Remember Cole from 'Martin'? He got a very regular job after the sitcom

Carl Anthony Payne, better known for his role as Cole Brown, Martin’s not-so-smart best friend on the ‘90s sitcom “Martin,” had to take an unexpected job to take care of his family after the sitcom came to an end. These days, however, he’s back on the screens.

Carl Payne was one of the great TV stars of the ‘90s. Besides “Martin,” he also appeared on “The Cosby Show,” “True Colors,” “Jack & Jill” and “George Lopez.” The actor kept a steady influx of acting jobs coming until 2010 when according to his IMDB page he made some appearances on shorts and cameos on movies for TV.

In 2011, a cameraman from TMZ found Payne on his new job, and the gossip site made sure to let the world know about it. Payne was working as a car salesman, and he calmly explained that he had started to investigate the job for a role but ended up enjoying it.

But he had one more reason to keep the job, as he said:

“I got a family man, you know, and there’s no shame in taking care of your family.”

Is not clear for how long after that Payne had his job at the car sale, but a year later, he was back on screen on BET’s TV show “The Game,” made his directorial debut with the short film “Rhythm,” and started working as a producer for several short films and videos.

Since then, he has been working non-stop in front of the cameras and is currently discussing the possibility of making a reboot of “Martin” alongside his former castmates.

Rumors about Martin Lawrence’s TV show coming back to life again started a few months ago, in the wake of so many ‘90s sitcom being rebooted by streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

“Absolutely,” Payne said when asked if he was willing to go back to the screen as Cole Brown. “I think that people want it, and I think it’s long overdue. We created magic in a bottle so why not do it again?” he added.

On a recent visit to “Sister Circle Live,” the 49-year-old stated that the cast doesn’t want to “mess up the legacy” of the series but are thinking about “giving people closure.”

He stated that, for example, since Thomas Mikal Ford, the actor that gave life to Tommy Strawn, died a few years ago, the series would have to explain his absence organically and honestly.

Fans of the sitcom are eager to get the good news about the reboot being approved, but meanwhile, Payne is working in several series and movies that will be released next year.