The ’90s brought with them the golden age for Black sitcoms, including but not limited to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, A Different World, and Martin. In fact, Martin was so popular that when it aired, it drew traffic away from NBC’s powerhouse Thursday night lineup to Fox. The show followed the titular character Martin, who works as a DJ for a fictional Detroit radio station. Each episode would reveal Martin and his friends in some ridiculous situation or the other. With the show’s recent reunion episode, Martin: The Reunion, release, there’s no better time than now to take a look at what the cast of Martin is up to now.
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6 Shawn McDermott (Jonathan Gries)
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Jonathan Gries portrayed Martin’s co-worker, Shawn, at the WZUP radio station. The quirky, yet lovable engineer was present during the earlier seasons, but had eventually been eased out. Gries has played a variety of roles after Martin, but he’s most well-known for his portrayal of Uncle Rio in Napoleon Dynamite. Due to this, Jonathan has been nominated in the past for the Best Supporting Male in the Independent Spirit Award.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Other popular works that the actor was part of included The Pretender (1996-2000), The Monster Squad (1987), Running Scared (1986), Real Genius (1985), Dream Corp LLC (2016-2020), and The White Lotus (2021-present). Gries dipped his toes into the gaming industry when he voiced Sheriff Clive Skurky in Hitman: Absolution (2012). In addition to showcasing talent in front of a camera, Gries seems just as talented behind the camera. He’s directed multiple music videos over the years including Long Gone Dead (1989) by Flies on Fire, Pay Ya Dues (1989) by Low Profile, and Cracked (2006) by Mere Mortals.
5 Tommy (Thomas Mikal Ford)
Thomas Mikal Ford portrayed the level-headed Tommy, who was always at Martin’s side through thick and thin. The reunion of Martin displayed a somber tone when remembering Ford, as the actor passed away in 2016 from a ruptured abdominal aneurysm. The actor left behind an impressive portfolio of work, including his portrayal of Mel Parker in The Parkers (1999-2001) and Lt. Malcolm Barker in New York Undercover (1998-1999). Other notable works include Class Act (1992), Harlem Nights (1989), and Against the Law (1997). Apart from his career as an actor, Ford spent quite a lot of his time trying to inspire and empower children. He wrote two inspirational books for children, Positive Attitude and I Am Responsible for Me. He also directed a documentary on bullying titled Through My Lens Atl, and it aired the year Ford passed away.
4 Cole (Carl Anthony Payne)
Carl Anthony Payne captured the hearts of fans through his portrayal of Cole, who might not be the smartest person but is one of the most loyal of Martin’s friends. Payne was already popular thanks to his role as Cockroach on The Cosby Show; his role in Martin further increased his popularity. Some noteworthy projects that Payne worked on over the years include Rock Me Baby (2003-2004), George Lopez (2002-2003), and The Game (2012). One of Payne’s more recent projects is Nickelodeon’s Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan (2020-2022). In addition, the actor has made appearances in multiple music videos including Bobby Brown’s Girl Next Door (1987) and Mint Condition’s Walk On (2011). Payne has also taken the reins behind the camera by directing the upcoming Strange Love and producing the TV series Last Call (2019).
3 Pam (Tichina Arnold)
Even before her role as the rational and straight-to-the-point Pam in Martin, Tichina Arnold was already a well-known actress in Hollywood. She began her career as a child actress in Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and How I Got into College (1989). She also already had Emmy nominations for her work in Ryan’s Hope (1987-1989) and All My Children (1990-1991). Over the years, the actress has been able to maintain a steady flow of work. Some of her most memorable works include One on One (2001-2005), Everybody Hates Christmas (2005-2006), Happily Divorced (2011-2013), and Survivor’s Remorse (2014-2017).
She’s even won two awards for her role in Everybody Hates Christmas; TV - Choice Parental Unit at the Teen Choice Award 2006 and Outstanding Actress in Comedy Series at the 2006 Image Awards. Arnold has also been part of the main cast of CBS’s sitcom The Neighborhood since 2018. The fifth season of the series premiered recently in September 2022.
2 Gina (Tisha Campbell)
Much like Arnold, Tisha Campbell was already well-known in the industry when she was cast for her role as Martin’s longtime girlfriend Gina. The actress appeared alongside her co-star Arnold in Little Shop of Horrors (1986). Other earlier appearances included Rags to Riches (1987-1988), School Daze (1988), Rooftop (1989), Boomerang (1992), and Another 48 Hrs (1990). Later, Campbell appeared in a variety of movies and TV series including My Wife & Kids (2001-2005), All of Us (2004-2006), The Protector (2011), Dr. Ken (2015-2017), and Empire (2018-2019). Campbell also received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Jay in My Wife & Kids. Not only is Campbell a remarkable actress, but she’s also an incredibly skilled singer. She released her debut album, Tisha, in 1992 and recently released the single, 22 Summers in 2019.
1 Martin (Martin Lawrence)
Much like Arnold and Campbell, Martin Lawrence already had his career in the entertainment industry established. He was a well-known comedian and had already appeared in What’s Happening Now! (1987-1988) and House Party (1990). While Lawrence enjoyed quite a lot of popularity due to Martin, the filming for the final season was a little bumpy. In 1997, Campbell accused Lawrence of sexual harassment and verbal assault. Campbell eventually settled, but over the years, Lawrence has had quite a lot of trouble with the law, including multiple arrests. Despite the trouble, Lawrence was able to maintain a successful career through his role in the Bad Boys Franchise (1995, 2003, 2020). Other noteworthy projects include Big Momma’s House (2000), Black Knight (2001), Open Season (2006), and Wild Hogs (2007). Lawrence’s most recent project is his role as Jake Doyle in the upcoming mystery thriller film Mindcage (2022).
