Marsai Martin is no stranger to breaking ground. From stealing scenes on Black-ish at age 10 to making Hollywood history as the youngest studio film producer by 14, she has been on a steady climb. Now, at 20, she enters her most thrilling chapter yet. In G20, Prime Video’s high-stakes action thriller, Martin trades comedy for chaos as Serena Sutton, the whip-smart teenage daughter of the U.S. President, played by none other than Viola Davis.

For Martin, this role was a major switch and a welcome one. “I’m used to being the sassy, quick-witted character,” she says. “But Serena is emotionally challenged, layered. That’s what really pulled me in.” Serena is not your average First Kid. She’s a rebellious hacker who bends firewalls to sneak out of the White House, but when terrorists strike during a global summit, her skills become the key to survival.

Working alongside Davis was more than just a bucket-list moment, it was a masterclass for the young actor. “Miss Viola didn’t demand respect, she just had it,” Martin says. “Even the smallest changes she made to the script had a huge impact. That power was magnetic.” The mother-daughter bond between their characters adds an emotional anchor to a film packed with deep-fakes, diplomatic danger, and the terrifying potential of AI.

Martin’s own sharpness extends far beyond the screen. She’s building an empire with Genius Entertainment, developing everything from fantasy adaptations like Amari and the Night Brothers to more stories rooted in Black excellence..

That mix of playfulness and purpose is what defines her. She’s faced cancellation (Saturdays lasted just one season), industry resistance, and the harsh truths of navigating Hollywood as a young Black woman. Still, she’s pressing forward. “I’ve learned what it takes to be a legend,” she says. “The key is to choose yourself.”

In G20, she does just that. Standing beside Davis and Anthony Anderson (her former Black-ish TV dad), Martin does not just hold her own, she shines. In a film where the world is on fire, it’s the family dynamic that keeps the story grounded. And in that fire, Marsai Martin proves she is no longer a prodigy anymore but a powerhouse.

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