Damon Wayans
RETURN TO INDEX
Born Name:
Damon Kyle Wayans
Born Date: September 4, 1960
Born Place: New York City
Died Date:
Died Place:
Occupations: Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer
Brief Biography: Damon Wayans is a core member of the famous Wayans family of entertainers. Born in 1960, he rose to prominence in the 1990s as a vital force in the sketch comedy series In Living Color. He is also widely known for starring in the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids and his film hits like Major Payne.
Early Life & Stand-Up Beginnings:
Damon Kyle Wayans grew up in a large family with ten siblings in a low-income household. During his childhood, he suffered from a club foot, which often made him a target for bullies and led to his early placement in special education classes. He learned to use humor as a defense mechanism and dropped out of high school to pursue stand-up comedy. He began performing on the comedy club circuit in 1982, drawing heavily on his difficult upbringing for material.
Breakthrough & Television Success:
Wayans gained national exposure when he was cast as a featured player on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1985. He made headlines—and was fired from the show—after changing his assigned character mid-skit on live television to push for more creative freedom. His true breakthrough came in 1990 when he joined his brother Keenen Ivory Wayans on the pioneering FOX sketch comedy show In Living Color. Becoming one of the show's most recognizable faces, Wayans created fan-favorite characters such as Handi-Man, Homey the Clown, and Blaine Edwards.
Film & Sitcom Stardom:
Capitalizing on his sketch comedy success, Wayans transitioned to movies and television. He starred in and wrote several notable comedy films, including: The Last Boy Scout (1991), Mo' Money (1992), Blankman (1994), and Major Payne (1995). In 2001, Wayans cemented himself as a sitcom icon by co-creating and starring as the loving but strict patriarch Michael Kyle in the ABC series My Wife and Kids, which ran until 2005. He later returned to network television as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Fox action-comedy series Lethal Weapon (2016–2019).
Later Career:
Wayans has authored a humorous book, Bootleg (1999), and continues to tour the country performing stand-up comedy. He co-created and co-starred in the CBS sitcom Poppa's House alongside his son, actor and comedian Damon Wayans Jr..
Born Date: September 4, 1960
Born Place: New York City
Died Date:
Died Place:
Occupations: Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer
Brief Biography: Damon Wayans is a core member of the famous Wayans family of entertainers. Born in 1960, he rose to prominence in the 1990s as a vital force in the sketch comedy series In Living Color. He is also widely known for starring in the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids and his film hits like Major Payne.
Early Life & Stand-Up Beginnings:
Damon Kyle Wayans grew up in a large family with ten siblings in a low-income household. During his childhood, he suffered from a club foot, which often made him a target for bullies and led to his early placement in special education classes. He learned to use humor as a defense mechanism and dropped out of high school to pursue stand-up comedy. He began performing on the comedy club circuit in 1982, drawing heavily on his difficult upbringing for material.
Breakthrough & Television Success:
Wayans gained national exposure when he was cast as a featured player on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1985. He made headlines—and was fired from the show—after changing his assigned character mid-skit on live television to push for more creative freedom. His true breakthrough came in 1990 when he joined his brother Keenen Ivory Wayans on the pioneering FOX sketch comedy show In Living Color. Becoming one of the show's most recognizable faces, Wayans created fan-favorite characters such as Handi-Man, Homey the Clown, and Blaine Edwards.
Film & Sitcom Stardom:
Capitalizing on his sketch comedy success, Wayans transitioned to movies and television. He starred in and wrote several notable comedy films, including: The Last Boy Scout (1991), Mo' Money (1992), Blankman (1994), and Major Payne (1995). In 2001, Wayans cemented himself as a sitcom icon by co-creating and starring as the loving but strict patriarch Michael Kyle in the ABC series My Wife and Kids, which ran until 2005. He later returned to network television as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Fox action-comedy series Lethal Weapon (2016–2019).
Later Career:
Wayans has authored a humorous book, Bootleg (1999), and continues to tour the country performing stand-up comedy. He co-created and co-starred in the CBS sitcom Poppa's House alongside his son, actor and comedian Damon Wayans Jr..