Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Marco Martinez

Marco Martinez is quickly making a name for himself for the dynamic character he’s brought to life on the stage and screen. The former veteran has wowed audiences in productions and projects including West Side Story, Castle, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Bosch. Pop Culturalist caught up with this rising talent to chat about his career.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Marco: It started at a young age. I was always drawn to the arts. I would watch Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. on television and tried to emulate Sammy’s moves and Sinatra’s style.

I have family that are artists as well, and my dad used to sing in a group in Cuba. It was pretty tough adapting to Los Angeles when my family moved out here from New York. There weren’t many Afro Latinx people or families around, so I used the arts as an escape. My mom would throw these Cuban parties called tambores and I would sing and dance in them. I would also script out puppet shows and make my sister help me perform them for family and friends. I enjoyed doing these things more than anything else.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Marco: I think a combination of people. I was inspired by a lot of artists and not just actors. Naturally, I was a huge fan of Celia Cruz and the Rat Pack, and I loved musicals like West Side Story and Grease. I think the two biggest influences for me were probably Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington. I met Denzel in the early ’90s at a bar in Hollywood and we talked for three hours straight. Gave me sound advice and I’ve never looked back since.

PC: You’re an actor and singer. How has acting made you a stronger musician and vice versa?
Marco: Okay, let me clarify before I get chastised by the musical community. I am an actor that was trained to sing, but I’m not a singer like Luther or even Usher. [laughs]

I think because I started wanting to emulate performers like Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, I had to learn to control my voice and sing. As a youth, my coaches would tell me that I couldn’t be a Black kid with the last name Martinez who spoke Spanish and was a one-note actor.

I would have to learn to sing, dance, and act to make myself more marketable. So I always looked at acting and singing as a part of being a complete artist. In the ’90s, I was in a singing group and we had a development deal with Capitol Records, but even then I was looking at myself as an actor who was getting the opportunity to showcase myself as an actor who sings.

PC: What’s been the biggest lesson you learned serving your country that you’ve been able to apply to your career?
Marco: Be patient, work hard, and remain undeterred. Those are three principles that are etched into your brain by the US Army. And the Army puts you in many different situations and scenarios in which you are expected to show patience, and you’re depended upon to continue working through adversity. It’s how you survive on the battlefield, and those principles have helped to sustain me in a career that is 98.5 percent rejection regardless of how hard you work.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Marco: I have different moments. I think playing Bernardo in West Side Story to a packed house in Heidelberg, Germany, every night for a few weeks is up there. Maybe the one moment that stands out the most is when I was called to the Fox Studios lot to meet with then-senior vice president of casting, Bob Huber. I wasn’t sure what I was there for, but Bob had seen me in a few plays and TV shows, including a WGA reading that I did as a favor to a friend. He was extremely complimentary to me, complimented my craft, and said that he was determined to find a vehicle for me because “they” wanted me on their network. That led to a holding deal with Fox, and although it didn’t end up solidifying a show for me, it definitely gave me validation and a second career wind.

PC: You’re also a father. If your daughter wanted to follow a similar career path, what advice would you give her?
Marco: [laughs] I think she’s already there. She has chops! She dances, sings, and acts. She loves the arts just like I did at her age. Here’s the thing. I will support her with whatever path she wants to take. I think my responsibility to her is to give her all the support and tools that I can to help her reach her goals. We talk a lot about it now, and she picks things up quickly. She also has a great vocal coach in Ilana Martin at the Vocal Workout Singing School. My advice to her is to follow her passion and whatever makes her feel inspired and to be fearless in doing so.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Marco: Veronica Mars. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t stop watching it. It also helps that Percy Daggs is a friend.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Marco: Grease.

PC: Favorite book?
Marco: Murder on the Orient Express.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Marco: West Side Story.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Marco: Green Day and Echo & the Bunnymen.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Marco: Alfred Enoch or Tristan Wilds.

To keep up with Marco, follow him on Instagram.