Tisha Campbell had every reason to say no to“Martin.”She had just signed a 13-episode deal with ABC, which meant a guaranteed paycheck and zero risk. Meanwhile,“Martin”had nothing but a pilot episode. Then Martin Lawrence asked her a question that changed everything:“Where do you live?”He showed up at her mother’s house to make his case in person, because he was that determined to have her play Gina.
Campbell shared the story on the“Taboo’s Comics&Kicks”podcast, admitting she was torn about giving up the ABC money. But she said God kept telling her,“You got to go with Martin.”She followed that feeling, took the leap, and the rest is sitcom history.
“Martin”went on to run 132 episodes from 1992 to 1997, and it’s still airing in syndication today. Not bad for a show that only had a pilot when the pitch went down. So we have to ask: what’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken on a dream, and did it pay off?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.