Tisha Campbell Says Race Was The Reason Why 'Martin' Never Received Any Emmy Nominations Despite It's Massive Success
There was a reason the actors that made up the cast of 'Martin' were never nominated for any awards — and it is not a good one.
'Martin' was a smash hit comedy that ran from 1992 to 1997. While the show had a wide fan-base and widespread approval, the cast members were never nominated for any Emmy Awards.
The reason behind this lack of recognition was shared by actress Tisha Campbell, who played the title character's girlfriend and wife in later seasons. During an interview on 'Behind the Scenes with Derick Monroe,' Campbell shared that she was told that her race would keep her from ever receiving an Emmy nomination.
Recalling her experience attending the 1993 Emmy Awards, Campbell shared, "I remember having this publicist who just so happened to be Caucasian... and our second season I asked, 'Hey, do you think it would be a good idea for us to try to nominate me for an Emmy since, you know, we're so successful?' " According to Campbell, the publicist responded negatively.
After pushing for the reason behind why the publicist felt she would "never" receive a nomination, Campbell directly asked, "'Because I'm Black?' She's like, 'Pretty much. I'm really sorry, but you're not gonna get nominated.' "
Campbell has had a career that has spanned decades in both acting and singing. From the time she was a child, she was performing in the public eye. With such an expansive and lasting career, the lack of recognition could lead many in Campbell's position to be infuriated, she remarked.
"Back then, we didn't look at things to get accolades. We were just trying to feed our families, and we had to take away that we would be acknowledged for the things that we do," she continued. "We could not look at the past. We could not look at our past work. We just had to move forward and continue to do our best and feed our families."
She continued: "That's what we concentrate on, not anything else. I'm not trained in my brain to look for accolades. I'm trained to just, you know, better myself and my craft and love my art form."
