Damon Wayans

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(Redirected from Michael Wayans)

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "For". Template:DMCA Script error: No such module "Template wrapper".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters". Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. (/ˈdeɪmən ˈweɪ.ənz/ Script error: No such module "Respell".;[1] born September 4, 1960)[2] 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[3] in New York City, the fourth child of Elvira Alethia (née Green), a homemaker, singer[4] and social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager.[5][6][7] His three older siblings are Dwayne, Keenen Ivory, and Diedra. His six younger siblings are Kim, Elvira, Nadia, Vonnie, Shawn, and Marlon. The Wayans children were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] 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.

During and after In Living Color, he starred in films such as The Last Boy Scout (1991), Mo' Money (1992), Last Action Hero (1993), Major Payne (1995), Celtic Pride (1996), Bulletproof (1996), and The Great White Hype (1996), and wrote and starred in the film Blankman (1994). 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.[11]

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.

File:2007 Damon Wayans crop 01.jpg
Wayans performing in 2007

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. As of 2014, Wayans continues to perform stand-up comedy and has developed apps with his company of freelancers "MIMS" (Money in My Sleep).[4] The company created applications such as Flick Dat, Diddeo[12] and VHedz.[4]

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.[13] 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.[14]

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[4] and a great grandfather. He is the uncle of Damien Dante Wayans, Chaunté Wayans and Craig Wayans.

Wayans was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in early 2013.[15] In December 2015, Wayans successfully underwent brain surgery to remove a benign tumor on his pituitary gland. He retired from stand-up shortly thereafter, and spent three months recovering.[16][17]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Beverly Hills Cop Banana Man
1987 Hollywood Shuffle Body Guard No. 2 / Willie
Roxanne Jerry
1988 Colors T-Bone
Earth Girls Are Easy Zeebo
Punchline Percy
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Leonard
1990 Look Who's Talking Too Eddie Voice
1991 Script error: No such module "sort". James Alexander "Jimmy" Dix
1992 Mo' Money Johnny Stewart Also writer
1993 Last Action Hero Himself
1994 Blankman Darryl Walker / Blankman Also writer
1995 Major Payne Major Benson Winifred Payne
1996 Celtic Pride Lewis Scott
Script error: No such module "sort". James 'The Grim Reaper' Roper
Bulletproof Detective Jack Carter / Rock Keats
1999 Harlem Aria Wes
Goosed Dr. Steven Hemel
2000 Bamboozled Pierre Delacroix / Peerlees Dothan
2003 Marci X Dr. S.
2004 Behind the Smile Charlie Richman
2007 Farce of the Penguins Hey, That's My Ass! Penguin Voice
2011 Herd Mentality Jimmy Crowder Short film
2023 Cinnamon Wally

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1985–1986 Saturday Night Live Himself / various characters Main cast: Season 11 & hosted 1995 episode
1986 Triplecross Ornery Character No. 1 Television film
1987 Sweet Surrender Ray Episode: "The Holdens Go to Dinner"
A Different World Marvin Haven Episode: "War of the Words"
1989 One Night Stand Himself Episode: "Damon Wayans"
1990–1993 In Living Color Himself / various characters Main cast (seasons 1–3); recurring guest star (season 4)
1996–1997 Waynehead Template:Screen reader-only Co-creator and executive producer
1997–1998 413 Hope St. Template:Screen reader-only Co-creator and executive producer
1998 Damon Damon Thomas Main cast; also co-creator and executive producer
2001–2005 My Wife and Kids Michael Kyle Main cast; also executive producer
2004–2006 Rodney Template:Screen reader-only Co-creator and executive producer
2006 Script error: No such module "sort". Himself / various characters Main cast; also producer
Legends Bells Himself Television film
2008 Never Better Keith
2011 Happy Endings Francis Williams Episode: "Like Father, Like Gun"
2016–2019 Lethal Weapon Roger Murtaugh Main cast
2018 Happy Together Mike Davis Episode: "Like Father, Like Son"
2021 Live in Front of a Studio Audience Willis Drummond Episode: "Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life"[18]
2024–2025 Poppa's House Damon "Poppa" Fulton Lead role; also, co-creator and executive producer

Comedy specials

Year Title
1991 Damon Wayans: The Last Stand?[19]
1997 Damon Wayans: Still Standing[20]

Documentary

Year Title
2009 Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
2013 The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall[21]
2025 SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night[22]

Books

Accolades

Award Year Category Nominated work Result Template:Refh
BET Comedy Awards 2004 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series My Wife and Kids Won [23]
2005 Nominated [24]
MTV Movie Awards 1992 Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Bruce Willis) The Last Boy Scout Nominated [25]
NAACP Image Awards 2002 Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series My Wife and Kids Nominated [26]
2003 Nominated [27]
2004 Nominated [28]
2005 Nominated [29]
2024 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special Cinnamon Nominated [30]
2025 Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Poppa's House Won [31]
People's Choice Awards 2002 Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series My Wife and Kids Won [32]
2017 Favorite Actor In A New TV Series Himself Nominated [33]
Primetime Emmy Awards 1990 Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program In Living Color Nominated [34]
1991 Nominated
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1992 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program Nominated
Satellite Awards 2003 Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical My Wife and Kids Nominated [35]
2005 Nominated [36]
Teen Choice Awards 2018 Choice TV Actor: Action Lethal Weapon Nominated [37]

References

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  1. ^ You nay it how? Script error: No such module "webarchive".
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Damon Wayans Biography: Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Director, Producer (1960–)". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Tucker, Ernest (April 14, 1989). "Militant Wayans is mellowing out". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 9.
  4. ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Triangulation 175 Damon Wayans – TWiT.TV". TWiT.tv. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Keenen Ivory Wayans' Interactive Family Tree". PBS. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Shawn Wayans Biography (1971–)". filmreference.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2008.
  7. ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, January 19, 2016, PBS
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Did You Know These 13 Celebrities Were Jehovah's Witnesses?". Essence. May 24, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
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  12. ^ Interview: Damon Wayans Sr. Script error: No such module "webarchive". Joonbug.com February 14, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Munroe, Jill (October 3, 2018). "Damon Wayans Shockingly Quits 'Lethal Weapon' with Exclusive Announcement to EUR". eurweb.com. Retrieved 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.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Campione, Katie (May 2, 2024). "'Poppa's House': CBS Comedy Teaser Trailer Highlights Energetic Wayans Family Dynamic (Watch)". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
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  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Lowman, Rob (September 16, 2016). "How Damon Wayans got 'Lethal' after brain surgery". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2025. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
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  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rose, Lacey (November 19, 2021). "Kevin Hart, John Lithgow, Ann Dowd, Damon Wayans to Star in ABC's Live 'Diff'rent Strokes'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rhodes, Joe (May 19, 1991). "Damon Wayans Stands Out : Comic Drops His Stage Act to Put His Passion Into New Horizons". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New to DVD: Damon Wayans: 'Still Standing'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 28, 2006. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
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