“My mother’s been telling me since the beginning that I was excellent,” Skye P. Marshall shared with EBONY at the 8th Annual Celebration for Black Cinema & TV red carpet last month. “This is confirmation that my work has caught up with who I always was.”
The 44-year-old actress wrapped up a dream year in 2025: her show Matlock finished its first season at the top of the ratings. Season two launched with impressive numbers. And Marshall enjoyed her first full year of marriage to husband Edwin Hodge (Aldis Hodge‘s big bro).
With a destiny that has finally come to fruition, earning the Critics Choice Association’s Black Cinema & TV Supporting Actress Award felt fateful for the actress, who pivoted to acting full-time at 28. Now, at 44, having achieved these impressive career milestones, Marshall thinks of her mother, Patricia, first. Patricia was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in February 2022.
Caregiving isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience. Marshall has figured out exactly what her mother needs over time. As her primary caregiver, she cites her Matlock season one salary as the foundation of her mother’s care. Her paycheck enabled the actress not only to purchase a home for her mother but also to pay three family members to assist with her mother’s day-to-day care alongside her mother’s partner.
“While it is important for people to know what home is good for your loved one, whether it’s a memory care home, in your home or in their own home, it was my responsibility to make sure I provide for her and surround my mother with loved ones,” Marshall explained. “I’m so proud of what my career has been able to provide.”
Marshall understands the importance of caring for her loved ones. She also recognizes how her portrayal of Olympia Lawrence resonates with others.
“Playing Olympia is a privilege because representation is not decoration, it is declaration,” she expressed in her CCA acceptance speech. “Every time Olympia is seen on screen, it tells someone, like me, watching: ‘You exist, and you, too, can be at the center of the story.’”
Looking ahead, Marshall couldn’t be more excited for Matlock‘s current season to continue to unfold. Though series regular David Del Rio was removed from set during production and fired following a sexual assault allegation, Marshall tells EBONY that there’s still so much for fans to see.
“We have some incredibly exciting twists and turns,” she said assuredly. “Mattie and Olympia and Julian, that relationship, that dynamic is evolving into quite a chaotic symphony. I’m just so excited to be able to film the show while it’s airing because we didn’t get that experience in season one. Now, I’m able to witness what the audience is experiencing and take it to set.”
Matlock will return to CBS from its midseason break on February 26.