Damon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans
family.
Early life Wayans was born in New York City, New York,
the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager.
He has five sisters, Elvira, Vonnie, Nadia, Kim, Diedre, and four brothers, actors Marlon
Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Dwayne Wayans.
He was clubbed footed as a child.
This attribute would also be given to his character in My Wife and Kids and his character
on the cartoon series Waynehead.
Wayans attended Murry Bergtraum High School.
Career Damon started doing stand-up comedy in 1982.
His earliest film appearance was a brief cameo as an effeminate hotel employee in the 1984
Eddie Murphy film Beverly Hills Cop.
He was briefly on Saturday Night Live as a featured performer, before getting fired for
playing his character as a flamboyant gay cop instead of a straight cop.
He went against the script during the live performance.
In the Saturday Night Live book Live From New York, it was stated that Wayans did this
largely due to growing frustrations that his sketches were not being considered for the
show and increasing stress.
He also appeared in the syndicated TV series Solid Gold during the 1980s as a stand-up
comedian.
After that, he went on to co-create and appear in the TV-show In Living Color from 1990 to
1992, part of a team that was nominated for Emmy Awards all three years.
After In Living Color, he starred in films such as The Last Boy Scout, Major Payne 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.
In 1996, he produced Waynehead, a 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 1998, he starred in a short-lived comedy titled Damon, in which he played a Chicago
detective.
It aired on FOX.
In 1999, his New York Times bestselling book Bootleg with co-author David Asbery was published;
it is a humorous compilation of his observations about family.
In 2006, he began starring in The Underground, a sketch comedy series on Showtime.
His son, Damon, Jr. also stars on the show.
He hosted the 2006 BET Awards which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California
on June 27, 2006.
For his role in the ABC comedy series My Wife and Kids, Wayans received four International
Press Academy "Golden Satellite Award" nominations, in addition to four Emmy awards nominations
for his acting and directing in the 1990s' series In Living Color.
He also added author of a serious fictional novel to his credits this past year 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.
Personal life Wayans was married to Lisa Thorner, however
they divorced in 2000.
He has four children, sons Damon Wayans, Jr., Michael Wayans and daughters Cara Mia Wayans,
and Kyla Wayans.
He is the uncle of Damien Dante Wayans, Chaunté Wayans and Craig Wayans.
Wayans is a close personal friend of both NBA legend Michael Jordan and fellow In Living
Color star Jim Carrey.
He won the 2002 People's Choice Awards for Favorite Male.
In Living Color Characters
Whiz Homey D. Clown
Blaine Edwards Mr.H
Handi-Man Reverend Ed Cash
Anton Jackson Head Detective
Tom Brothers Oswald Bates
Impressions Babyface
Don King Little Richard
Louis Farrakhan Redd Foxx
Richard Pryor Fab Morvan
Jamie Foxx Filmography
References
External links Damon Wayans at the Internet Movie Database
Damon Wayans on Twitter