Damon Wayans

Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. (; born September 4, 1960) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and writer. A member of the Wayans family of entertainers, Damon performed as a comedian and actor throughout the 1980s, including a brief stint on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live.'' He later joined his family on Fox's sketch comedy show ''In Living Color'' (1990–1992), and wrote and performed on his own animated series '' Waynehead'' (1996–1997) and live-action series '' Damon'' (1998). Since then, he has starred in a number of films and television shows, some of which he has co-produced or co-written, including ''Mo' Money'', '' The Last Boy Scout'', ''Major Payne'', '' Bulletproof'', and the sitcoms '' My Wife and Kids'' and '' Poppa's House'', the latter featuring his son Damon Wayans Jr. From 2016 to 2019, he starred as Roger Murtaugh in the Fox television series ''Lethal Weapon''.

Early life

Wayans was born in Harlem in New York City, the fourth chlid of Elvira Alethia (née Green), a homemaker, singer and social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager. His three older siblings are Dwayne, Keenen Ivory, and Diedra. His six younger siblings are Kim, Elvira, Nadia, Vonnie, Shawn, and Marlon. As a child, he had a club foot.

This attribute would also be given to his character in '' My Wife and Kids'', and his character on the short-lived cartoon series '' Waynehead''. Wayans attended Murry Bergtraum High School.

Career

Wayans started doing stand-up comedy in 1982. His earliest film appearance was a brief cameo as an effeminate hotel employee in the Eddie Murphy film of 1984, ''Beverly Hills Cop''. From 1985 to 1986, he appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'' as a featured player, before getting fired after just eleven episodes for improvising during a live sketch, playing his character as a flamboyant gay cop instead of a straight cop. Wayans later claimed that he wanted to be fired due to lack of creative freedom and screen time. Wayans further explained that Lorne Michaels did not want Wayans to do too much too soon and began drawing comparisons to Eddie Murphy who had just left the show. He also appeared in the syndicated television series '' Solid Gold'' during the 1980s as a comedian.

With his brother Keenen, Wayans created the Fox sketch comedy series ''In Living Color'', which had a mostly African-American cast. The show went on the air in April 1990. It continued running until May 1994, although Wayans left the show in 1992 to pursue a film career.

After ''In Living Color'', he starred in films such as ''Mo' Money'', '' The Last Boy Scout'', ''Major Payne'', ''Celtic Pride'', '' Bulletproof'', and '' The Great White Hype'', and wrote and starred in the film '' Blankman''. He also appeared in Janet Jackson's video " The Best Things in Life Are Free" and was considered for the role of the Riddler in ''Batman Forever'' (the role went to Jim Carrey, his co-star from ''In Living Color'' and '' Earth Girls Are Easy'').

In October 1996, he produced '' Waynehead'', a short-lived cartoon for The WB, loosely based on his own childhood growing up in a large family, starring a poor boy with a club foot. The show only lasted a season due to poor ratings. From 1997 to 1998, he was the executive producer of '' 413 Hope St.'', a short-lived drama on the FOX network starring Richard Roundtree and Jesse L. Martin.

In March 1998, he starred in the short-lived comedy television series '' Damon'', in which he played a detective from Chicago. It aired on Fox. In 1999, his ''The New York Times'' bestselling book ''Bootleg'', with co author David Asbery was published; it is a humorous compilation of his observations about family.

In October 2000, he was the lead in Spike Lee's ''Bamboozled''. Wayans starred in the ABC comedy series '' My Wife and Kids'' from March 2001 to May 2005. He was also co-creator of the short lived ABC sitcom '' Rodney'', starring Rodney Carrington and Jennifer Aspen, that ran from 2004–2006. In the end of 2006, he produced and starred in the Showtime sketch comedy series '' The Underground'', which also featured his son, Damon Jr. He also hosted the June 2006 BET Awards.

In 2011, he also added author of a serious fictional novel to his credits with ''Red Hats'', which is the story of a suicidal 65-year-old woman who finds friendship and happiness, when she joins the Red Hat Society. , Wayans continues to perform stand-up comedy and has developed apps with his company of freelancers "MIMS" (Money in My Sleep). The company created applications such as Flick Dat, Diddeo and VHedz.

On November 12, 2015, at the Irvine Improv, Wayans announced his retirement from stand up commencing December 2015. In September 2016, he was cast as Roger Murtaugh in the television version of ''Lethal Weapon'', a role originated by Danny Glover in the film series. On October 3, 2018, it was reported that Wayans would leave ''Lethal Weapon'' after filming of the first thirteen episodes of Season 3 wrapped. ''Lethal Weapon'' officially ended in February 2019, after three seasons.

Wayans returned to scripted television in the fall of 2024 with his son Damon Jr. on the CBS sitcom '' Poppa's House''.

Awards and honors

Wayans received four Emmy awards nominations for his acting and writing in ''In Living Color''.

For his role in '' My Wife and Kids'', he won the 2002 People's Choice Awards for Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Series, and received four International Press Academy "Golden Satellite Award" nominations.

Personal life

Wayans was married to Lisa Thorner; they divorced in 2000. He has four children with Thorner: sons Damon Wayans Jr. and Michael Wayans and daughters Cara Mia Wayans and Kyla Wayans. He is also a grandfather. He is the uncle of Damien Dante Wayans, Chaunté Wayans and Craig Wayans.

Wayans was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in January 2014.

Filmography

Film

Television

Documentary

References

External links

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Twit.tv's Triangulation Episode 175 Damon Wayans

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wayans, Damon
1960 births
Male actors from Manhattan
American male film actors
African-American stand-up comedians
American stand-up comedians
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Television producers from New York City
American television writers
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Living people
Damon
American male television actors
American male voice actors
20th-century African-American male actors
20th-century American male actors
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American sketch comedians
American male television writers
African-American film directors
Comedians from Manhattan
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Murry Bergtraum High School alumni
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American male comedians