“When are we gonna get a Wayans family documentary?” is a question that finds itself on the timeline of Black Twitter at least once every few months, always bringing with it the yearning for giving flowers to our greats and the curiosity for what has been the hold up.
The Wayans Family has singlehandedly been laying down their roots deep within the fabric of Black culture and artistry for over 30 years, securing their legacy amongst the greats while often being referred to as the Jackson’s of comedy. Siblings Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Kim Wayans are set to be inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame and honored at this year’s 56th NAACP Image Awards, as they celebrate their historic contributions while also passing the well lit torch on to their next tier of comedic and creative geniuses such as Damon Wayans, Jr., Chaunte Wayans, and Damien Wayans, son of Elvira.
Most of us were introduced to the Wayans legacy on In Living Color, the urban improv hit television show of the 90s that gave us everything we couldn’t get from Saturday Night Live and Mad TV. But, before Homey the Clown, the work was already being done to make sure that “Wayans” is a name that will be echoed throughout time with the greatest’s.
In the early years, prior to In Living Color, second eldest brother Keenan dropped out of school at the prestigious Tuskegee University to pursue his dream of stand-up comedy. It was on the streets of the stand-up circuit where he would be introduced to future legend Robert Townsend. The two instantly hit it off and would go on to create “Hollywood Shuffle” together, building a bridge to their next hit film, in pure Blaxploitation style “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka”.
The Wayans were raised on sticking together and looking out for each other, but with 10 siblings in a small apartment, how could you not? Keenan, being the original Hollywood business brain of the crew and the first to really branch out on his own, knew that wherever he went, he was taking the family with him. Almost every one of his siblings had prominent and regular characters on In Living Color, and even the ones who didn’t aspire to be on screen played significant roles in the background of making the show and the Wayans dynasty, what it is today.
While Keenan spearheaded the movement, his brothers and sisters weren’t far behind. Damon solidified himself in the sketch comedy world with characters such as Homey The Clown and one half of “Men on Film,” where he played a flamboyant film critic alongside David Allen Grier. Post In Living Color, Damon went on to have a successful career as an actor and comedian on the big screen in films such as “Major Payne” and primetime television shows such as “My Wife and Kids” where him and tv wife Tisha Campbell displayed undeniable chemistry, to his current show “Poppa’s House” where he shares the screen with his son/protégé’ Damon Wayans, Jr. as a radio jock re-establishing himself as a recent middle age divorcee.
Kim, the only 1st string female sibling to pursue an on-screen career, is one of the most underrated Wayans, in my opinion. My favorite character of hers was “Benita Butrell”. She would hang out of the window of her New York City brownstone, giving very much 227 and Women of Brewster Place vibes where she would deliver the best gossip and the hottest tea from the block, topping it off with a little “But you ain’t heard that from me.” After In Living Color, Kim didn’t go after as many comedy opportunities as her brothers, but was a phenomenal example of the transition that can happen when take the leap from comedy to drama, as she portrayed in the 2011 award-winning film Pariah.
Marlon and Shawn, the babies of the tribe, went on to create The Wayans Brothers, one of the funniest sitcoms of the late 90’s to early 2000’s, being syndicated around the same time as The Jaime Foxx Show, their former In Living Color co-star. From The Wayans Brothers came the cult classic “White Chicks” and the franchise “Scary Movie”, cementing the Wayans as a force to be reckoned with in comedy. Marlon is still very active in the on-screen community, taking after his big sister Kim and pursuing roles outside of the comedy sphere such as his characters in “Aretha” and “Bel-Air”.
In Living Color premiered in 1990, catapulting the careers of many non-Wayans artists from all demographics such as Jim Carrey, Kelly Collfield, Anne-Marie Johnson, Tommy Davidson, Jamie Foxx, David Alan Grier, T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh, Rosie Perez, Kim Coles, and yes even Jennifer Lopez (amongst many others).
Without the Wayans family and the platform they provided through In Living Color and beyond, would we have ever had Ace Ventura Pet Detective, had we not first had Fire Marshall Bill? Or would we ever be introduced to THE Jaime Foxx, the musical and theatrical genius triple-threat genius that he is, had we not met “Wanda” first? I guess we’ll never know.
But what we do know is that the Wayans family are beyond Black royalty. They are an undisputed dynasty not just of comedy but of community. Stretching across genres and generations, they are our ancestors’ wildest dreams, personifying the place where Black joy always prevails.
Previous inductees into the NAACP Hall of Fame include New Edition, Eddie Murphy, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Spike Lee and Earth Wind and Fire.
