Damon Wayans Explained

Damon Wayans Sr.
Birth Name:Damon Kyle Wayans
Birth Date:4 September 1960
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Active:1982–present
Children:4, including Damon Wayans Jr.
Relatives:See Wayans family

Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. (;[1] born September 4, 1960)[2] is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He performed as a comedian and actor throughout the 1980s, including a year-long stint on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. He later became a writer and performer on Fox's sketch comedy show In Living Color (1990–1992), on his animated series Waynehead (1996–1997) and on his TV 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 Beverly Hills Cop, Mo Money, The Last Boy Scout, Major Payne, Bulletproof, and the sitcom My Wife and Kids. From 2016 to 2019, he starred as Roger Murtaugh in the Fox television series Lethal Weapon. He is a member of the Wayans family of entertainers.

Early life

Wayans was born in Harlem[3] in New York City, the son of Elvira Alethia (Green), a homemaker, singer[4] and social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] He has five sisters—Elvira, Vonnie, Nadia, Kim and Diedra—and four brothers—Keenen, Marlon, Shawn and Dwayne. He was club footed as a child.

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.[10]

Career

Damon 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.[11] 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.[12]

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 also was a 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 sixty five-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[13] and VHedz.

On November 12, 2015, at the Irvine Improv, Damon 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.[14] Lethal Weapon officially ended in February 2019, after three seasons.

Damon Wayans will return to television in the fall of 2024 with his son Damon Jr. on the CBS sitcom Poppa's House.[15]

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,[16] 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 2013.[17]

In September 2015, Wayans defended comedian Bill Cosby following sexual assault accusations against him, saying "It's a money hustle... Forty years – listen, how big is his penis that it gives you amnesia for 40 years? If you listen to them talk, they go, 'Well, the first time...' The first time? Bitch, how many times did it happen? Just listen to what they're saying and some of them really is unrape-able. I look at them and go, 'You don't want that. Get outta here.[18] [19]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984Beverly Hills CopBanana Man
1986TriplecrossOrnery Character No. 1Television film
1987Hollywood ShuffleBody Guard No. 2 / Willie
RoxanneJerry
1988ColorsT-Bone
Earth Girls Are EasyZeebo
PunchlinePercy
I'm Gonna Git You SuckaLeonard
1990Look Who's Talking TooEddieVoice
1991Jimmy Alexander Dix
1992Mo' MoneyJohnny Stewart
1993Last Action HeroHimself
1994BlankmanDarryl Walker / Blankman
1995Major PayneMajor Benson Winefred Payne
1996Celtic PrideLewis Scott
James 'The Grim Reaper' Roper
BulletproofDetective Jack Carter / Rock Keats
1999Harlem AriaWes
GoosedDr. Steven Hemel
2000BamboozledPierre Delacroix
2003Marci XDr. S.
2004Behind the SmileCharlie Richman
2006Farce of the PenguinsHey, That's My Ass! PenguinVoice
Legends BellsHimselfTelevision film
2008Never BetterKeithTelevision film
2011Herd MentalityJimmy CrowderShort
2023CinnamonWally

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985–86Saturday Night LiveHimself/Various CharactersMain cast: Season 11
1987Sweet SurrenderRayEpisode: "The Holdens Go to Dinner"
A Different WorldMarvin HavenEpisode: "War of the Words"
1989One Night StandHimselfEpisode: "Damon Wayans"
1990–93In Living ColorHimself/Various CharactersMain cast (seasons 1–3); recurring guest star (season 4)
1996–97WayneheadCreator/Executive Producer
1998DamonDamon ThomasMain cast
2001–05My Wife and KidsMichael KyleMain cast
2004–06RodneyCo-creator/Executive Producer
2006Himself/Various CharactersMain cast
2011Happy EndingsFrancis WilliamsEpisode: "Like Father, Like Gun"
2016–19Lethal WeaponRoger MurtaughMain cast
2018Happy TogetherMike DavisEpisode: "Like Father, Like Son"
2021Live in Front of a Studio AudienceWillis DrummondEpisode: "Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life"[20]
2024Poppa's HousePoppa Upcoming Series; Lead Role Also; Co-Creator and Executive producer

Documentary

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.sos.mo.gov/wolfner/SayHow/?id=w You nay it how?
  2. Web site: Damon Wayans Biography: Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Director, Producer (1960–). Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). September 6, 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20151105122000/http://www.biography.com/people/damon-wayans-538728#profile. November 5, 2015. mdy-all.
  3. News: Militant Wayans is mellowing out . Chicago Sun-Times . April 14, 1989 . Ernest . Tucker . 9 .
  4. Web site: Triangulation 175 Damon Wayans – TWiT.TV. TWiT.tv. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20141112043043/http://twit.tv/show/triangulation/175. November 12, 2014.
  5. Web site: Keenen Ivory Wayans' Interactive Family Tree . . November 8, 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160202140120/https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/blog/keenen-ivory-wayans-interactive-family-tree/ . February 2, 2016.
  6. Web site: Shawn Wayans Biography (1971–). filmreference.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20080428203043/http://www.filmreference.com/film/73/Shawn-Wayans.html. April 28, 2008.
  7. Marlon Wayans. Joel. Stein. September 11, 2000. Time. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081219062051/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997920,00.html. December 19, 2008.
  8. http://www.themoviechicks.com/mid2004/mctladykillers.html The Movie Chicks – Interview – Marlon Wayans
  9. Stated on Finding Your Roots, January 19, 2016, PBS
  10. Web site: Damon Wayans Biography – Yahoo! Movies. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20110628203936/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800060529/bio. June 28, 2011.
  11. News: McCarthy. Sean L.. What Damon Wayans said in 2015 about getting fired at SNL, In Living Color, Kevin Hart, social media, and yes, Bill Cosby. October 12, 2017. The Comic's Comic. September 8, 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171013064820/http://thecomicscomic.com/2015/09/08/what-damon-wayans-said-in-2015-about-getting-fired-at-snl-in-living-color-kevin-hart-social-media-and-yes-bill-cosby/. October 13, 2017.
  12. Web site: Chatpage – Books – Damon Wayans. CNN. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20081206004437/http://www.cnn.com/COMMUNITY/transcripts/wayans.html. December 6, 2008.
  13. http://joonbug.com/national/almostfamous/Interview-Damon-Wayans-Sr/FIdyHTOxcY0 Interview: Damon Wayans Sr.
  14. Web site: Munroe . Jill . Damon Wayans Shockingly Quits 'Lethal Weapon' with Exclusive Announcement to EUR . eurweb.com . October 3, 2018 . October 3, 2018 . An emotional and clearly hurting Damon Wayans went on to explain that as a 58-year-old diabetic, working 16-hour days had become too much. He also felt the strain that his current job was putting on his personal life. His mother and daughter recently underwent surgeries that the actor said he missed because he was working..
  15. Web site: Campione . Katie . 'Poppa's House': CBS Comedy Teaser Trailer Highlights Energetic Wayans Family Dynamic (Watch) . Deadline Hollywood . May 7, 2024 . May 2, 2024.
  16. Web site: PCA Winners – People's Choice. peopleschoice.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924071020/http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/?year=2002. September 24, 2015.
  17. News: Damon Wayans Sr. confronts diabetes with a fork and a laugh. Charlotte Observer. Devores, Courtney. May 22, 2014. August 25, 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20141207162807/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/05/22/4925979/damon-wayans-sr-confronts-diabetes.html. December 7, 2014.
  18. News: Kenneally. Tim. Bill Cosby Scandal Blasted as a 'Money Hustle' by Damon Wayans (Video). September 6, 2015. Yahoo. September 4, 2015.
  19. News: Chen. Joyce. Damon Wayans Defends Bill Cosby, Calls Accusers "Bitches" and "Unrapeable". September 6, 2015. US Weekly. September 6, 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150906225057/http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/damon-wayans-defends-bill-cosbys-actions-calls-victims-b-tches-201569. September 6, 2015.
  20. Web site: Rose . Lacey . Kevin Hart, John Lithgow, Ann Dowd, Damon Wayans to Star in ABC's Live 'Diff'rent Strokes' . The Hollywood Reporter . November 30, 2021 . November 19, 2021.