Nico Parker and Marsai Martin remind us that when it comes to fulfilling one’s dreams, it’s never too early to start. The duo appear on Teen Vogue‘s latest cover, and we are so inspired!
The two 14-year-olds are both on the edge of major breakthroughs: Martin is the Black-ish star-turned youngest executive producer of a film in history (for the upcoming Little, that she also stars in). Meanwhile, Parker is building on the legacy of her award-winning actress mother Thandie Newton with a co-starring role in Disney’s Tim Burton-directed live action remake of Dumbo, Teen Vogue reports.
Coincidentally, both Marsai and Nico grew up with a similar familiarity with Hollywood and the way the entertainment industry works. She was 10 when she first pitched the idea for the movie to Universal, as a reversal of the Tom Hanks‘ classic Big, which was her mom’s favorite movie at the time. In February 2019, her company, Genius Productions, which she founded in 2017, signed a first-look deal with Universal for her scripted projects, according to Teen Vogue.
Dumbo features Nico as Milly Farrier, an aspiring scientist who sees Dumbo for the magical being he is, instead of as a freak or a series of dollar signs. Milly is both an adventurer and a caring, stabilizing presence for her unstable family; she’s quietly the catalyst for the whole movie’s sequence of events. It’s her and her younger brother’s patience and critical-thinking skills that save Dumbo’s life and the life of his mother.
Marsai shares an important message with the world: “Don’t count the kids out.”
Nico adds, “For young people, it’s often said that we’re always on our phones, and we’re not aware of our surroundings, or of what’s going on in the world, but that’s the complete opposite.”
Photo Credit: Teen Vogue
