# Marsai Martin
**Marsai Martin** (born Caila Marsai Martin, 2004, in [Plano, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/plano-texas)) is an American actress and producer best known for playing Diane Johnson on the ABC sitcom *Black-ish* and for becoming the youngest person to executive produce a major Hollywood film with the 2019 comedy *Little*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2004, Plano, Texas; full name Caila Marsai Martin[1](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621232000) |
| Breakout role | Diane Johnson on *Black-ish* (ABC), cast at about age 9 in 2014, playing the part through the series finale in April 2022[2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a26893844/marsai-martin-little-movie-blackish/) • [3](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/marsai-martin-interview/) |
| *Little* (2019) | Conceived and pitched the body-swap comedy as a child; starred and executive produced at 14, earning a Guinness World Record as the youngest executive producer of a major Hollywood film[4](https://hbcunews.com/2025/07/17/marsai-martin-named-creative-ambassador-for-2025-hbcu-first-look-film-festival/) |
| Box office | *Little*, co-starring Regina Hall and Issa Rae, earned $48 million at the global box office[5](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/) |
| Studio deal | At 14, the youngest person to sign a first-look deal at a studio, with Universal Pictures[5](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/) |
| Awards | 9 NAACP Image Awards and 3 BET Awards for her performance on *Black-ish*[6](https://press.hulu.com/bios/marsai-martin/) |
| Production company | Genius Productions, co-founded with her parents, Carol and Joshua Martin, with an overall deal at Universal[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marsai-martin-the-black-ish-star-on-genius-productions-and-her-new-film-little/) • [6](https://press.hulu.com/bios/marsai-martin/) |
## Early life and Black-ish
Martin grew up in Texas and began performing in commercials and short films as a young child, launching her career at age five.[3](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/marsai-martin-interview/) • [8](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/marsai-martin-21-under-21-2018) After her family moved to California, she reached two milestones within roughly 100 days: she landed the role of Diane Johnson, the sharp-tongued elder twin sister on *Black-ish*, and a national commercial campaign with Meineke, all before her tenth birthday.[8](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/marsai-martin-21-under-21-2018) More than 100 children auditioned for Diane, but the producers sent everyone else home after Martin read lines with Miles Brown, who was already cast as her twin brother.[2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a26893844/marsai-martin-little-movie-blackish/)
She played Diane for eight seasons across *Black-ish* and its spin-offs, in which her onscreen father was played by [Anthony Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-anderson); the series finale aired on ABC in April 2022, when Martin was 17.[9](https://www.glamour.com/story/marsai-martin-new-film-g20) • [3](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/marsai-martin-interview/) Her performance earned her 9 [NAACP Image Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/naacp-image-awards) and 3 [BET Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/bet-awards).[6](https://press.hulu.com/bios/marsai-martin/)
## Little and the production records
During her first hiatus from *Black-ish*, Martin noticed that few projects being made included roles for kids, especially kids of color, and decided to create roles she wanted to play.[10](https://nyotamagazine.com/2026/02/10/nyota-rewind-marsai-martin/) The idea she came up with was a reversal of the premise of the [Tom Hanks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hanks) film *Big*: instead of a child becoming an adult, a nightmarish adult boss, played by [Regina Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/regina-hall), wakes up in the body of her teenage self, played by Martin.[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marsai-martin-the-black-ish-star-on-genius-productions-and-her-new-film-little/) • [11](https://time.com/5568323/little-marsai-martin-movie-review/)
**Pitch and deal.** The age at which she pitched the film is reported slightly differently across sources: an interview with Variety says she pitched it to Universal when she was nine;[5](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/) [CBS News](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-news) quotes her saying she was ten when she got the idea;[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marsai-martin-the-black-ish-star-on-genius-productions-and-her-new-film-little/) and [Teen Vogue](https://www.edgepedia.org/teen-vogue) quotes her saying she was "9 or 10."[8](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/marsai-martin-21-under-21-2018) With support from [Kenya Barris](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenya-barris), producer Will Packer, and Universal Pictures, the idea became the 2019 feature film *Little*, on which Martin served as both a lead actress and an executive producer at age 14. This made her the youngest person in Hollywood history to executive produce a major studio film, a feat recognized with a Guinness World Record.[4](https://hbcunews.com/2025/07/17/marsai-martin-named-creative-ambassador-for-2025-hbcu-first-look-film-festival/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/) The film, which also co-starred Issa Rae, was a modest hit, earning $48 million worldwide.[5](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/)
At 14 she also became the youngest person to sign a first-look deal at a studio, with [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures).[5](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/)
## Genius Productions and later projects
Martin co-founded Genius Productions in Los Angeles with her parents, Carol and Joshua Martin, to create films that are diverse and inclusive; the company signed an overall deal with Universal.[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marsai-martin-the-black-ish-star-on-genius-productions-and-her-new-film-little/) • [6](https://press.hulu.com/bios/marsai-martin/) Projects announced through the company include the comedy *StepMonster* and an adaptation of the fantasy book series *Amari and the Night Brothers*, in partnership with Universal Pictures, as well as the [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) pilot *Saturdays*, centered on a young girl with sickle cell disease and a passion for competitive roller skating.[12](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestheculture/2021/03/15/how-actress-and-producer-marsai-martin-is-using-her-platform-to-inspire-young-creatives-in-hollywood/)
Her screen credits after *Little* include the 2022 [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) sports comedy *Fantasy Football*, the [Discovery+](https://www.edgepedia.org/discovery) interior design series *Remix My Space*, voice work in Universal/[DreamWorks Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/dreamworks-animation)'s *Spirit Untamed* and Paramount's *PAW Patrol* films, and the 2025 Amazon Prime action thriller *G20*, in which she plays Serena Sutton, daughter of Viola Davis's President Danielle Sutton, opposite Anthony Anderson as the first gentleman.[6](https://press.hulu.com/bios/marsai-martin/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/) • [9](https://www.glamour.com/story/marsai-martin-new-film-g20)
## Philanthropy and outreach
Martin founded the Marsai's Way Foundation, named after her cousin Marsai Chari Murry, who was killed by a stray bullet; the nonprofit supports women of color pursuing the creative arts.[13](https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/marsai-martin-is-paving-the-way-for-the-next-generation-of-black-artists-755274) In 2023 she hosted the first Sai Summer Cookout in Atlanta, an outdoor festival held on Labor Day Weekend to connect students from historically Black colleges and universities.[3](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/marsai-martin-interview/) Her foundation has partnered with the Brooklyn-based nonprofit Seeds of Fortune to empower young women through financial education and wealth-building initiatives, working with 10,000 young women over three years.[14](https://abc13.com/amp/post/marsai-martin-actress-starred-abcs-black-ish-teaming-seeds-fortune-nonprofit-hosting-event-tsu/17634624/)
Martin has said she would like her age-related record broken: "I would love for it to be broken. That's the goal, you want people to be able to accomplish the things you accomplished at that age or even younger."[13](https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/marsai-martin-is-paving-the-way-for-the-next-generation-of-black-artists-755274)
## References
1. [Marsai Martin, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621232000)
2. [Marsai Martin on New Movie 'Little', Elle](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a26893844/marsai-martin-little-movie-blackish/)
3. [Marsai Martin Built a Hollywood Career—Now She's Building a Life, Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/marsai-martin-interview/)
4. [Marsai Martin Named Creative Ambassador for 2025 HBCU First LOOK Film Festival, HBCU News](https://hbcunews.com/2025/07/17/marsai-martin-named-creative-ambassador-for-2025-hbcu-first-look-film-festival/)
5. [Marsai Martin on Navigating the Transition From Child Producer to Mogul in the Making, Variety via IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65227759/)
6. [Marsai Martin bio, Hulu Press](https://press.hulu.com/bios/marsai-martin/)
7. [Teen mogul: Marsai Martin on Genius Productions and her new film "Little", CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marsai-martin-the-black-ish-star-on-genius-productions-and-her-new-film-little/)
8. [21 Under 21: Marsai Martin Will Executive Produce and Star in Her Own Movie at 14, Teen Vogue](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/marsai-martin-21-under-21-2018)
9. [Marsai Martin Is Stepping Into Her Action Era, Glamour](https://www.glamour.com/story/marsai-martin-new-film-g20)
10. [NYOTA Rewind: Marsai Martin, NYOTA Magazine](https://nyotamagazine.com/2026/02/10/nyota-rewind-marsai-martin/)
11. [Little Shows Marsai Martin Is a Comedic Star to Watch, TIME](https://time.com/5568323/little-marsai-martin-movie-review/)
12. [How Actress And Producer Marsai Martin Is Using Her Platform To Inspire Young Creatives In Hollywood, Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestheculture/2021/03/15/how-actress-and-producer-marsai-martin-is-using-her-platform-to-inspire-young-creatives-in-hollywood/)
13. [Marsai Martin is Paving the Way for the Next Generation of Black Artists, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/marsai-martin-is-paving-the-way-for-the-next-generation-of-black-artists-755274)
14. [Marsai Martin teaming up with Seeds of Fortune nonprofit, ABC13](https://abc13.com/amp/post/marsai-martin-actress-starred-abcs-black-ish-teaming-seeds-fortune-nonprofit-hosting-event-tsu/17634624/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Child and youth screen performers › Child performers born 2001 to 2010 › Performers born 2001 to 2005*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license