Marsai Martin

“I hope to bring fresh ideas to the big screen.”

“One of my mom's favorite movies growing up was 'Big' with Tom Hanks. I thought, 'Oh, OK, what if we do something like that but not like that. Something more modern, with a different perspective, and maybe with an all-black cast.'”

“I wanted other people to see what's in my mind as a young 14-year-old girl because sometimes, when men - or just older people - try to make films from what they think is a kid's perspective, it doesn't come out the right. It's like, 'Ehhh, that's probably not what we would do!'”

“Comedy is one of my favorites, but I also want to get into drama and sci-fi.”

“Outdoors, I have a pool, so I usually swim and stuff. It's usually superhot in California, so we swim.”

“I am so excited for the magic I'll be able to create and produce with Universal.”

“I hope that we always have diversity, that we have equality and representation every step of the way.”

“That's something that I have to work on: Self-confidence and loving myself.”

“It just runs through my family, to be honest. I come from a very big musical, entertainment background.”

“A lot of people will say different stuff like, 'You can't do it.' They'll say no before I even say anything. You just have to believe in yourself, and there's a reason they might say no, because they probably haven't seen it before.”

“If it is something that you are interested in, and it is your passion, then tell your friends, because help is the best thing. If you stay confident, it will happen.”

“Sometimes I go Go Karting. Just regular old kid stuff.”

“You don't have to change who you are for anyone: if you are your regular, authentic, confident self, then you can push to do whatever you want.”