MOVIE: 'THE EXPRESS'
Acworth teen plays Heisman winner Ernie Davis
Justin Martin won acclaim in Kenny Leon’s ‘Raisin in the Sun’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, October 10, 2008
Justin Martin had never heard of Ernie Davis — until he was tapped to play the football great in “The Express,” starring Dennis Quaid and Rob Brown and opening in theaters on Friday.
Now Martin — the 14-year-old Acworth resident who drew critical praise for his Travis Younger in Atlanta director Kenny Leon’s TV version of “A Raisin in the Sun” — calls the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner “an underrated African-American role model.” In “The Express,” Martin portrays Davis as a young man.
Andy Sharp / asharp@ajc.com
For ‘The Express,’ Justin Martin had to learn to imitate Ernie Davis’ speech impediment.
Rick Addicks / raddicks@ajc.com
The Atlanta premier of the ABC movie, ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, directed by Atlantan Kenny Leon was premiered at the Woodruff Arts Center. Pictured is Leon (right), along with cast members (left to right) David Oyelowo, Justin Martin cq, and Audra McDonald.
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“I think this movie will open the light to a lot of people’s inspiration,” Martin said. “A lot of us take a lot of things for granted. … He dealt with all the problems that went along with African-Americans at that time and … he still persevered.”
Martin’s film career is getting a lot of attention these days. In “The Soloist” — opening Nov. 21 and starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. — he plays schizophrenic cello prodigy Nathaniel Ayers as a youngster. He also has a featured role in Disney’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” opening Oct. 24.
For “The Express,” Martin had to learn to imitate Davis’ speech impediment.
“I was taught how to stutter by a woman who taught stutterers how not to stutter,” said the former munchkin from a True Colors Theatre production of “The Wiz.” “It was weird.”
Coming Oct. 24 in Movies & More: Martin talks about “High School Musical 3.”
