Damon Wayans is a comedian and a multi-talented film and television star. His showbiz career dates back to the 1980s when he got to perform in several hit comedy shows most notably, Saturday Night Live. He ultimately got his breakthrough role on the sketch comedy show In Living Color, doubling as a performer and a writer.
The talented actor also headlined his self-titled sitcom Damon, which lasted for just one season and he was also the lead star of another hit sitcom, My Wife and Kids. More recently, Damon has come to be known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the Fox TV series, Lethal Weapon.
Wayans equally has some notable film credits to his name particularly in the comedy genre, some of which he co-wrote or co-produced. His big-screen credits include films like Mo’ Money, Blankman, and Major Payne. However, the multitalented actor has not recorded any movie role since 2006.
Damon Wayans Biography
Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. was born in Harlem, New York City on the 4th day of September in the year 1960. His mother Elvira Alethia (née Green) was a social worker and a singer while his father Howell Stouten Wayans earned his own living by managing a supermarket. He schooled at Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan, New York City.
Wayans began performing as a standup comedian as early as 1982. He marked his film debut with a cameo appearance in the Eddie Murphy hit comedy film, Beverly Hills Cop (1984). In 1985, he got hired as a regular performer on Saturday Night Live but unfortunately, he was fired after only 7 episodes. He also featured on the TV series Solid Gold, in addition to a few minor film roles in the late 1980s.
Damon Wayans collaborated with his older brother Keenen Wayans on the Fox sketch comedy show, In Living Color (1990–94). He doubled as a writer and a performer for the first 2 seasons but continued writing even after he stopped featuring on the show by 1992. Wayans continued pursuing his film career even during his successful run on In Living Color. He had notable roles in movies like The Last Boy Scout (1991), Mo’ Money (1992), Major Payne (1995), Celtic Pride (1996), Bulletproof (1996), and The Great White Hype (1996).
The multitalented star equally has a number of behind-the-scenes credits to his name. He doubled as co-writer and lead actor in the superhero comedy flick, Blankman (1994). He also produced two television series, Waynehead (1996-97) and 413 Hope St. (1997-98), both of which were short-lived. He was also the executive producer of the short-lived sitcom Damon (1998), in which he was the lead star.
At the turn of the century, Damon Wayans was cast as the lead character Michael Kyle on the sitcom My Wife and Kids (2001-05). He later produced and starred in a short-lived comedy series, The Underground (2006). After retiring from standup comedy in 2015, Wayans landed his next big role on the action-comedy series, Lethal Weapon (2016–18). He portrayed the show’s lead character Roger Murtaugh for 3 seasons and by October 2018, he announced his decision to leave the show.
Damon Wayans Net Worth
An over 3-decade Hollywood career is definitely expected to yield great financial gains and Damon Wayans is no exception to this fact. The multitalented actor may not have had lead roles in some of the major blockbuster films of our times, however, some of his films are known to have recorded some level of success at the box office. Wayans also has some other bankable ventures to his name in addition to his lucrative acting career and with these, he has built a net worth valued at an astonishing $35 Million.
Family and Siblings
Damon Wayans comes from a pretty large family of talented entertainers. He has 9 siblings most of whom are involved in showbiz. He has 5 sisters; Elvira, Vonnie, Nadia, Kim, and Diedre as well as 4 brothers; Marlon, Keenen, Shawn, and Dwayne.
His younger sister Kim Wayans is an actress, comedian, producer, writer, and director. Nadia Wayans is a former actress while Elvira Wayans had worked as a screenwriter in the past. Just like the Hollywood star, Damon’s older brother Keenen Ivory Wayans is an actor, comedian, and filmmaker. His younger brother Marlon Wayans is also an actor and a filmmaker. Shawn Wayans is an actor, DJ, and filmmaker.
The Wayans have recorded several collaborations among themselves in the course of their showbiz careers and the most notable of them are the 90s sketch comedy show, In Living Color, and the 2006 comedy film, Little Man.
Wife and Kids
Damon Wayans is currently unmarried though he has been married in the past. The Hollywood star had a lengthy marital union with former actress and model, Lisa Thorner. The duo tied the knot on April 24, 1984, and they have 4 children together. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2000.
Wayans’ oldest son Damon Wayans Jr. has trailed his famous father’s footsteps into showbiz. Damon Jr. marked his acting debut in the 1994 film Blankman alongside his father and the father-son duo has recorded several other collaborations ever since. Wayans’ younger son Michael Wayans and daughters Cara Mia Wayans and Kyla Wayans also have a few acting credits to their names.
