Fan-favorite series Black-ish is gearing up for its eighth and final season, but star Marsai Martin knows “absolutely nothing” about what’s to come from her character, Diane.
“I cannot wait,” the actress, 16, tells J-14 exclusively while promoting her partnership with Invisalign. “We actually film sometime in August, so it is coming soon. I’m looking forward to seeing how they close off this chapter in all of our lives. Diane has grown so much throughout the years, and now, she is just a blossoming teenager.”
Marsai has played the role of Diane since the ABC sitcom premiered in 2014. The Texas native notes that there are “so many things to play around with” when it comes to her character, and she “cannot wait” to step foot back on the Black-ish set.
“I would say my work ethic has definitely changed because of it,” the Little star tells J-14 about how she’s “grown” and “matured” throughout her time on the show. “I’ve learned so much.”
The young star is also excited for fans to be able to hear her voice as the role of Liberty in PAW Patrol: The Movie, which premieres on August 20. “We’ve been been working on that for so long,” Marsai says. “So, I’m really glad that it’s finally out there and people and their kids can finally watch it.”
Aside from her acting projects, Marsai is also gearing up to executive produce the upcoming Disney Channel series Saturdays! While the actress explains that the new show is for “everyone,” she really hopes it helps “our Black girls out there” find their “confidence.”
“I’m so excited for people to see it. It’s basically about a girl named Paris and her family, and it’s just a really fun skating show. I feel like skating is just so underrated in its own way,” Marsai teases. “But also, it’s way deeper than that because our main character has sickle cell, which is also a big thing in our community that never really gets to be spoken on. I’m always down to change the narrative of everyone. This is definitely a unique type of show.”
While Marsai has become known for her Hollywood roles, the actress also uses her platform to inspire others. This is exactly what she was able to accomplish when partnering with Invisalign for their ChangeMakers program.
“My thing has always been to inspire, not only everyone, but especially teens and my age group. This is a really core time where we are just finding ourselves and just trying to understand who we are as people and what makes us happy,” Marsai gushes. “Teaming up with Invisalign, who actually advocates for exactly that, is such a cool partnership, and it just felt right. With the ChangeMakers awards initiative, we are recognizing 100 teens around the ages of 13 to 19 that are bringing smiles and meaningful changes to their communities.”
An Invisalign user herself, Marsai credits the brand for helping with her “self-confidence” as she’s grown up. “As a person, you always want someone that you can relate to. I have Invisalign, the whole brand itself is something that I can relate to,” she shares. “I think it’s just a pretty cool partnership, and it’s definitely something that was a dream and a goal of mine.”
The Invisalign ChangeMakers virtual ceremony airs via the company’s YouTube channel on Saturday, July 10, at 5:00 p.m. PST.
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