Tisha Campbell Almost Turned Down 'Martin' Until Martin Lawrence Showed Up at Her Mom's House

Tisha Campbell was this close to never playing Gina Waters Payne. Before“Martin”became one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s, Campbell had already secured a 13-episode commitment on an ABC pilot. That guaranteed paycheck made the“Martin”role look like a gamble she wasn’t sure she wanted to take.

Martin Lawrence had other plans. According to Campbell, he called her and insisted on coming to her house to make his pitch in person, saying,“Nah, nah, I’m coming over to your house. Where do you live?”He showed up at her mother’s house, made his case, and Campbell decided to walk away from“a lot of money”to take the risk. She said God kept telling her,“You got to go with Martin.”

That leap of faith changed everything.“Martin”premiered in 1992, ran for more than 130 episodes, and remains a syndication staple decades later. Gina and Martin became one of the most recognizable couples in TV history, and the show’s influence still shows up in comedy today. It’s a reminder that sometimes the scary choice is the right one.

What’s a risk you took that ended up changing everything for you? Tell us in the comments.