Damon Wayans Biography (1960-)

Born September 4, 1960, in New York, NY; son of Howell (a retail manager) andElvira (a homemaker) Wayans; brother of Keenen Ivory Wayans (an actor, director, writer, and producer), Marlon Wayans (an actor), Shawn Wayans (an actor), and Kim Wayans (an actress); married Lisa Thorner, April 24, 1984 (divorcedAugust, 2000); children: Damon, Jr., Michael Richard, Cara Mia Dianne, LisaKyla Alexandria. Addresses: Agent: International Creative Management,8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.; Publicist: Tencer & Associates PR, 9777 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 504, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Contact: Mosaic Media Group, 9220 Sunset Blvd., Suite 320, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, writer, producer
Birth Details: September 4, 1960; New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Banana salesman, Beverly Hills Cop, Paramount, 1984
Second bodyguard and Willie, Hollywood Shuffle (also known as Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle), Samuel Goldwyn, 1987
Jerry, Roxanne, Columbia, 1987
Child running in house, Eddie Murphy Raw, Paramount, 1987
T-Bone, Colors, Orion, 1988
Leonard, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1988
Percy, Punchline, Columbia, 1988
Zeebo, Earth Girls Are Easy, Vestron, 1989
Voice of Eddie, Look Who's Talking Too, TriStar, 1990
Jimmy Dix, The Last Boy Scout, Warner Bros., 1991
Johnny Stewart and Mo' Money Allstars member, Mo' Money, Columbia,1992
Himself, Last Action Hero, Columbia, 1993
Young Kevin Walker and Darryl Walker, Blankman, Columbia, 1994
Title Role, Major Payne, Universal, 1995
Keats/Jack Carter, Bulletproof, Universal, 1996
Lewis Scott, Celtic Pride, Buena Vista, 1996
James "The Grim Reaper" Roper, The Great White Hype, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1996
Wes, Harlem Aria, 1999
Pierre Delacroix, formerly Peerless Dothan, Bamboozled, New Line Cinema, 2000
Himself, All Jokes Aside, 2000
The Making of "Bamboozled," 2001
Film Executive Producer
Mo' Money, Columbia, 1992
Blankman, Columbia, 1994
Major Payne, Universal, 1995
Film Producer
Harlem Aria, 1999
Television Appearances
Series
Saturday Night Live (also known as SNL), NBC, 1985-1986
In Living Color, Fox, 1990-1993
Himself, Damon, Fox, 1998
Michael Kyle, My Wife and Kids, ABC, 2001-
Movies
Ornery character #1, Triplecross, 1985
"Snow" Lurcher, Passing Glory, TNT, 1999
Dr. Steven Hamel, Goosed, The Movie Channel, 2000
Pilots
Tech support guy, I Spike, UPN, 2000
Specials
"Take No Prisoners: Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime II," HBOComedy Hour, HBO, 1988
"The Mutiny Has Just Begun: Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime III," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1989
Host, Miller Lite Comedy Search Finals, 1989
Motown 30: What's Goin' On!, CBS, 1990
"Damon Wayans: The Last Stand?," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1991

A Comedy Salute to Michael Jordan, NBC, 1991
Comic Relief V, HBO, 1992
The Comedy Store's 20th Birthday, NBC, 1992
Laughing Matters (also known as Funny Business), Showtime,1993
(In archive footage) Himself/Minister Louis Farrakan, Mo' Funny Blues:Black Comedy in America, 1993
20 Years of Comedy on HBO, HBO, 1995
Host, MTV's Spring Break '95, MTV, 1995
Himself, Classic Stand-Up Comedy of Television, 1996
"Damon Wayans: Still Standing," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1997
The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize Celebrating the Humor of Richard Pryor, Comedy Central, 1999
Himself, Intimate Portrait: Robin Givens, Lifetime, 2000
Host, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2000, TNT, 2000
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Michael Kyle, Victoria Secret's Fashion Show, 2001
Himself, Inside TV Land; African Americans in Television, TV Land,2002
Awards Presentations
MTV's 1990 Video Music Awards, MTV, 1990
American Music Awards, ABC, 1991
Presenter, The 1992 MTV Movie Awards, 1992
Presenter, MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1994
Presenter, 13th Annual MTV Video Music Awards, MTV, 1996
Presenter, 4th Annual VH1 Honors, VH1, 1997
Presenter, Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, 1997
American Comedy Honors, Fox, 1997
Presenter, The 19th Annual CableAce Awards, TNT, 1997
Presenter, The 1998 World Music Awards, ABC, 1998
Presenter, The 12th Annual American Comedy Awards, Fox, 1998
Host, The World Music Awards, ABC, 1999
The 1999 ALMA Awards, ABC, 1999
Presenter, My VH1 Music Awards, VH1, 2001
Presenter, The 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, 2002
Presenter, The 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 2002
Episodic
Marvin Haven, "War of the Words," A Different World, 1987
One Night Stand, HBO, 1989
Guest, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 1997
Bod Squad, Jenny Jones, 1998
Himself, "Redd Foxx: Say It Like It Is," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2000
Primetime Glick, Comedy Central, 2001
Also appeared as Shawn, Norm, ABC; Greg Barnes, 413 Hope St., Fox; NYPD Blue, ABC.
Television Executive Producer
Series
Waynehead (animated), The WB, 1996-1997
(And creator) 413 Hope Street, Fox, 1997
(And creator) Damon, Fox, 1998
(And creator) My Wife and Kids, ABC, 2001-
Television Work
Pilots
Worked as executive producer and creator, Weekend Dad, ABC.
Television Executive Producer
Specials
"Damon Wayans: The Last Stand?" HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1991
"Damon Wayans: Still Standing," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1997
RECORDINGS
Music Videos
Appeared in music video "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, and Bell Biv Devoe, and in Will Smith's "Just the Twoof Us"; director of "She's Not My Lover."
WRITINGS
Screenplays
Mo' Money, Columbia, 1992
Blankman (from story), Columbia, 1994
Major Payne, Universal, 1995
Television Episodes
(With others) In Living Color, Fox, 1990-1992
413 Hope Street, Fox, 1997
Damon, Fox, 1998
(With others) My Wife and Kids, ABC, 2001-
Television Specials
"Damon Wayans: Still Standing," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1997
Books
Bootleg, HarperCollins, 1999

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 8, Gale Research, 1994
Newsmakers 1998, Issue 4, Gale Group, 1998

Periodicals

Jet, September 11, 2000, p. 14; December 11, 2000, p. 30; April 2,2001, p. 60; January 28, 2002, p. 56
People Weekly, April 10, 1995, p. 130; April 13, 1998, p. 156

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