If there’s one person who knows all about the art of perseverance, it’s writer and director Little Marvin. He has been in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, but it wasn’t until 2021 that he got his first major break. His new anthology series, Them, was recently released on Amazon Prime and it’s already getting lots of great reviews. Focused on a Black family who moves to Compton during the 1950s and quickly begins having creepy supernatural experiences, the show also focuses on racism and the hatred that it fuels. The show has already been renewed for a second season and fans are just as excited to see what’s next as they are to learn about the man behind the series. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Little Marvin.
1. He Has Some Acting Experience
Little Marvin is going a great job of making a name for himself behind the camera, but he also has some experience in front of it. According to his IMDB page, he has two acting credits, both for projects released in 2001. We haven’t found anything to indicate that he plans to do any more acting in the future.
2. He Is Black And Indian
So far, Little Marvin has been fairly private about his personal life, but it appears that he is originally from California. He was born to an Indian mother and a Black-American father. In an Instagram post dedicated to his mother, Marvin wrote, “I can’t help but think about my mama. her name is Kamal. an Indian woman. an immigrant. a mother who raised two sons who are Black and Indian. the hardest worker I know.”
3. His Dad Was In The NBA
Little Marvin’s father, Marvin Safford, was a talented basketball player who earned more than 2,000 points in his high school career. He went on to play at the University of Southern California and was eventually drafted to play for the Portland Trail Blazers. Marvin eventually fell on hard times which lead him to drug addiction and a prison stint, but he appears to have worked hard to get his life back on track.
4. He Is Gay
Coming out of the closet isn’t an easy thing for a lot of people to do and Little Marvin knows this from personal experience. Little Marvin is an openly gay man and an all-around proud member of the LGBT community and he has used his platform to show his support for LGBTQ rights. From what we can tell, Little Marvin does not appear to be in a relationship.
5. He Loves Music
The TV industry may be where he’s built his career, but music is also a very big part of Little Marvin’s life. During an interview with Essense, he said, ” I am a music head myself and music is everything to me. It’s everything to me in life, just in general, but it’s everything to me in cinema. I can’t divorce some of my favorite scenes and some of my favorite films from the music, from the soundtracks, and the score. It’s the pulse of a great scene.”
6. He Studied Theater
Being in the entertainment industry is something that Little Marvin always envisioned for himself. An article on BackStage.com mentions that he earned a college degree in theater, however, we weren’t able to find any information on where he went to school or when he graduated.
7. He’s Always Loved Scary Movies
Creating a horror series seemed like a natural opportunity for Little Marvin as he has loved the genre for as long as he can remember. He told SciFi Bulletin, “I’ve been a lifelong lover of horror and genre and thrillers and domestic thrillers since I was a child. Movies of William Friedkin and De Palma and Kubrick and Hitchcock, these are the movies I grew up just loving and respecting the craft of.”
8. He Has Some Very Special Words Of Advice
Although we all have timelines in our heads for when we hope to accomplish our goals, sometimes life has other plans. Little Marvin has learned this time and time again throughout his journey. Despite wanting to give up at times, he always managed to find the strength to keep going. Not only does he encourage people to go after what they want, but he also encourages them to be kind to themselves in the process.
9. He Worked In Marketing
Little Marvin’s road to success has been full of lots of twists and turns. After finishing college, he ended up working in the marketing industry for several years. However, he knew that his heart was always in entertainment. He eventually decided to quit his job so that he could pursue a career in TV.
10. His Show Got A Shoutout From Stephen King
Stephen King is one of the biggest names in horror. So you can only imagine how Little Marvin felt when Them earned a shoutout from the man himself. In a tweet, King wrote, “Amazon Prime Video: THEM, starting tomorrow. The first episode scared the hell out of me, and I’m hard to scare. Bonus: If you’ve never seen a bunch of extremely creepy white ladies in 50s dresses, here’s your chance.”
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