Marsai Martin

“I don't want to be known as just an actress. I want to be known as an entertainer and entrepreneur.”

“The more comfortable you are, the more confident you are - in how you say your lines or how you perform in a certain scene - because you're working with great people who will watch over you and won't let you down.”

“My goal is to show young women and girls that our voices and ideas matter, and you are never too young to dream big!”

“I would say I was, I guess, a toddler when I actually found my passion because, when I was little, I used to mimic all these movies and sing all this music that you wouldn't think a toddler would know. I would think my passion just started there, and it just grew with me.”

“I see myself directing, writing, doing my own TV shows and movies.”

“I just want to keep making my family proud.”

“My parents took a chance and sacrificed their jobs and a big move to California. And they were like, 'Are you sure you want to do this? We're literally packing up this whole house.' And I would always say, 'Yeah.' I'm six years old. And they were like, 'OK, if she wants to do this and this is her passion, then let's do it.'”

“My parents and I always look at movies and just think, 'What's missing?' from the plot to the people of color or diversity in general.”

“I would always thank my parents in everything I do because they sacrificed everything for me to do what I love.”

“I don't miss public school.”

“It's people who look like me, just seeing representation of everyone. I didn't get that when I was young. I only saw one black girl that was on a Disney show, that was known for being the sassy, coocoo, that type of girl.”

“The audience will understand something that's very authentic, and that's all that I want to create.”

“I usually go home and go to sleep; that's what I do for fun.”

“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 any time and if that it is their passion, they will tell you.”

“It's very rare to have an amazing cast who supports you and loves you for anything you do in the future.”

“That's the point I'm trying to get across in 'Little': Kids can do anything, and that's how adults need to see things, too.”

“I've always been interested in directing, writing, and producing, so when I went behind the scenes, it was like a whole new world that I got to experience.”

“It doesn't matter if you're 4 or 84; there's no age limit to what you can do.”

“There's a bunch of stuff I want to act in and also create.”

“I want to get to the point where I can retire at 21, and my whole family is proud of me. That's the goal in everything that I do.”