Damon Wayans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Damon Wayans Sr.
Wayans in 2008
Birth name	Damon Kyle Wayans
Born	(1960-09-04) September 4, 1960 (age 64) New York City, U.S.
Medium	Film stand-up television
Years active	1982–present
Genres	Observational comedy black comedy political satire
Subject(s)	Family marriage American politics everyday life
Spouse	Lisa Thorner ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 2000)​
Children	4, including Damon Wayans Jr.
Relative(s)	See Wayans family

Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. (born September 4, 1960) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He started his career in the 1980s. He was a cast member on the TV show Saturday Night Live.

Later, he became a writer and performer on the popular sketch comedy show In Living Color. He also created his own animated series Waynehead and a TV series called Damon. Damon Wayans has starred in many movies and TV shows. Some of these include Mo Money, The Last Boy Scout, Major Payne, Bulletproof, and the sitcom My Wife and Kids. From 2016 to 2019, he played Roger Murtaugh in the TV series Lethal Weapon. He is part of the famous Wayans family of entertainers.

Early Life and Family

Damon Wayans was born in Harlem, New York City. His mother, Elvira Alethia Green, was a homemaker, singer, and social worker. His father, Howell Stouten Wayans, managed a supermarket.

Damon has five sisters: Elvira, Vonnie, Nadia, Kim, and Diedra. He also has four brothers: Keenen, Marlon, Shawn, and Dwayne. When he was a child, he had a club foot. This detail was later used for characters he played in My Wife and Kids and the cartoon series Waynehead. Wayans went to Murry Bergtraum High School.

Comedy and Acting Career

Damon Wayans began his stand-up comedy career in 1982. His first movie role was a small part in the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy.

From 1985 to 1986, he was a featured player on Saturday Night Live. He left the show after eleven episodes. He later said he wanted to leave because he felt he didn't have enough creative freedom.

In Living Color and Film Roles

Damon Wayans and his brother Keenen created the sketch comedy series In Living Color. This show featured a cast that was mostly African-American. It first aired in April 1990 and ran until May 1994. Damon left the show in 1992 to focus on his film career.

After In Living Color, he starred in several movies. These included Mo' Money, The Last Boy Scout, Major Payne, Celtic Pride, and Bulletproof. He also wrote and starred in the movie Blankman. He was even considered for the role of the Riddler in Batman Forever. That role eventually went to Jim Carrey, who was also on In Living Color.

Television Shows and Books

In 1996, Damon Wayans produced Waynehead, a cartoon for The WB network. The show was loosely based on his own childhood. It was about a poor boy with a club foot and only lasted one season. From 1997 to 1998, he was an executive producer for the drama series 413 Hope St. on the FOX network.

In 1998, he starred in the comedy TV series Damon, playing a detective in Chicago. In 1999, his book Bootleg became a New York Times bestseller. It was a funny collection of his thoughts about family life.

In 2000, he starred in Spike Lee's film Bamboozled. From 2001 to 2005, Wayans played the main character, Michael Kyle, in the ABC comedy series My Wife and Kids. He also helped create the sitcom Rodney, which ran from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, he produced and starred in the sketch comedy series The Underground on Showtime. His son, Damon Wayans Jr., also appeared in this show.

Wayans performing stand-up comedy in 2007

In 2011, Wayans wrote a fictional novel called Red Hats. It tells the story of a 65-year-old woman who finds friendship and happiness by joining the Red Hat Society. He also developed mobile apps with his company "MIMS" (Money in My Sleep). Some of their apps include Flick Dat, Diddeo, and VHedz.

In 2015, Wayans announced he would retire from stand-up comedy. However, in 2016, he was cast as Roger Murtaugh in the TV show Lethal Weapon. This role was originally played by Danny Glover in the movies. He left Lethal Weapon in 2018, and the show ended in 2019. Wayans is set to return to TV in 2024 with his son Damon Jr. in a CBS sitcom called Poppa's House.

Awards and Recognition

Damon Wayans received four Emmy awards nominations for his acting and writing on In Living Color.

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

Personal Life

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

Filmography

Film

Television

Documentary

See also

In Spanish: Damon Wayans para niños