

KENYA BARRIS: I'm Kenya Barris. I'm the creator of "Black-ish." And from the moment we met her, it was this pint-sized, little ball of talent with these amazing glasses.

MERAJI: Barris cast Marsai as one of the fraternal twins on the show, Diane. Her twin brother is Jack⁷.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BLACK-ISH")

M MARTIN: (As Diane) I'm tired of being Jack and Diane. Now I'm just ready to be and Diane.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) But you're a twin.

M MARTIN: (As Diane) I didn't ask to be.

MERAJI: Diane's wise beyond her years and can intimidate⁸ most adults with a withering⁹ glance over her trademark¹⁰ glasses.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BLACK-ISH")

M MARTIN: (As Diane) Let me stop you right there. You're boring me.

MERAJI: Barris says Marsai made Diane her own by Episode 2 and without very much formal acting training. He calls her an old soul.

BARRIS: I do think that there is a person who's been here before that speaks through her. And I think that comes out in how she channels Diane and how she channels these characters that she becomes.

MERAJI: The most recent character is Jordan from the comedy "Little," a tech mogul who magically reverts¹¹ back to her nerdy 13-year-old self. In this scene, Jordan begs her assistant, played by Issa Rae, to take over for her at the office until she can figure out how to get back into her older body.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LITTLE")

ISSA RAE: (As April) I should probably dress the part and borrow some of your clothes.

M MARTIN: (As Jordan) Your body can't fit into my clothes. This is squats¹². This is Pilates.

RAE: (As April) That body looks like babyGap, Gymboree, OshKosh B'gosh to me (laughter).

M MARTIN: (As Jordan, whispering) Oh, you get on my nerves.

MERAJI: Marsai doesn't just play the lead. She pitched the idea. And if it sounds familiar, it's inspired by the 1988 film where a teenage boy magically becomes an adult.

M MARTIN: My mom's favorite movie growing up was "Big" starring Tom Hanks. That was kind of when it started to get into my head and just saying to myself, like, what if we do this in, like, a modern perspective? And maybe - what if we do, like, a female empowerment, all-black-women cast? So I started talking about that with my parents. And then that's kind of how it got started.

MERAJI: She ran the idea by her boss Kenya Barris when she was 10.

BARRIS: She said, well, a lot of people tell me I kind of remind them of Gabrielle Union or Taraji P. Henson. Well, remember that movie "Big." I want to do a movie called "Little." And I was like, I'm going to stop you right there. No - nothing more needed to be said.

MERAJI: Barris is one of the producers on "Little," which is being distributed by Universal Pictures. And this past February, Universal signed a first-look production deal with the company Marsai runs with her parents - Genius Productions.

M MARTIN: Basically, all the ideas you come up with or anything that you have in mind for TV, film, any of that - in my case, you talk to Universal about it. And it goes to them first.

MERAJI: Peter Cramer, the president of Universal Pictures, says he looks forward to moviegoers seeing Marsai in "Little" and, quote, "watching her evolve as a filmmaker."

MIA MASK: Sorry to be a little cynical¹³. I do think that it's a way to sell the film.

MERAJI: Mia Mask is a film professor at Vassar College.

MASK: And my current work is on African-American cinema.

MERAJI: Mask really hopes Marsai looks to other women of color creators for mentorship and inspiration, specifically, Ava DuVernay, Kasi Lemmons, who directed "Eve's Bayou," and Dee Rees, whose screenplay for "Mudbound" was nominated for an Oscar.

MASK: Because I'm concerned about what is going to happen after this film has been released and what comes next. I mean, we know that it can be difficult to maintain a certain high-profile standing¹⁴ and standard within the industry and that opportunities don't come along as often, as readily, as easily for women of color. It's a tough, tough industry. And I would encourage her to take heart and find solace¹⁵ and community in solidarity¹⁶ with other women of color.

MERAJI: Marsai's mom Carol Martin says the family can already feel the difference between their daughter being on a sitcom versus¹⁷ a heavily marketed film. Her face is everywhere now.

C MARTIN: The billboards¹⁸ are now on the sides of buildings. And it's amplified¹⁹ in a way that is new for all of us, so we are all kind of checking in on each other, like, are you good? Are you good? OK. She's done 18 interviews in a row. We - you know, sorry.

M MARTIN: Even though I'm...

C MARTIN: She's very hard on herself.

M MARTIN: Sorry.

C MARTIN: No, go ahead.

M MARTIN: I didn't mean to cut you off. But...

C MARTIN: No, no.

M MARTIN: I feel whoever does any - 18 interviews in a row would want to get some rest. So...

(LAUGHTER)

M MARTIN: I feel like that's not just a kid thing.

C MARTIN: No, right.

M MARTIN: Like, a lot of people kind of underestimate me because I am a kid.

MERAJI: "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris definitely has not underestimated Marsai Martin. When I asked where he sees her in 10 years...

BARRIS: My boss (laughter). That's my boss.

MERAJI: Until then, you can watch Marsai Martin playing the boss in the movie "Little," which opens Friday.

Shereen Marisol Meraji, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE'S "BE ALRIGHT (NICOLAY'S EASYBREEZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON REMIX)")

1 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 coupon   

n.息票，配给票，附单

参考例句：

• The coupon can be used once only.此优惠券只限使用一次。
• I have a coupon for ten pence off a packet of soap.我有一张优惠券买一盒肥皂可以便宜十便士。

5 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。

6 sitcom   

n.情景喜剧，（广播、电视的）系列幽默剧

参考例句：

• This sitcom is produced in cooperation with Hong Kong TV.这部连续剧是同香港电视台联合制作的。
• I heard that a new sitcom is coming out next season.我听说下一季会推出一个新的情境喜剧。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

9 withering   

使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的

参考例句：

• She gave him a withering look. 她极其蔑视地看了他一眼。
• The grass is gradually dried-up and withering and pallen leaves. 草渐渐干枯、枯萎并落叶。

10 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

11 reverts   

恢复( revert的第三人称单数 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还

参考例句：

• The mind reverts to the earliest days of colonial history. 我们回想到早期的殖民地历史。
• Macau reverts to Chinese sovereignty at midnight on December19. 澳门主权于十二月十九日零时回归中国。

12 squats   

n.蹲坐，蹲姿( squat的名词复数 )；被擅自占用的建筑物v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的第三人称单数 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• The square squats in the centre of the city. 广场位于市中心。 来自互联网
• Various squats, lunges, jumps and sprints are incorporated for the humans. 主人们还要进行下蹲、弓步、跳跃和短跑等各项训练。 来自互联网

13 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

14 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

15 solace   

n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和

参考例句：

• They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
• His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

16 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

17 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

18 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

19 amplified   

放大，扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 )； 增强； 详述

参考例句：

• He amplified on his remarks with drawings and figures. 他用图表详细地解释了他的话。
• He amplified the whole course of the incident. 他详述了事件的全过程。