Meet Marlon Qualls Jr. (MQJ) | Actor & Mental Health Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marlon Qualls Jr. (MQJ) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marlon, what do you want people to remember about you?
I want my legacy to be full of love, guidance, hope, faith, gratitude, NEVER GIVE UP! NO MATTER WHAT LIFE LOOKS LIKE AT THE CURRENT MOMENT and so much more that it is to live for In life. What I want people to remember about me is that I NEVER GAVE after the HARD LONG challenges i’ve endured in life, and that no matter what life looks you can still live your wildest dreams and accomplish all goals that looks impossible. I want people to remember that your current destination isn’t your final destination, if God gave you another day to live and your heart is still beating GOD IS NOT DONE WITH YOU! Keep fighting the fight cause whatever it is that you’re going through it’s for a reason and a purpose. God Has A Purpose Behind EVERY PROBLEM. Lastly but not least I want to be the reason that people know that God is REAL and that they give GOD A TRY!!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others is that I’m Me no matter what, I don’t fake or pretend what you see is what you get with me. I be to myself majority of the time, I don’t care to be in people face I really love to be alone, definitely don’t care to be liked, I don’t follow trends or do what everybody else is doing or be where everybody at. I swear you don’t find me where everybody’s at lol. I’m always focused on what can I do to grow and be better than yesterday.

What i’m most proud of is ME I’m so proud of me because I see my growth, I see me doing a lot of things that i was once scared to do.. I’ve overcame so much fear and just doing what I want. I’m proud of me for fighting all those battles and for NOT giving up because if I would’ve gave up i wouldn’t have been able to give hope or encouraging others that’s dealing with Mental Illness.

I’m so excited for the future and whatever it is that God has in store for me next down the long path and journey that I’m on with Him.

How I got to where I am today professionally.. I would say God, a lot of networking, connections and EMPIRE! Me being apart of the Groundbreaking, Ratings History making series Empire i would not be where I’m at in my career. Empire is still opening doors for me and taking me in rooms that I always dreamed to walk in and connect with people I always wanted to connect with. I’m forever thankful and grateful for Empire!

Definitely wasn’t easy, Nothing is easy when you going after that life that’s in your head! The challenges I had to overcome is FEAR, gaining a lot of faith, believing and trusting God no matter what, showing up for ME when NOBODY else shows up and PUTTING ME FIRST!

The lessons i’ve learned along the way is that Whatever is for you IS FOR YOU and it WILL NOT MISS YOU if it’s MEANT FOR YOU. And know your worth at all times man I don’t care how small you might think you are know your worth and stand on what you believe in! And don’t let nobody change it.

What I want the world to know about me is that I Never Gave Up on nothing that I wanted in life or what life threw at me, I had to fight so many fights and still fighting, I had to make a lot of changes in life to get to where i’m at, to get some sort of peace. Sometimes you have to cut people off or love them from a distance cause the people that be close to you be delaying what God has for you. The people that be close to you or call you brother, sister, cousin, friend. etc. Them be the ones who aren’t happy for you and want to see you fall. So I had to make a lot of changes to get what God had for me and to go where God want me to go. Everybody can’t go to the top with you and Everybody ain’t meant to go to the top with you! And you gots to be careful with LOVE.. They LOVE to see you RISE and they LOVE to see you FALL.. Remember that!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
See me I really don’t go out much in Memphis but my fav spot I would take them to is BABALU – Overton Square. They got a lot of restaurants on the lil strip, good food and drinks. And we’ll go to a Grizzly Game or some cause ion do clubs in Memphis cause mane the way the crime is there it’s like anywhere is the wrong place wrong time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mane. Taraji P. Henson!! Whew, Taraji is a gift from God literally man if it wasn’t for Taraji I wouldn’t have known what i was dealing with when it came to my Mental Health issues. I swear she’s the reason I tapped into my mental health, got the understanding on what and why I dealing with mental illness the way that I was years ago. She’s the reason I have so much hope in life, If it wasn’t for Taraji i probably would’ve ended my life when I had the thoughts of doing so. Her vulnerability gives me strength and also strengthens my vulnerability to do what i’m doing with my mental health advocacy in a BRAVE WAY.. So BIG SHOUT OUT to her for ALL she has DONE and ALL that she is DOING for MENTAL HEALTH IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY! I love her literally!!

Shout out to my Pastor Renardo Ward for leading me and encouraging me to talk to a grief counselor, that was one of the best decisions i’ve ever made mane. That helped me a lot on my mental health journey and i’m so thankful for my pastor cause seeking professional help also changed my life. I will always love my pastor for that, best pastor ever man.

Last but not least, shout out to Ms. Sarita Wilson! My Grief counselor, Man back in 2022 when I had it hard, when i was dark, empty, NUMB and ready to end it all. She helped me get back to myself and reality besides doing the work with God, man anytime I needed her, needed to talk or had questions on what I was feeling and going through at the moment she was there with NO PROBLEM. She also helped me realized that I was numb to all the pain and deaths of my loved ones over the past years, and what and why I was going through and feeling what I was feeling. I’m so thankful for her she SAVED MY LIFE SO MANY TIMES when I wanted to give up, she understood me when I didn’t have understanding she also helped me gained understanding. I love and appreciate her sooo much!!

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/marlonqualls

Facebook: https://facebook.com/mqualls0

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@MarlonQuallsJr

Other: instagram.com/billboardsbymqj

facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091934365330

instagram.com/expressyourselfwithmarlon

Image Credits
Marlon Qualls Jr., Express Yourself with Marlon, FOX: Empire and Action News 5.