Quotes from Marsai Martin

My parents would watch movies like 'Big' and 'Freaky Friday,' and I wanted to see that kind of story told from an African-American angle. So I had the idea for 'Little,' and then I told my parents, and we all fleshed it out together.

Everyone thinks you have to grow up to know who you are, but kids already know who we are. The world just beats it out of us.

I think now I get to create and inspire more young black girls to continue doing what they love and reach for the stars.

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.

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

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

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.

I used to be the shy kid who would barely raise her hand or speak her mind.

Growing up, I didn't have any inspirations.

At a very young age, when I was a baby, I used to mimic all of these movies, like 'Dreamgirls' and 'Ray,' the type of movies you wouldn't think a little kid would know. But my parents thought I was great.

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

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

Believe in yourself. Push to your highest limit.

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

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!'

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

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

We need more of those characters that lead by example for people coming up next to us.

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

My parents always told me I could do anything, so I never had limits on what I could or couldn't do.

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.