After 10 years of portraying Andre "Junior" Johnson, the beloved nerd of ABC’s black-ish and Freeform’s college-centered spinoff grown-ish, Marcus Scribner is striking out on his own. He replaced his TV sister Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and led the final two seasons of grown-ish, the May 22 series finale of which also marked the close of TV’s ish-verse. (The prequel ABC series mixed-ish rounded out the Kenya Barris–created sitcom trio.)
Having played Junior on two shows and two networks, Scribner spoke to emmy about evolving with his character and sharpening his craft alongside comedy greats.
What was your first reaction to the idea of Junior becoming the anchor of grown-ish?
It was a position bump from number four on black-ish for so many years, and something that I was excited and ready to jump into. I had so many friends over on grown-ish, and a lot of the cast and crew had been with us for many years, so it was a very comfortable transition.
After 10 years, what continued to excite you about playing Junior?
I never knew what he was going to get into. He completely fails. The unpredictability of where our writers were willing to go is what kept me coming back.
What do you recall about reading for Junior?
I could tell that the script was well-written, even at 13. Me and my parents were talking about how it felt like they had cameras in our house, because the storylines were relatable. And the writing never shied away from Junior being nerdy, which was his strength and superpower. I never thought I’d be playing this character for 10-plus years. He completely changed. Not many actors can say they’ve had that opportunity.
How has your approach to the craft changed in that time?
Being honest with myself has been a game-changer. When you’re acting as a kid, you’re going hard in the paint [fully committing]. I realized I can bring something that makes me unique to every role.
Tell me about working with actors like Jenifer Lewis and Laurence Fishburne.
It’s more surreal now, compared to when it was happening. Going to other sets, I realize how privileged I was to grow up with actors who allowed us to blossom. It was “iron sharpens iron,” the ultimate acting class.
This article originally appeared in emmy magazine issue #8, 2024, under the title "Fully Grown"
