59 Fun Facts About Martin (TV Show)

On which network did Martin air from 1992 to 1997?

Fox aired all five seasons of Martin, from the August 27, 1992 premiere to the May 1, 1997 series finale.

What is the first name of Mama Payne, Martin's mother, whom Lawrence also plays?

Edna 'Mama' Payne is Martin's overbearing mother, one of several characters Lawrence plays in drag; she dotes on Martin and constantly belittles Gina.

What is the name of the talk show Martin ends up hosting in later seasons?

Word on the Street was the local television talk show Martin hosted in the show's later seasons, once his radio career ended.

Who plays Martin's girlfriend and later wife, Gina Waters?

She had already starred opposite Lawrence in House Party (1990) and later played Jay Kyle on My Wife and Kids.

Who plays Pam James, Gina's sharp-tongued best friend?

Tichina Arnold went on to play Rochelle on Everybody Hates Chris and Tina Butler on The Neighborhood.

Which actor plays Cole Brown?

Before Cole he was Theo Huxtable's friend Cockroach on The Cosby Show.

Which actor plays Tommy Strawn?

Ford died in 2016 aged 52 from a ruptured aneurysm; the 2022 reunion special was dedicated to him.

What is the running joke about Tommy?

He always alludes to being employed but never says where, prompting the immortal 'Tommy, you ain't got no job!'

What does Cole do for a living?

He is proud of it, and he still lives with his mother Maddie for most of the run.

Who owns and founded radio station WZUP?

He is played by Garrett Morris, the first Black cast member of Saturday Night Live, and is written as a walking 1970s wardrobe.

Which former Saturday Night Live original cast member plays WZUP's owner?

Garrett Morris, an original 1975 Saturday Night Live cast member, plays the station owner; after Morris was shot in a 1994 robbery attempt, his character was written out for a stretch.

On Martin, what business does Sheneneh Jenkins, played by Martin Lawrence in drag, run?

A hair salon: Sheneneh's Sho' Nuff Hair Salon, where she and her girls hold court between her running feuds with Pam and Gina.

Where does Sheneneh live in relation to Martin's apartment?

Sheneneh lives across the hallway from Martin's apartment, so most of her scenes begin as ambushes launched from her own doorway.

Bruh-Man says he lives on which floor, while holding up four fingers?

Bruh-Man, played by Reginald Ballard, always says he is 'from the fifth flo'' while holding up four fingers, then lets himself in through Martin's window.

Which comedian plays Hustle Man, the street peddler who can get you anything?

Tracy Morgan plays Hustle Man, the street peddler who can get you anything; Morgan held the recurring role from 1994 to 1996 before joining Saturday Night Live.

What is Hustle Man's trademark greeting?

'What's happenin', chief?' is how Hustle Man greets Martin before every pitch for some questionable product or service.

Which Lawrence character is a self-styled martial arts expert who gets beaten up in nearly every appearance?

Dragonfly Jones runs a storefront dojo and bills himself a martial arts master, yet every demonstration ends with him flat on the mat.

Jerome, another Lawrence creation, is described as what?

Jerome is a faded Detroit pimp, an aging player in loud suits and gold chains who spends most of his screen time trying to woo Pam.

What job does Ol' Otis hold?

Ol' Otis is a crotchety old security guard, forever in uniform and forever abrasive, one of Lawrence's most frequently recurring alter egos.

Elroy Preston is billed as the forgotten 'Godfather' of what?

Elroy Preston bills himself the forgotten 'Godfather of Black surf music', a washed-up guitarist who breaks into song at the slightest provocation.

What is the name of the bar that serves as the gang's regular hangout?

Nipsey's Lounge is the neighbourhood bar where Martin, Tommy and Cole hold court; bartender Nipsey is played by Sean Lampkin.

How many episodes of Martin were produced?

Martin produced 132 episodes over five seasons: 27 in each of the first four seasons and 24 in the last.

What was the title of the pilot episode, aired August 27, 1992?

'Beauty and the Beast' was the series premiere: Gina hears Martin playing the on-air womaniser for his radio listeners and calls him on it.

Which real boxer gets trash-talked by Martin, then surprises him in the ring, in 'Guard Your Grill'?

The 'Hitman' was a celebrity judge at a charity bout Martin had just won.

In 'Blow, Baby, Blow', which rapper asks Martin to help find a new background vocalist?

The Notorious B.I.G. plays himself in 'Blow, Baby, Blow', one of the show's many rap guest spots; Biggie died in March 1997, weeks before the series finale aired.

In 'Headin' for Trouble', Gina gets her head stuck in what?

Gina's head gets wedged between the bars of a brass bed headboard; the gang's attempts to free her make up one of the show's most famous set pieces.

Which real-life event explains Gina's absence for much of the final season?

She settled and returned for the last two episodes on condition that she share no scenes with him; the two have since reconciled.

In Martin's series finale, 'California, Here We Come', Martin and Gina move to which city for his talk show?

Los Angeles, for a national deal on Martin's talk show and a promotion for Gina; Cole tries to propose to Shanise on the way out.

Which comedian plays talk-show rival Varnell Hill?

Nearly 30 years later the character got his own spin-off, The Varnell Hill Show.

On which streaming service did the 2022 reunion special Martin: The Reunion premiere?

Martin: The Reunion premiered on BET+ on June 16, 2022, reuniting Lawrence, Campbell, Arnold and Payne 25 years after the series finale.

At which 2024 ceremony did the surviving cast reunite on stage?

At the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, held January 15, 2024 after strike delays, Lawrence, Campbell, Arnold and Payne presented from a recreation of Martin's apartment.

Where was Martin Lawrence born?

Martin Lawrence was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, on April 16, 1965, where his father was serving in the U.S. military; the family later settled in Landover, Maryland.

Which HBO stand-up series did Martin Lawrence host in the early 1990s?

Martin Lawrence hosted Def Comedy Jam on HBO from its 1992 debut, the Russell Simmons-produced showcase that launched a generation of Black comics.

Which 1989 Spike Lee film gave Lawrence his breakthrough role as Cee?

Do the Right Thing (1989) cast Lawrence as Cee, one of the corner kids in Spike Lee's Bed-Stuy; it was his first film role.

Why was Martin Lawrence banned from NBC for a time in 1994?

The February 19, 1994 monologue was cut from reruns and he did not host the show again.

On which Starz series did Tichina Arnold play matriarch Cassie Calloway?

Survivor's Remorse, the Starz comedy-drama executive-produced by LeBron James, starred Tichina Arnold as Cassie Calloway from 2014 to 2017.

Before playing Cole, the actor Carl Payne was known as which Cosby Show character?

Walter 'Cockroach' Bradley was Theo Huxtable's best friend.

What is the name of the white, scatterbrained producer of Martin's radio show in the first two seasons?

Shawn McDermott is the hapless white producer of Martin's radio show in seasons one and two, forever the target of Martin's on-air ribbing.

Bob, one of Lawrence's white characters, is employed where?

Bob works at Gina's marketing firm, a white co-worker Lawrence plays with a surfer-meets-redneck drawl and a permanent grin.

In which 1986 film musical did Campbell and Arnold appear together as chorus girls?

Little Shop of Horrors (1986) cast Tichina Arnold as Crystal and Tisha Campbell as Chiffon, two of the three doo-wop chorus girls; Arnold was sixteen during filming.

In which sport was the teenage Martin Lawrence a Mid-Atlantic Golden Gloves contender?

Boxing: as a teenager in Maryland, Lawrence was a Mid-Atlantic Golden Gloves contender before he switched to stand-up in the Washington, D.C. area.

Martin Lawrence fell into a three-day coma in 1999, collapsing from heat exhaustion while training for which film?

Big Momma's House; he had been jogging in 100 °F heat wearing heavy clothing and a plastic suit, and his body temperature hit 107 °F.

What was the title of Campbell's 1993 debut album?

Tisha, released by Capitol Records in 1993, was Campbell's debut album; its lead single was 'Push'.

What product did Tichina Arnold's company China Moon Rags, founded in 1998, sell?

China Moon Rags, the company Tichina Arnold founded in 1998, sold crystal-embroidered bandanas, each hand-finished with Swarovski stones.

In which sitcom did Martin Lawrence land his first acting role, in 1987?

What's Happening Now!!, the revival of What's Happening!!, gave Lawrence his first acting role as Maurice Warfield in its final season, 1987–88.

Who directed the 2022 reunion special Martin: The Reunion?

Stan Lathan, the veteran television director behind Dave Chappelle's Netflix stand-up specials, directed the 2022 reunion special.

Which actress plays Gina's mother, Nadine Waters?

Judyann Elder plays Nadine Waters, Gina's well-to-do mother, a recurring presence whenever the Waters family comes to visit.

Which actor played Martin's scatterbrained white radio producer in the first two seasons?

Jon Gries played the producer in seasons one and two; he later became Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite (2004) and Greg in The White Lotus.

Who plays Gina's father, Dr. Cliff Waters, in the series?

J. A. Preston plays Dr. Cliff Waters, Gina's physician father, whose visits never go smoothly for Martin.

Which rapper appears on Martin as the recurring character Keylolo?

Yo-Yo, the West Coast rapper behind 'You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo', plays Keylolo, one of Sheneneh's loud-mouthed girlfriends.

Martin Lawrence received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in which year?

Martin Lawrence's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled on April 20, 2023, four days after his 58th birthday.

What is the full name of David Alan Grier's crooked preacher character?

Reverend Leon Lonnie Love is David Alan Grier's silver-tongued con-man preacher, who fleeces the faithful and hits on every woman in the room.

Tisha Campbell hyphenated her screen name after marrying which actor in August 1996?

Duane Martin, later of the sitcom All of Us, married Campbell on August 17, 1996; she was billed as Tisha Campbell-Martin until their divorce was finalised in 2020.

Which Saved by the Bell actress plays Nicole, Martin's rebound girlfriend in season one?

Life imitated art: Lawrence and Voorhies were engaged in real life in 1993, the same year the storyline aired.

Which Atlanta hip-hop duo performs in the episode 'All the Players Came'?

Outkast, the Atlanta duo of André 3000 and Big Boi, perform in 'All the Players Came', a 1995 episode built around a players' ball.

The cruise two-parter 'Goin' Overboard' features cast members from which classic series?

The Love Boat's Ted Lange, Lauren Tewes, Bernie Kopell and Jill Whelan all turn up on the cruise, along with Lynn Whitfield, Lawrence's co-star in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate.

Which Good Times actor plays Tommy's ex-Marine father in 'Daddy Dearest'?

John Amos, who played James Evans on Good Times, guests as Tommy's hard-nosed ex-Marine father in 'Daddy Dearest'.

Which supermodel plays Ms. Trinidad, Martin's old third-grade teacher, on Career Day?

Beverly Johnson, the first Black model on the cover of American Vogue (1974), plays Ms. Trinidad, the former teacher Martin still carries a torch for.

Mark and Joey Kibble, who sang on the show's opening credits, belong to which vocal group?

Take 6, the a cappella gospel-jazz group, counts Mark Kibble among its founding members; his brother Joey joined the group in 1991.