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Source: Maury Phillips / Getty

These days, Marques Houston spends more time behind the scenes than he does in front of the cameras. He’s more focused on creating opportunities for others while exploring his hand as a producer and writer with his eyes set on possibly directing one day. Alongside his cousin and former member of B2K, Jarell Houston (J-Boog), Marques Houston has employed over 300 workers, in the last year, through his film company Footage Films.

“It’s so important to me now, as a filmmaker, to give people opportunities they wouldn’t normally have,” he said in a candid interview. Houston wrote BET’s upcoming TV movie Running Out Of Time starring Tasha Smith and RonReaco Lee.

“There’s a lot of workers on set at once and being able to, as producers, mandate the set and get it organized, everything has to work like clockwork. It’s really important as a businessman, in a growing a company to, to be able to help put those people in a position to make their dreams come true.”

Houston is no stranger to acting. He played Roger on the beloved TV series Sister, Sister and starred in big screen productions House Party 3, Fat Albert and the cult classic You Got Served, which he calls “revolutionary.”

“It was definitely shocking to see how much of a global response that movie had on people and how it affected the industry as a whole,” he said reflecting on the long-lasting impression of the dance film. “I tell Chris all the time, ‘How does it feel? Your vision changed the world?’ He saw a vision no one else could see and he believed in it. When we finally got the funding for the film, we had no idea how huge it would be and how big it would be for all of us. We were just having fun performing and dancing. That film was revolutionary.”

As for Sister, Sister, Marques is down for a reboot and isn’t sure what the hold up is.

“I’ve heard a lot about the reboot. Me and the girls have a really great relationship, we talk all the time about it and, you know, I don’t know what the holdup is. I’m going with the flow. If they decide to do it, I’m here for it.”

Since stepping behind the camera, Houston, a Jehovah’s Witness, sets boundaries for what he shares with the public.

“I think it’s very important to find a spiritual setting for yourself in life. God is very important and it is very important to me to always put Him first in everything that I do.” He added, “I’ve always been a very private person. I’ve never been one to care about what people say. Whatever I decided to share, that’s what I decide to share.”

As for what’s coming up next, Houston says he’s working on a new series. “I can’t talk too much about it, but we just hired some new writers. We want people to know that’s where I focused and that’s where our heads are at right now as far as being behind the scenes create job opportunities for people so everybody could work.”

Watch Running Out Of Time starring Tasha Smith and RonReaco Lee on BET, December 1.

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