Damon Wayans Biography

Damon Wayans was born in 1960 in New York City.  Wayans grew up in a household with nine siblings, many of whom have also gone on to pursue careers in entertainment. Wayans began performing stand-up when he was in his early 20’s, and within a few years he’d earned a small role in the film Beverly Hills Cop (1984.) Brief roles on Saturday Night Live and a few other television shows followed, until in 1990, Wayans co-created and joined the cast of In Living Color.

The Emmy Award winning show In Living Color launched Wayans career and gave audiences some of his most memorable characters: Whiz, Homey D. Clown, Mr. Headley, Anton, Oswald Bates, Handi-Man, and Reverend Ed Cash, to name a few. Damon remained with the show for two years, after which time he found himself in high demand for film and television. Following his departure from the show, Wayans appeared in a number of films, including: The Last Boy Scout, Mo’ Money, Last Action Hero, Blankman, Major Payne, Celtic Pride, The Great White Hype, and Bulletproof.

In the new millennium, Damon Wayans has not only appeared in a number of films (including: Bamboozled, Marci X, and Farce of the Penguins, for example), but has also starred in the television series My Wife and Kids. The television show has earned Wayans four Golden Satellite Award nominations. He has also recently launched a career as a writer, with his highly successful novel Red Hats.

Today, Damon Wayans has focused his career on film and television, appearing in the television version of Lethal Weapon for the show’s firs three seasons. Wayans has also launched the company MIMS (“Money in My Sleep”) to help freelancers to create technological apps. The company continues to grow and has led to the development of successful apps such as Flick Dat.