There aren't many shows on network television that use comedy to examine serious and important cultural issues, but ABC's "black-ish" continues to take that approach, which may explain why it's one of the most popular sitcoms on TV. The other reason is it's stellar casting – Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Laurence Fishburne – which clearly extends to the show's youngsters, Marcus Scribner, Yara Shahidi, Miles Brown and Marsai Martin.
Scribner is the obvious stand out among these talented young actors. He plays Anderson's son, Andre Jr., who viewers fell in love with early on in the first season for antics like announcing he wanted a bar mitzvah for his 13th birthday just because the rest of his classmates were having them. To a non-Jewish black family, the request came as quite a shock and made for great comedy. Scribner says he's happy the producers didn't stop there with the quirky character that slipping into is like second nature.
"It's a really cool experience, because me and Andre Jr. are very similar in many ways. We both like video games, we're both pretty nerdy. I would say. But then, at the same time, we're very different," Scribner said. "He has a different sense of style – even though we both carry the same level of swag. It's just really cool to be able to play Andre Jr. on TV because I know he's very similar to a lot of kids in real life that are maybe just a little bit nerdy. He shows them that it's OK – that it's cool to be nerdy."
When Scribner was about 7 years old, he and his mom both knew he needed a hobby to keep him busy. While he was decent athlete, he didn't enjoy them as much as most boys his age. The alternative? Acting classes.
"I fell in love with it from the first day," the 16-year-old actor told HNGN in an exclusive interview. "I continued to go to those classes, worked on my craft, went to repeated auditions and finally landed a decently large role when I was 9 years old as a guest star on ‘Castle.' That then led me to ‘black-ish,' and here I am now, talking to you!"
Scribner is currently a sophomore in high school and attending a home school program called Laurel Springs that allows him to juggle his education and the demands of a full-time acting gig.
"It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun at the same time. I really enjoy it because I'm getting to do what I love every single day, which is acting," he explained. "It was definitely difficult [doing both] in the beginning because it was a new experience for me, but I think at this point I've got the hang of being able to allocate special amounts of time for school and getting all my work in on time. The set also does a great job at allowing us to get enough time to do school work. Definitely difficult to juggle, but once you do it for a little bit, you get it down pat."
Falling into character so soon into the first season is something Scribner credits to the show's writers and most of it's adult stars. "It's a blast working with them because they teach me so much," he said. "I've learned so much about comedic timing, how to read minds in specific situations, little body language things that you can do to portray what you mean but not really say it; just a lot of small, minor things that have helped me to improve my game overall. It's just a blessing getting to watch such talented actors perform and do what they love to do while I get to do what I love to do."
When asked whom he looks up to the most as an actor, he couldn't help but gush over his very own co-stars Jennifer Lewis and Fishburne. "I'm blessed to work with my biggest role models every single day. I mean, I have Lewis and Fishburne on set to learn from, how much better could you get?" he said. "It's crazy. They give me so much advice on the business and acting tips. It's just a blessing and really cool to get to work with them."
In addition to the cast, what Scribner says drew him to the show was the way it uses comedy to highlight family life and social issues.
"I read the script and immediately I was like, 'Whoever wrote this is a comedic genius,' " he explained. "Throughout every single audition that I went to, my mom kept saying, ‘It's like they have a camera in our house! That's exactly how your dad acts!' So just reading the script I thought it related well to my family, and I was excited because the script was hilarious. But then, to have it broadcasted on television and have it be so well-received by so many other families around the world, it's crazy. To have people come up to me and tell me that my character reminds them so much of their son or of themselves, it's just crazy."
The show was recently nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Scribner was also nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for the second year in a row – a huge accomplishment for someone his age.
"That is just one of the greatest blessings I've ever received in my entire life," he said. "To go against the caliber of African American actors, and just actors in general who go to the NAACP and are nominated, it's just ridiculous. I never thought I would be here. I always aspired to be here, but it's just surreal being in this moment right now."
Scribner says being nominated for such an award serves as a reminder about just how big of an influence he can be to kids his age and to aspiring actors. Asked what advice he'd give kids trying to get into the business, Scribner says he thinks youngsters should always "follow what you believe and keep pursuing your dream."
"It doesn't matter if you keep going to auditions and don't book any roles, because if you really love acting, just keep practicing your craft, and going to acting classes. Heck – just read scripts and study by yourself. Keep following what you want to do because eventually all that hard work will pay off. You might book a big role, you might book a small role, but at least you're doing what you love. Also, give back to other people. That's something else I think is really important."
Scribner has done his fair share of giving back and has become heavily involved with the Beaches Resorts/Sandals Foundation. With the Beaches Resorts/Sandals Foundation , he's traveled to places like Turks and Caicos where he read to children and brought them school supplies, but there's a lot more to come with this organization.
"There's a big announcement that's going to be coming up this year, so stay tuned because I'm really excited and pumped for it," he said, careful to give nothing away. "I just think it's an extremely amazing foundation that is close to my heart. It's just been a blessing to get to work with them."
Scribner also dose volunteer work for Animal Tracks Inc., an organization that takes care of exotic animals. "It's really amazing getting to work with some of the animals there," he said. "They also have a program where young kids can come and learn how to respect animals that are on this planet, and they can learn how to take care of their own animals if they have a dog or cat. It is just a really great organization."
Later this year, Scribner will head to Jamaica with the Beaches Resorts/Sandals Foundation to visit a huge wildlife reserve, and he will continue to work with Animal Tracks. Beyond that he hints about some projects he can't talk about yet but knows will also be well-received.
"Maybe some movies and feature films, stuff like that – but I don't want to spoil anything!" he laughs. "I'm super pumped for these projects, and I hope that everyone else really enjoys them because they have to do with animals too!"
Can it possibly get any better for Scribner? Not as far as he's concerned. He's already learned to live in the moment and enjoy the ride.
