Duane Martin

Born on August 11, 1965, in the bustling borough of Brooklyn, New York City, Duane Martin’s early life details, particularly about his parents, remain largely undisclosed. Nonetheless, he has often expressed immense gratitude towards his parents in various interviews. Post his high school graduation, he pursued higher education at New York University, where he showcased his basketball talents with the NYU Violets and later had a brief stint with the New York Knicks.

Coming to terms with the fact that a major basketball career was not in his destiny, Duane Martin channeled his energies into building a presence on screen. Since the early 1990s, he’s been tenacious in seeking out roles, whether big or small. His television breakthrough came in 1991 with the series “Against the Law,” featuring Suzzanne Douglas and Mike O’Malley.

His cinematic debut was in 1992, where he featured in a minor role in the sports comedy “White Men Can’t Jump” alongside Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. That same year, Martin joined the cast of the hit sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which starred a youthful Will Smith. Martin’s career continued to ascend with roles in 1994’s “Above the Rim” with Tupac Shakur and “The Inkwell” with Joe Morton.

He also appeared in the Boyz II Men music video for “I’ll Make Love to You” that year. Over time, Martin began to be recognized more as an actor than a former athlete. In 1996, he was featured in “Down Periscope,” a comedy starring Kelsey Grammer, Rob Schneider, and Lauren Holly. He followed this up with a role in “Scream 2” alongside Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette in 1997.

Subsequent roles included appearances in “Woo” with Jada Pinkett Smith and “The Faculty” with Elijah Wood and Josh Hartnett. In 1999, he starred in “Any Given Sunday” alongside Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx, and in “Mutiny” with Michael Jai White. That year also saw him in Will Smith’s music video for “Will 2K.” Into the 2000s, Martin remained active in the industry, featuring in films like “The Seat Filler” alongside Christopher Williams, “Deliver Us from Eva” with LL Cool J, and “Sister’s Code” with Amber Rose.

Martin’s television presence became more pronounced as he ventured beyond the comedic roles that characterized his early TV career. He appeared in series such as “Abby” with Sydney Tamiia Poitier, “All of Us” with Khamani Griffin, “Ghost Whisperer” with Jennifer Love Hewitt, and “Rita Rocks” with Matthew Perry. Yet, acting was never his sole passion or primary income source; it served as another platform for him to remain in the public eye.

Duane Martin’s private life has been somewhat reserved from the public eye. He was married for a long time to actress Tisha Campbell-Martin, known for her roles in “My Wife and Kids,” “Dr. Ken,” and “The Protector.” The couple married in 1996. They welcomed their first child, Xen, in August 2001, and a second son, Ezekiel Czar, in September 2009. However, in February 2018, his wife filed for divorce, and their separation was finalized in December 2020.