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BET's New Show Boomerang, produced by Halle Berry and Lena Waithe, Is LIT.
Leland B. Martin
By: Aramide Tinubu
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Leland B. Martin won’t let you define him. The hunky actor’s voice booms out confidently just a couple days after the seventh episode of Boomerang aired on BET. “Pride” gave fans a deeper insight into Martin’s character, Ari Thomas. Like Martin —Ari is smooth, confident and sexy. Though he’s the most carefree among his ragtag group of friends which includes Simone (Tetona Jackson), Bryson (Tequan Richmond), Tia (Lala Milan), Crystal (Brittany Inge) and David (RJ Walker), it became clear in “Pride” that Ari isn’t afraid to stand his ground.
Ari’s reliance was one of the reasons the character spoke to Martin. When the rest of us were scratching our heads trying to figure out how Lena Waithe and Halle Berry —who serve as executive producers on the series —were going to remix the iconic Eddie Murphy-led 1992 flick Boomerang into a modern -day TV series —Martin could already see the vision unfolding before his eyes.
“Halle Berry and Lena Waithe were already attached to it when I went in for my audition,” Martin explained. “That’s what really what drew me to it. Lena Waithe, in my opinion, is as a genius who’s really making her mark in the industry and Halle Berry is iconic. She’s someone who has a very, very, stamped resume. So, when it comes to these two particular individuals and then everybody that came along with it; it was a no-brainer for me.”
Set in present-day Atlanta, BET’s Boomerang follows Jacqueline Boyer’s (Robin Givens) son, Bryson, and Marcus and Angela Graham’s daughter, Simone and their tight-knit group of friends they attempt to step out of their parents’ shadows to create their own legacies. However, as all millennials know—careers, friendships, and love lives aren’t easily balanced. Young, fresh, and sensual the series has an aura of authenticity around it, which Martin credits to his close bond with his castmates.
“It’s very rare that you get a group of people like the six that we’ve got together,” the former financial advisor said. “Everybody gravitated toward each other from
jump street. There were no egos. It was more of a family feel. We got together, and we started getting to know each other right off the bat. We made it a point to make sure that we got to know each other so that we could start to develop that chemistry. You see it on the screen because we’re really friends. We really hang out. We built that.”
Boomerang is a true ensemble show giving each character time in the spotlight. “Pride” centers around Ari as he struggles to find his footing in his career. In the episode, he also addresses a former lover who tries to shame him for his queer identity. From what Martin implies, there are many layers to Ari, and they are only just starting to be revealed. “I would love to see how Ari expands as a professional,” Martin said thoughtfully. “We saw a little bit of it in “Pride” when he saves the day as far as his directing is concerned and starts to move forward in that vein. I would love to see where he goes as far as his craft.”
When it came to stepping into his character and truly understanding what made Ari tick, the alaskaLand actor did not approach the task lightly. After all, Ari is one of the only modern depictions of a young, sexually fluid Black man on television. “There was a lot to talk about who the character was, how the character looked, how exactly was the character unapologetic, and in what ways and things like
that,” Martin revealed. “Dime Davis was very instrumental when it came to crafting the pilot episode and the flow of the show from the beginning. All of us sat down with her and with Lena and discussed who these people were, and we started to craft the look of Ari. In the beginning, we were still making decisions. Does Ari have dreads? Does Ari have twists? What’s Ari’s style like? That type of thing. It was very much a
It takes something distinct to be able to display the type of sexuality that Ari has on screen and to be able to do it in a way that respects the LGBTQ community and to do in a way that has class and is true to the character.
Standing in Ari’s shoes each week has also allowed Martin to reflected inward on himself, and how he’s grown both as a man and an actor. “I’ve grown in more than one respect with Boomerang,” he reflected. “I realize how fearless of an actor I am. It takes something distinct to be able to display the type of sexuality that Ari has on screen and to be able to do it in a way that respects the LGBTQ community and to do in a way that has class and is true to the character. I’ve really seen through this role that I’m an active actor and that I’m open to
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tackling all types of challenges. I’ve really grown in just seeing myself. Ari’s one of those roles where I look in the mirror, and I say, ‘Wow, I’m proud of you for that.’”
In addition to acting —watching Lena Waithe and reflecting on Halle Berry’s meteoric career has only motivated Martin to strive for more. “I couldn’t ask for better mentors,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for better bosses. I really feel cared about. I still speak a lot with Lena even outside of the set. It’s a relationship that I know I can go back to for any advice that I need. Lena makes it very, very clear that she’s here for us. Whatever endeavors that we may have, she’s here to give us advice. With her being as well established of a writer and a producer as she is I definitely plan on picking her brain. She’s an open book. It’s very much a family feel on that set.”
Still, Martin’s passions aren’t just in entertainment. He also works as a volunteer with the Penny Lane Foundation with teens transitioning out of the foster care system. “Part of the reason I love playing Ari is because I get to say something,” he emphasized. “It’s not just your normal, typical role. There are people that are seeing themselves in this role, and that’s so important to me. Working in group homes, I see so many changed lives. These are kids who have had a huge disadvantage in life. They’re actually able to come to us to get help. We don’t win in every case, but there are a lot of cases where you had a lot of lives turned around. Kids would catch up on their high school credits. It’s a last stop shop before you’re out there in the real world. We catch you right before you’re 18 and try to give you as much opportunity as we can so you can make it out in this world.”
With his role in Boomerang thrusting him into the spotlight in the middle of the ongoing Black renaissance in Hollywood —Martin hasn’t even begun to step on the gas yet. “I wanna just be a part of it, to be honest with you,” he admitted. “I want to be a part of that wave, just like I am right now with Boomerang, but even more so. I would love to work with Issa Rae or John Singleton or Antoine Fuqua — all of these wonderful Black people that are doing this great work. I would love to be a part of that wave in general, any bit of it that I can be a part of -- I’m chomping at the bit for.”
Boomerang airs Tuesdays at 10 PM on BET and has just renewed for a second season.
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