Marsai Martin on Dragons Rescue Riders & Blowing Up on TikTok

Hi, how are you?

Good, you look great.

Thank you, thank you, so do you. Can we talk about Dragons Rescue Riders today? Are you excited that it's out?

I'm excited. I'm excited for sure. Mostly because I feel like I've been working on Rescue Riders for such a long time, so I am very excited to bring this one piece out to you guys.

Do you, um, like the sound of your own voice when you watch it?

Um, it depends. I mean when it's, when it's animated, it's a little bit different, um, but I mean when it does come to like different interviews or videos I have to play back to like hear what I'm saying. Yeah. That's a little. Yeah.

Did you get to record any of the series with your other castmates like in person or was it all not with them?

Oh yeah, for sure. I think um, when it came to Rescue Riders, sometimes we would have group sessions. This was definitely before the pandemic. And then after I would do like different solo ones and then we would like do like episodes from there. Yeah. Um, but like we would like mix and match it sometimes. Yeah, totally.

And do you talk to them now that it's out about it, do you text, do you FaceTime, DM?

Um, surprisingly no. I think we usually have a very good time when we're all together, so um.

You're busy.

Yeah and then I know all of us have busy schedules so. Yeah.

Did you have any say into how you looked as a dragon? Like did you decide the red or anything with producers or you just were that dragon?

No, it actually just fit perfectly. I think uh, the way that my dragon is Aggro, it just made sense. You know, they were like, oh, we have this thing for you and it looks like this and, you know, she has this type of attitude and I'm like, okay, bet. So it it definitely just matched my vibe so there was really no say so. For sure.

What, what do you think was your like most iconic line or your favorite one to say?

Ooh. Wait I have to think about that. I'm not all the way sure. I feel like everything Aggro says is pretty, pretty iconic.

You're funny, like it's funny.

Pretty funny so. So I mean there's a lot of things I say that uh, really gets me sometimes.

Do you relate to the dragon in real life?

Oh, for sure. Um, I feel like Aggro just doesn't take no mess. Yeah. Especially when it comes to like her friends and her like inner circle. With me, I, I love my family so much and my friends and when it comes to them, I don't really play that, I don't really take no mess. So if I could breathe fire like Aggro, I probably would. Yeah. For sure.

And also, so you're, you're a producer yourself. Like what if you could create your own animated series, what animated series do you think you'd want to create?

Ooh. It's going to sound so funny, but I have a little sister and her name is Sydney and she is like one of the most, like, she's been here before. Even though she's five, she's been here in this world before. So I would definitely make a animated series based on my sister. Yeah, that'd be so.

Do you know a title?

I have no idea. Um. It, it would, I don't know, I really don't know. She's actually good at titles too, like. Yeah. She'd help out. So she could probably make it up. Yeah.

And you're super close to your family, so how is it, how do they react to when they see every project you have out and all your videos?

Ooh, um, I mean they're always so supportive and um, it, it really depends. I think with my inner circle it's a little different than my outer circle. So like I have a bunch of family in Texas so when I go over there back home, they ask so many questions like, how do they feel to work with this person? Right. Um, it's a little different but I enjoy it either way. I think with when it comes to my parents and even my sister, like they already know what's up cause they're usually behind the scenes with me, so it's like, you know, this is, this is normal life, you know. Yeah. We're just, we're just living in it so. Yeah.

And when you do go back to Texas because you moved at a young age to LA and have been busy ever since, do you, what do you like to do there? Like do you like to not be on social media? Do you like to just chill, maybe like be on social media? What's it like going back to Texas knowing like you're killing it in LA?

Ooh, um, I usually am not on social media often. Um, yeah. I think when it, when it comes to me being here in LA onset all the time, you know, it's, it's a little, it's, it's just different energy. So when I when I go back home, I just want to make sure I'm kinda off of everything and I'm just having the feeling of being back home because I don't get that feeling often unfortunately cause I'm always here working. So when I'm there I, I like to like have my focus on my family and spending time with them so.

And speaking of social media, you're a TikTok queen. You're so good at TikTok.

Thank you, that is like the third, like third or fourth time someone has said that like this week. I'm like, really?

Yes. Your TikToks are so good plus the one you posted recently where you like backed up that one, the 27 million one.

Look, I had no idea it was going to be like that. I usually post stuff and then I just turn off my phone and like not look at it again. Yeah. And then I saw my, my best friend sent me a duet. Everyone dueted that. Everyone. Everyone like sent me like a duet with uh, with someone's mom being like. Yes, yes, the ones where they say the voice thing. What are they like. They're like wait what? And that's what made me look and it was like I something million views. I was like, wait what? Yeah.

Do you love making your TikToks though? Like cause it seems like you're just literally doing it for fun.

I'm just I'm just doing it for fun. You know, there's you know, there's certain times when um, there's different platforms that come in that's like really strictly business and then when it comes to TikTok, that's something that I literally just downloaded for fun so. Right. Every time I put something up it's like, you know, it's something that I've just genuinely wanted to do right then and there. Yeah. And yeah, I like to keep it that way.

That's so cute. Okay, we have a game.

Oh we have a game? Okay. Yeah. I like games.

So it's this or that. So there's two scenarios and you're going to pick which one you prefer.

Okay. Sounds good.

There's some trick questions too, so you're going to be stumped. Okay, to start easy, text or FaceTime.

Um, it depends on the person but mostly text.

Text. Okay, got you. Are you the type to pick up FaceTime calls though? Like will you pick them up, will you decline them?

I am the type. Yeah. No I, I am the type to pick up FaceTime calls. Um, I love I love talking and having like random conversations, but when it comes to texting, I can do that anywhere. Yeah. If I'm in the shower, I'm not going to FaceTime you. Yeah. If I'm like just chilling, I'm probably not going to like, you know. Yeah.

I got you. Um, black-ish or Dragon Rescue Riders?

Wait. I said there were trick questions. Um. Oh, well. We're doing press for Rescue Riders so I feel like that's the right thing to say. But I mean I'm both in it so they're, they're pretty, they're pretty cool.

Pretty equal.

Pretty equal.

We can we'll let you choose both. Um, simp or finesser? You're more of the simp type or you're not bothered?

Uh, I'm a finesser. Heavy. Heavy, heavy. Because if I simp for anyone, it's it's um, it's something going on cuz I barely do it. I finesser. Yeah.

Do you think Aggro would be a simp?

No. No. I think that. I we're probably, we're definitely the same wavelength. That makes sense.

Um, memes of you or memes of someone else?

Memes of someone else. But I love when people send me like different videos or photos of me like they just send different memes. I'm not going to send one of myself. I probably just send my actual face at that very moment. Yeah. But um, no, I, I like doing different memes. I love it.

Um, read lines with yourself or read lines with someone else?

Ooh, um, read lines with myself. I I have this different method where like I'll, I'll put on my voice memos the other person's lines. Yeah. And then I'll just be talking to myself. So I I've been doing that for years, so I'm very used to that.

And then when you found out that you got Rescue Riders, where were you, what were you doing?

Ooh, I don't. I really, I genuinely don't remember. It was a long time ago. I've been I've been working on Rescue Riders I feel like like four years or something. Yeah. It was.

That's a long time.

It was a long time ago, so I I don't remember.

Oh my gosh. So when when did you hear that it was going to finally come out? Like yourself?

Ooh, um. Hmm. That is another question I don't know. I think. Yeah, I don't I do not remember.

At least it's finally out. Do you think your voice changed?

Oh, yes, for sure. My voice, my voice definitely changed. Every time I go into like a session, I ask like, hey, so what did my voice sound like before? Yeah.

And to copy that and luckily with Aggro I started out with already having a deep voice, like have one. So when I grew up to actually have like some type of maturity to my voice, it it kinda matched, so it was good. Yeah.

And then go to bed early or stay up late?

Ooh, uh, go to bed early if it's just me, stay up late if I'm like really with my friends. But that only goes so far. Like I'll I'll I'll still go to sleep at like 9:30 when my friends are here. Yeah.

Uh, find my friends or Snap Maps if you use Snap.

Ooh, uh, I don't use Snap. So I guess.

There you go. So yeah. And then TikTok or Instagram? Last one.

Um. Like you said, two very different uses. Two very different uses so I'd say TikTok. I I I'd say TikTok, yeah. Yeah.

And overall, if you could describe the series like in your own words in one word or we'll do three, you can do three words. How would you describe Dragon Rescue Riders in three words?

Ooh, I would say, Hmm. I'm so bad at these. Let me see, energetic. Um. Wild. I would say like wild stories, like. But I just wild and. Hmm. And unique. I don't really think there's a lot of shows like Rescue Riders uh, that shows like a family unit in that way where it comes to dragons and the two pairs of siblings, so. Yeah.

Yeah. And how does it feel to be a part of the Dragon series?

It feels awesome and the whole cast is super sweet and amazing and it's so funny getting a script uh, from Rescue Riders because it's something totally different all the time. So um, no, I think it's really fun and I also love when my sister watches it because she loves the series. So that always makes me proud.

Does she say anything to you like, oh my gosh like, like what does she say about it when she hears your voice? Like does she talk to you about it actively or just kinda enjoys it?

She just enjoys it. She already knows that it's me and she knows that uh, she knows my career pretty well. Shockingly. Yeah. Like, oh, you were, you were Liberty and Paw Patrol. You're Aggro in Dragons. Like we already know this stuff so. Yeah. She actually kinda. She be telling her uh, classmates at her school. You know. And I don't know how to act sometimes. I'm making it proud. I love it.

And what's one thing that you're looking forward to like in 2021? Or something that's coming up in 2022.

I'm looking forward to probably filming the movies that we've been working on for so long back in full in 2022. I think, uh, now that black-ish has ended, it's very bitter sweet but I think for everyone it's moving on to new chapters and seeing what's next for everyone. So I I'm looking forward to seeing how my life turns without, you know, you know what I mean. So. Yeah. We'll see. And I turn 18. I turn 18 next year, so it's like.

You're legal.

Yes, I'm legal. So we're going to see what 2022 has for me. I have a feeling it's going to be good. I have a feeling it's going to be good.

Me too. Me too. Well, thank you so much for the best.

Thank you. Have a, have a good day and have a, happy holidays.