Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans | |
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Born | Marlon Lamont Wayans July 23, 1972 New York City, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1988–present |
Partner(s) | Angela Zackery (1992–2013) |
Children | 2 |
Family | Wayans family |
Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his work with his brother Shawn Wayans on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. (1995–1999), and in the comedy films Don't Be a Menace (1996), Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), White Chicks (2004), Little Man (2006), and Dance Flick (2009).
Wayans has appeared in other films including Above the Rim (1994), The 6th Man (1997), Norbit (2007), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), The Heat (2013), A Haunted House (2013) and its sequel A Haunted House 2 (2014), Naked (2017), Fifty Shades of Black (2016), Sextuplets (2019), and On the Rocks (2020). Wayans had a dramatic role in the psychological drama film Requiem for a Dream (2000), which saw his departure from the usual comedies.
Wayans partnered with Randy Adams to create What the Funny, an online destination for urban comedy. He created the comedy competition television show Funniest Wins, which aired on TBS in 2014. In 2014, Wayans and his brothers traveled the U.S. with "The Wayans Brothers Tour". In 2017, he co-wrote and starred in his own NBC sitcom Marlon, which ran for two seasons.
Early life
Wayans was born in New York City, the son of Elvira Alethia (Green), a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager. He was raised in Fulton Houses, a housing project in New York City, the youngest of ten siblings. He is the brother of Nadia, Shawn, Keenen Ivory, Damon, Dwayne, and Kim. His family were Jehovah's Witnesses. Wayans went to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, the school made famous in Fame. After graduating from high school, he attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., but dropped out after two years.
Career
Between 1992 and 1993, Wayans appeared with his siblings on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. From 1995 until 1999, he co-starred in the WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. with his brother Shawn Wayans. He was originally considered for the role of Robin in the 1992 film Batman Returns, however it was felt that the film featured too many characters, so the character was omitted from that film. Wayans was then formally signed for the role in the 1995 sequel Batman Forever to play opposite Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face, but the mid-production change in directors from Tim Burton to Joel Schumacher would result in both parts being recast and Wayans being paid out (Williams was not yet signed on, but he received a penalty fee as his contract for Batman allowed him the option of reprise), for which he still receives some royalty payments to this day. He was replaced by Chris O'Donnell. In August 2021, a comic book adaptation of the original concept, Batman '89, began publication, by DC Entertainment, using Wayans' likeness for Robin with his permission, their civilian identity renamed Drake Winston.
Wayans produced the first two films of the Scary Movie series, in which he and Shawn were credited writers and co-stars. Those films were released in 2000 and 2001. In 2000, Wayans appeared as Tyrone C. Love in Requiem for a Dream and as Snails in Dungeons & Dragons. That same year, he and brother Shawn hosted the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Wayans also produced the Nickelodeon cartoon series Thugaboo. In 2017, NBC gave him his own sitcom, Marlon, for a 10-episode run. In September 2017, Marlon got renewed for a second season by NBC, which is now available on Netflix.
Also in September 2017, Variety announced that Wayans would be partnering up with LA-based entertainment company Shots Studios to launch his own YouTube channel. He has appeared in videos alongside creators such as Anwar Jibawi and Hannah Stocking. In 2020, Wayans signed a deal with HBO Max.
Personal life
Wayans was in a long-term relationship with Angela Zackery from 1992 to 2013, and although he once referred to Zackery as his "ex-wife", Wayans remarked in 2021 that he had never married. They have two children: Kai Zackery Wayans (born 'Amai Zackery Wayans', May 24, 2000) and Shawn Howell Wayans (b. February 3, 2002). Wayans was close friends with rapper Tupac Shakur until his death in 1996. He is also a longtime friend of actor Omar Epps.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1988 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Pedestrian | |
1992 | Mo' Money | Seymour Stewart | |
1994 | Above the Rim | Bugaloo | |
1996 | Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood | Loc Dog | Also writer |
1997 | The 6th Man | Kenny Tyler | |
1998 | Senseless | Darryl Witherspoon | |
2000 | Requiem for a Dream | Tyrone C. Love | |
Scary Movie | Shorty Meeks | Also writer | |
The Tangerine Bear | Louie Blue (voice) | ||
Dungeons & Dragons | Snails | ||
2001 | Scary Movie 2 | Shorty Meeks | Also writer |
2003 | Tupac: Resurrection | Himself | |
2004 | Behind the Smile | Danny Styles | |
The Ladykillers | Gawain MacSam | ||
White Chicks | Marcus Copeland | Also writer and producer | |
2005 | Hubert Selby Jr.: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow | Himself | |
2006 | Little Man | Calvin "Baby-face" Sims | Also writer and producer |
2007 | Norbit | Buster "Bust-A-Move" Perkin | |
2009 | Dance Flick | Mr Moody | Also writer and producer |
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | Rip Cord | ||
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy | Himself | ||
2010 | Marmaduke | Lightning | |
2012 | Versus and Serena | Himself | |
2013 | A Haunted House | Malcolm Johnson | Also writer and producer |
The Heat | Special Agent Levy | ||
2014 | A Haunted House 2 | Malcolm Johnson | Also writer and producer |
2016 | Fifty Shades of Black | Christian Black | |
2017 | Naked | Rob Anderson | |
2019 | Sextuplets | Alan / Russell / Ethan / Baby Pete / Lynette / Dawn / Jaspar | |
2020 | On the Rocks | Dean | |
2021 | Respect | Ted White | |
Back Home Again | Mr. Tortoise | Short | |
2022 | The Curse of Bridge Hollow | Howard Gordon | Also producer |
2023 | Air | George Raveling |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime | Various | TV special |
1992–1993 | In Living Color | 20 episodes | |
1995–1999 | The Wayans Bros. | Marlon Williams | 101 episodes |
1996 | The Parent 'Hood | Himself | Episode: "Ode to Billy Shankbreath" |
Mr. Show with Bob and David | KKK member | Episode: "The Biggest Failure in Broadway History" | |
1996–1997 | Waynehead | Blue (voice) | 6 episodes |
1998 | Comics Come Home 4 | Himself | TV movie |
1999 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Bad Bobby (voice) | Episode: "The Bremen Town Musicians" |
2000 | 2000 MTV Video Music Awards | Himself / Host | TV special |
MTV Fashionably Loud: Spring Break, Cancun 2000 | Himself | TV movie | |
2006 | Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness | (voice) | |
Six Degrees | Homeless Guy | Episode: "The Puncher" | |
Legends Ball | Himself | TV movie | |
Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc's Street | Dirty, Money (voice) | ||
2011 | Childrens Hospital | Dr. Black | Episode: "The Black Doctor" |
2013 | Second Generation Wayans | Himself | 2 episodes |
Legit | Doctor | Episode: "Fatherhood" | |
2014 | Funniest Wins | Himself | 8 episodes |
2016 | Animals. | Ry-Ry (voice) | Episode: "Squirrels Part I" |
2017–2018 | Marlon | Marlon Wayne | 20 episodes; also creator and executive producer |
2019 | Sherman's Showcase | Episode: "Enemies" | |
2022 | Bel-Air | Lou | Episode: "Where To?" |
Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners | Himself / Host | ||
2022–present | Oh Hell No! with Marlon Wayans | ||
2023 | Chucky | Ronald Tyler | |
The Daily Show | Guest Host | 4 Episodes (Week of Mar 6) | |
God Loves Me | Himself | HBO Max Stand-up Special |
- 1972 births
- American people of Malagasy descent
- Wayans family
- African-American male comedians
- American male comedians
- African-American film producers
- Film producers from New York (state)
- American male film actors
- African-American television producers
- Television producers from New York City
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- African-American male actors
- American sketch comedians
- Male actors from New York City
- Living people
- Comedians from New York City
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American comedians
- People from Chelsea, Manhattan
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
- 20th-century African-American people
- 21st-century African-American people