If you follow my writing on Entertainment Weekly’s Community blog, you’ll know that I’m a huge black-ish fan. I recap the show regularly for the website and just last week, I was able to talk to Andre Jr. himself, Marcus Scribner!
First, I have to say I was honored to have Scribner’s acting coach, Constance Tillotson, reach out to me personally concerning Scribner after she read my post on why I felt people should watch black-ish, in which I highlight Scribner’s performance. Second, I also have to say how much of a good kid Scribner is. You really do get to see that a lot of what makes Andre Jr. who he is is thanks to Scribner infusing a lot of his personality into the performance.
Here’s a snippet from my interview with Scribner:
It seems like people all across America, regardless of background, can identify withblack-ish. What do you think makes the show so popular?
I think that the show is popular because the dynamic that the actors—me, Tracee, Anthony, Laurence, Miles [Brown] and Marsai [Martin] — the dynamic we have between each other is so real. From the first day, it was like we were a real family, so I think it translates very well to the screen. I think that our relationship has developed so much, that it’s a very relatable family. No matter what race you are, you have people in your family who have done stuff like [the Johnson family].
In a story I wrote for EW Community, I listed the reasons why I think folks should watch black-ish, and I mentioned how Andre Jr. reminded me of my brother and how he relates to the world. Have you had people come up to you and say how they relate to your character or how your character reminds them of someone they know?
Yes, I’ve had multiple people tell me that … I think nowadays, the stereotype of the … black kid is not how it used to be. Now, you’re free to [be culturally interracial]. I think Andre Jr. perpetuates these things in a very awesome way. He’s also seen as a “cool nerd” on TV, and I think that inspires people to be themselves.
Read the rest at Entertainment Weekly! And make sure to check out my black-ish recaps and more at Entertainment Weekly by either clicking here or the “EW Community” button in the sidebar.