One of Eden Marryshow’s first acting goals was to get on television. Specifically, he wanted to be a defendant on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU because his mother loves the show. One of his first major appearances was on CBS’s Unforgettable. It wasn’t SVU, but it was on an up and coming show. He was thrilled.
“I got to be the bad guy, which was exciting to me,” said Marryshow. “Then my parents got to see me on TV. That was huge.”
Marryshow cited a number of childhood inspirations for his interest in acting, ranging from the Wizard of Oz, Michael Jackson’s performances, and his father’s involvement with a small repertory theatre company. When a nineteen-year-old actress had to drop out of his father’s play due to food poisoning, then thirteen-year-old Marryshow filled in. “I knew then it was my calling,” explained Marryshow.
Now he’s in the midst of pre-production for My Girl, a film he co-wrote with writer Chuck Neal that he’ll be directing and acting in. The movie focuses on the evolving relationship between a former teenage athlete star and his young daughter. “He’s forced to become a hero in his own life,” said Marryshow about the protagonist. “It’s about this little girl basically coming into his life and teaching him how to be a man.”
The film’s inspiration, however, wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for his students from his teaching days. Marryshow worked for many years as an Assistant Teacher for New York’s Board of Education. He grew attached to many of his students, but especially one by the name of Latina.
“Those kids, including Latina, taught me how to be a man,” said Marryshow. He met Latina when she was just eight-years-old, and he worked with her for nearly four years. “She was like my heart,” he explained.
Ten years after they first met, however, tragedy struck. While driving to work with his father (who is also a teacher), they got a phone call indicating that Latina was shot in a drive-by shooting. “I instantly knew that she had passed on,” said Marryshow. “I feel that some people are just connected. They’re supposed to be a part of your journey. And I was devastated.”
“Most people know me as a really seriously emotional person in the sense that I have a soft heart,” he added. “And this was so devastating to me, but I showed no emotion.” Realizing that life was too short to not pursue his dreams, Marryshow quit his job to embark on his acting career. “Life is too short to be doing work that doesn’t make you feel happy and fulfilled,” said actress Amanda Crew in an interview with Collider, mirroring Marryshow’s sentiments.
Many years later, My Girl is his tribute to Latina. “It’s really a love note to Latina,” said Marryshow. “Basically thanking her for changing my life and allowing me to love her and just [a] thank you to her, her Mom and her Dad.”
In just a few days, My Girl will be launching on crowdfunding website Indiegogo for people to publicly support. To learn more about this project visit: https://www.facebook.com/mygirlthefilm.