Wayans family
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The Wayans family (/ˈweɪənz/) is an American show-business family from New York City, New York. The Wayans family notably influenced the genre of parody films. Family members include siblings Dwayne, Keenen Ivory, Diedra, Damon Sr., Kim, Elvira, Nadia, Devonne, Shawn, and Marlon. The next generation includes Craig Wayans, Damon Wayans Jr., Damien Dante Wayans, Chaunté Wayans, and Gregg Wayans.
Television shows created by Wayans family members include In Living Color, The Wayans Bros., My Wife and Kids, Marlon, and Poppa's House. Films include the Scary Movie film series, Mo' Money, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, White Chicks, and Little Man.
The Wayans are one of the most influential families in entertainment history. The family was honored with the BET Comedy Icon Award at the inaugural BET Comedy Awards in 2004. In 2025, the Wayans family was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards' Hall of Fame.
History
Howell Stouten Wayans (August 26, 1936 – April 1, 2023), a supermarket manager, and his wife Elvira Alethia (née Green, July 23, 1938 – July 10, 2020), a homemaker and social worker, resided in Chelsea, New York City when they had their first child. The couple had 10 children and raised them as Jehovah's Witnesses.
Family tree
- Howell Stouten Wayans (1936 – 2023), married Elvira Alethia Green (1938 – 2020) Dwayne Howell Otis Wayans (born 1956), is a writer and film-score composer. Keenen Ivory Desuma Wayans (born 1958), is an actor, comedian, director, and writer; married/divorced Daphne Polk Jolie Ivory Imani Wayans (born 1992) Keenen Ivory Wayans Jr. (born 1998) Nala Yasmeen Ivory Wayans (born 1996) is a model. Bella Ivory Aziza Wayans (born 2001) Daphne Ivory Shiva Wayans (born 2003) Diedra Wayans (born 1959) is a screenwriter. Married Gregory Benson. Craig Mikel Wayans (born 1976) is a writer, producer, and actor. Two children with Jacinta Clement. Sage Wayans Skye Wayans Harlem Lewis Wayans Jordan Wayans Gregg Wayans (born 1988) is an actor. Khamani Wayans Damon Kyle Wayans (born 1960) is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer; married/divorced Lisa Thorner. Damon Kyle Wayans Jr. (born 1982) is an actor and comedian; had two children with ex Aja Metoyer and four children with wife Samara Saraiv and two grandchildren. Amara Wayans (born 2003) Aniya Wayans (born 2004) Berlyn Wayans (born 2005) Itali (born 2023) Michael Wayans (born 1985). Longtime partner of Vanessa Simmons. Ava Wayans (born 2014) Cara Mia Wayans (born 1987) Kyla Wayans (born 1981) Kimberly "Kim" Nichole Wayans (born 1961) is a television and film actress; married Kevin Knotts. Elvira Wayans (born 1964) is a screenwriter. Damien Dante Wayans (born 1980) is an actor, screenwriter, producer and director. Chaunté Wayans (born 1982) is an actress and stand-up comedian; married to Marshay Nicole. Nadia Wayans (born 1965) is a former actress. Devonne Wayans (born 1966) is a former screenwriter. Shawn Mathis Wayans (born 1971) is an actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Had three children with ex-girlfriend Ursula Alberto. Laila Wayans (born 1999) is a musician, and former member of the band Been Stellar. Ilia Wayans (born 2002) is a director. Marlon "Mar" Wayans (born 2004) Marlon Lamont Wayans (born 1972) is an actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Had two children with ex Angela Zackery. Had one child with ex Brittany Moreland. Kai Zackery Wayans (born 2000) Shawn Howell Wayans (born 2002) Axl July Ivory Wayans (born 2022)
Works
Film
Films with the involvement of more than one member of the Wayans family:
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Starring | Close contributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Hollywood Shuffle | No | Keenen | No | Keenen, Damon, Kim | Robert Townsend, John Witherspoon, Paul Mooney, Anne-Marie Johnson, Bobby McGee, Carl Alan Craig (p/a) |
| Eddie Murphy: Raw | No | Keenen (opening sketch) | No | Kim, Damien | Robert Townsend | |
| 1988 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Keenen | Keenen | No | Keenen, Damon, Kim, Shawn, Marlon, Nadia | David Alan Grier, John Witherspoon, Anne-Marie Johnson, Bobby McGee, Carl Alan Craig (p/a), Eric L. Gold (p), Tamara Rawitt (p) |
| 1992 | Mo' Money | No | Damon | Damon | Damon, Marlon | Bernie Mac, Carl Alan Craig (p), Eric L. Gold (p) |
| 1994 | Blankman | No | Damon | Damon | Damon, Michael, Damon Jr., Cara | David Alan Grier, Eric L. Gold (p) |
| A Low Down Dirty Shame | Keenen | Keenen | No | Keenen, Kim | Eric L. Gold (p), Lee R. Mayes (p) | |
| 1995 | Major Payne | No | Damon | Damon | Damon, Damien | Eric L. Gold (p) |
| 1996 | Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood | No | Shawn, Marlon | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Shawn, Marlon, Keenen | Bernie Mac, Eric L. Gold (p) |
| 2000 | Scary Movie | Keenen | Shawn, Marlon | No | Shawn, Marlon, Keenen | Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Lochlyn Munro, Dave Sheridan, Jon Abrahams, Phil Beauman (w), Buddy Johnson (w), Eric L. Gold (p), Lee R. Mayes (p) |
| 2001 | Scary Movie 2 | Keenen | Shawn, Marlon | Shawn, Marlon | Shawn, Marlon, Keenen | Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Chris Elliott, Alyson Fouse (w), Michael Anthony Snowden (w), Rick Alvarez (p), Eric L. Gold (p), Lee R. Mayes (p) |
| 2004 | White Chicks | Keenen | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Shawn, Marlon | Terry Crews, Lochlyn Munro, Heather McDonald, Xavier Cook (w), Michael Anthony Snowden (w), Rick Alvarez (p), Lee R. Mayes (p) |
| 2006 | Little Man | Keenen | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Shawn, Marlon, Damien | David Alan Grier, John Witherspoon, Lochlyn Munro, Dave Sheridan, Kelly Coffield Park, Rick Alvarez (p), Lee R. Mayes (p) |
| Behind the Smile (unreleased) | Damon | Damon | Damon | Marlon, Damon | Terry Crews, Lochlyn Munro | |
| 2009 | Dance Flick | Damien | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon, Craig, Damien | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Damon Jr., Shawn, Marlon, Keenen, Kim, Craig, Chaunté, Michael, Cara, Gregg | George O. Gore II, David Alan Grier, Chris Elliott, Essence Atkins, Lochlyn Munro, Heather McDonald, Phil Beauman, Rick Alvarez (p), Michael Tiddes (p) |
| 2014 | A Haunted House 2 | No | Marlon | Marlon | Marlon, Gregg | Dave Sheridan, Essence Atkins, Rick Alvarez (w/p), Michael Tiddes (p/d) |
| 2016 | Fifty Shades of Black | No | Marlon | Marlon | Marlon, Chaunté, Gregg | Dave Sheridan, Rick Alvarez (w/p), Michael Tiddes (p/d) |
| 2026 | Scary Movie | No | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Keenen, Shawn, Marlon, Craig | Shawn, Marlon, Damon Jr., Kim, Gregg, Craig, Ilia, Mar, Shawn Howell, Axl, Keeanu | Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Chris Elliott, Lochlyn Munro, Dave Sheridan, Jon Abrahams, Rick Alvarez (w/p), Michael Tiddes (d) |
Television
Television series with the involvement of more than one member of the Wayans family:
| Year(s) | Title | Director(s) | Creator(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Starring | Close contributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1993 | In Living Color | No | Keenen | Keenen, Damon, Kim, Marlon, Shawn | Keenen | Keenen, Damon, Kim, Marlon, Shawn | David Alan Grier, Kelly Coffield Park, Paul Mooney (w), Tamara Rawitt (p) |
| 1995–1998 | The Wayans Bros. | Marlon | Marlon, Shawn | Marlon, Shawn, Craig | Marlon, Shawn | Marlon, Shawn, Kim | John Witherspoon, Kelly Coffield Park, Essence Atkins, Bernie Mac, Phil Beauman (w/a), Buddy Johnson (w), Xavier Cook (w/p), Eric L. Gold (p) |
| 1996–1997 | Waynehead | No | Damon | Damon | Damon | Marlon, Shawn, Kim | David Alan Grier, John Witherspoon, Eric L. Gold (p) |
| 1997–1998 | 413 Hope St. | No | Damon | Damon | Damon | Damien | Kelly Coffield Park |
| 2001–2005 | My Wife and Kids | Damien, Kim, Craig | Damon | Damon, Kim, Craig, Damien, Damon Jr., Elvira | Damon, Craig, Kim, Damien | Damon, Damon Jr., Michael, Cara, Kyla, Keenen | George O. Gore II, David Alan Grier, Terry Crews, Kelly Coffield Park, Buddy Johnson (w/a/p), Alyson Fouse (w), Eric L. Gold (p) |
| 2006 | The Underground | Damon, Damien | Damon | Damon, Damien, Damon Jr. | Damon, Damien | Damon, Damon Jr. | |
| 2011–2013 | Happy Endings | No | No | No | No | Damon, Damon Jr. | David Alan Grier |
| 2013 | Second Generation Wayans | No | Damien, Craig | Damien, Craig | Marlon, Damien, Craig | Damien, Craig, Marlon, Damon Jr. | George O. Gore II (w/a), Regina Hall, Terry Crews, Jon Abrahams, Alyson Fouse (w/p), Xavier Cook (w), Rick Alvarez (p) |
| 2014 | Funniest Wins | No | Craig | No | No | Marlon, Damon Jr. | Rick Alvarez (p) |
| 2017–2018 | Marlon | No | Marlon | Marlon, Craig | Marlon, Craig | Marlon, Gregg, Kim | Essence Atkins |
| 2020 | Happy Together | No | No | Craig | Craig | Damon, Damon Jr. | |
| 2020 | The Last O.G. | No | No | Keenen | Keenen, Craig | No | |
| 2023–present | Raid the Cage | No | No | No | Damon Jr., Michael | Damon Jr. | |
| 2024–2025 | Poppa's House | Kim, Damien | Damon | Damon, Kim, Shawn, Michael, Cara, Kyla, Amara, Aniya, Keenen Jr. | Damon, Damon Jr., Kim, Shawn | Damon, Damon Jr., Marlon, Amara, Gregg, Michael, Kim | Essence Atkins, Phil Beauman (w/a/p) |
Specials
Television/streaming specials with the involvement of more than one member of the Wayans family:
| Year(s) | Title | Director(s) | Creator(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Starring | Close contributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime | No | N/A | Keenen | No | Keenen, Damon, Kim | John Witherspoon, Anne-Marie Johnson, Paul Mooney, Carl Alan Craig (p/a), Bobby McGee |
| 1988 | Take No Prisoners: Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime II | No | N/A | Keenen | No | Damon, Kim, Shawn, Marlon | David Alan Grier, John Witherspoon, Paul Mooney, Carl Alan Craig (p) |
| 1989 | One Night Stand - "Damon Wayans" | No | No | Damon | No | Damon, Damon Jr., Michael | Carl Alan Craig (p) |
| The Mutiny Has Just Begun: Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime III | No | N/A | No | No | Damon, Marlon | David Alan Grier, Anne-Marie Johnson, Bobby McGee, John Witherspoon, Carl Alan Craig (p/a) | |
| Playing the Nutroll: Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime IV | No | N/A | No | No | Damon, Shawn | John Witherspoon, Carl Alan Craig (p) | |
| 1993 | Soul Train Comedy Awards | No | No | Keenen, Damon, Kim, Marlon, Shawn | No | Keenen, Damon, Kim, Marlon, Shawn | David Alan Grier, John Witherspoon |
| 1998 | Comics Come Home 4 | No | No | Marlon, Shawn | No | Marlon, Shawn | |
| 2000 | 2000 MTV Video Music Awards | No | No | Marlon, Shawn, Craig | No | Marlon, Shawn | Phil Beauman (w), Buddy Johnson (w), Alyson Fouse (w) |
| 2004 | BET Comedy Awards | No | No | No | No | Keenen, Damon, Marlon, Elvira Green Wayans | David Alan Grier, Xavier Cook (w), Michael Anthony Snowden (w) |
| 2006 | BET Awards 2006 | No | No | Damon Jr. | No | Damon, Keenen, Shawn, Marlon | Michael Anthony Snowden (w) |
| Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness | Shawn | Keenen | Keenen, Marlon, Shawn | Keenen, Marlon, Shawn | Kim, Shawn | George O. Gore II, David Alan Grier, Heather McDonald, Michael Anthony Snowden (w) | |
| A Boo Crew Christmas: A Miracle on D-Roc's Street | Shawn | Keenen, Marlon, Shawn | Keenen, Marlon, Shawn | Keenen, Marlon, Shawn | Kim, Marlon, Shawn, Craig | George O. Gore II, David Alan Grier, John Witherspoon, Lochlyn Munro, Jon Abrahams, Heather McDonald, Buddy Johnson (w/a), Michael Anthony Snowden (w) | |
| 2022 | Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners | No | N/A | Marlon, Chaunté | Marlon | Marlon, Chaunté | |
| 2024 | Marlon Wayans: Good Grief | No | N/A | Marlon | Marlon, Craig | Marlon | Rick Alvarez (p) |
| 2025 | 56th NAACP Image Awards | No | No | No | No | Damon, Kim, Marlon, Damon Jr., Craig, Damien, Chaunté | David Alan Grier |
Solo projects
These are movies, TV shows, and TV specials starring a member of the Wayans family in a prominent role that do not feature major involvement from other members of the Wayans family:
- Keenen Ivory Wayans A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994, also writer/director) The Glimmer Man (1996) Most Wanted (1997, also writer/producer) The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show (1997–1998, also writer/producer)
- Damon Wayans Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) Damon Wayans: The Last Stand (1991, also writer/producer) The Last Boy Scout (1991) Mo' Money (1992, also writer/producer) Blankman (1994, also writer/producer) Major Payne (1995, also writer/producer) Celtic Pride (1996) The Great White Hype (1996) Bulletproof (1996) Damon Wayans: Still Standing (1997, also writer/producer) Damon (1998, also co-creator/writer/producer) Harlem Aria (1999, also producer) Bamboozled (2000) Marci X (2003) Premium Blend (2005) Damon Wayans: Way Out (2008, also writer/producer) Lethal Weapon (2016–2019)
- Kim Wayans In the House (1995–1998) Juwanna Mann (2002) Reckless (2014) Pariah (2011)
- Marlon Wayans Above the Rim (1994) The Sixth Man (1997) Senseless (1998) Requiem for a Dream (2000) Dungeons & Dragons (2000) A Haunted House (2013, also writer/producer) A Haunted House 2 (2014, also writer/producer) I Can Do That (2015, also producer) Fifty Shades of Black (2016, also writer/producer) Naked (2017, also writer/producer) Marlon Wayans: Woke-ish (2018, also writer/producer) Sextuplets (2019, also writer/producer) Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is (2021, also writer/producer) The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022, also producer) Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me (2023, also writer/producer) Him (2025)
- Damon Wayans Jr. New Girl (2011, 2013–2015, 2016, 2018) Let's Be Cops (2014) Someone Marry Barry (2014)
Production companies
Some production incarnations/vanity cards include:
- Ivory Way Productions, a production company by Keenen.
- Wife 'N Kids Productions, a production company by Damon.
- Nu Systems Productions, a production company by Damon.
- BabyWay Productions, a production company by Marlon.
- Next to Last Productions, a production company by Shawn.
- Wayans Bros. Entertainment, a joint production between Keenen, Shawn, and Marlon.
- Amara Production Films, a production company by Damon.
- Second Generations Productions, a production company by Damien Dante.
- Wayans Alvarez Productions, a joint production between Marlon and Rick Alvarez.
- Two Shakes Entertainment, a production company by Damon Jr.
- Ugly Baby Productions, a production company by Marlon.