Damon Wayans
Damon Wayans, the 58-year-old actor and comedian notorious for being member of the Wayans family of entertainers, is said to be stepping down from his latest project.
Born Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. on September 4, 1960 –the New Yorker is also a writer and producer who is saying goodbye to ‘Lethal Weapon’ after three seasons.
Damon began his career as a stand-up comedian in 1982 and landed his first film role, a brief cameo in Beverly Hills Cop, in 1984. Damon a Living Color alum, is also well remembered for his role of Michael Richard Kyle, Sr. on ABC’s My Wife and Kids which he portrayed from 2001 to 2005. Movie credits include Major Payne, Celtic Pride, and Bulletproof. He’s often shared the screen with his siblings Marlon, Shawn, Keenen, and Kim. He also has five sisters, Elvira, Vonnie, Nadia, Kim, Diedre.
Wife
Damon Wayans married Lisa Thorner in 1984 after two years of dating. The couple divorced sixteen years later in 2000.
She is a former model and actress, who got shoved into the limelight as Damon’s wife. To date, Lisa Thorner is still single, she has not been linked with any other man.
Girlfriend
Damon began dating Charity Duplechan shortly after his divorce was finalized. The couple is together since 2003. They have been together now for the last 15-years.
Children
During his marriage to Lisa Thorner Wayans welcomed four children: Damon Wayans Jr., Michael Wayans, Cara Mia Wayans and Kyla Wayans. The four siblings are in the entertainment business.
The couple had their first child, son Damon Wayans Jr. a year before their marriage on November 18, 1982.
He followed into his famous father’s footsteps and is now a renowned actor. He is mostly known for his roles in the TV series New Girl and Happy Endings.
Lisa and Damon became parents for the second time on March 28, 1985, with the birth of their second son Michael Wayans –who has made a name for himself as a famous actor and composer.
The couple later had two children; daughters Cara Mia Wayans (born 1987) and Kyla Wayans (born 1991). Both Cara and Kyla are actresses.
Cara is known for her roles in 2009’s Dance Flick and My Wife and Kids. While Kyla Wayans is also into acting.
Damon Wayans Net Worth Timeline
After steadily building a career in standup comedy, Wayans scored his first movie role in 1984, making a brief appearance in Beverly Hills Cop as a hotel employee selling bananas.
A year later, Wayans joined the Saturday Night Live cast for Season 11. Wayans’ star took off after his brief SNL career.
He starred the sketch comedy show In Living Color, which became a pop-culture phenomenon in the ‘90s. Damon was one of the most popular comedians in the ’90s.
By 1995, Marlon Wayans and his brother Shawn Wayans landed their very own sitcom titled The Wayans Bros, which was so successful, it ran for a whopping four years and spanned five seasons before coming to an end in 1999.
He also starred in his own sitcom, Damon, which unfortunately only lasted for one season before getting canceled for poor ratings.
Damon also had a decent run on the big screen, starring alongside Adam Sandler in the 1996 comedy crime Bulletproof, The Great White Hype, and Last Action Hero.
Damon also held production and writing credits on shows such as Waynehead and Happy Endings, a show which just so happens to star his son Damon Wayans Jr.
His recent work included a lengthy run on the FOX action crime series Lethal Weapon.
In early 2020, he returned to stand up with his, It’s Personal Tour.
Damon Wayans Net worth 2021
There’s no doubt that Damon Wayans is one of the wealthiest actors in Hollywood; according to sources his net worth in 2021 is estimated at around $35 million.
Having landed his big break in the ‘90s comedy scene, he has done it all, ranging from stand-up comedy to important roles on the big screen.
Damon Wayans Book deal
Damon is also a New York Times Bestselling author. In 1999, he penned Bootleg, a humorous compilation of his observations on family, children, marriage, and politics. The book was a tremendous success and quickly made the New York Times Bestseller List.
In May of 2010, Damon shows a serious and empathetic side that he fabulously showcases in his debut novel, “RED HATS” an utterly extraordinary novel that weaves inspiration and hope into an original storyline that immediately captivates readers with it powerful take on modern-day life.
Damon Wayans HBO deal
Wayans went on to star in his own critically acclaimed HBO specials, One Night Stand, The Last Stand, Still Standing and Way Out.
Damon Wayans Fox deal
In 2018, Damon Wayans announced that he planned to leave Fox’s Lethal Weapon, after the third season’s original 13-episode order wraps production. At the time he said
“I am going to be quitting the show in December, after we finish the initial 13. So, I really don’t know what they’re planning but that’s what I’m planning,” “I’m a 58-year-old diabetic and I’m working 16-hour days,” Wayans said, noting he’s that “done” with the series.
You have to look yourself in the eye and go, ‘Who are you?’ It can’t all be about work. I’m from a big family, a loving family. I haven’t seen them. All the family gatherings, I’m too tired or I can’t because it conflicts with work. … I have seven grandkids. I’ve been missing recitals and graduations. To me, it’s just not worth it. There is a better way to live life.”
At the time Wayans was under contract for six seasons.
Damon Wayans Real estate
Damon Wayans real estate includes a mansion in Los Angeles. He bought the $5.4 million home in 2016.
According to architecturaldigest.com, the home sits behind tall hedges and a gate, the 1949 traditional home in Los Angeles’s Hancock Park.
On the main level is a formal living room with a black marble fireplace, a family room with custom seating and built-ins, a formal dining room with original bay windows, and a custom kitchen that adjoins a sunny breakfast room opening to the outside.
In 2005 Damon paid $3 million for an ocean-view condo in Santa Monica, California. He listed the condo for rent in 2018 for $20,000 per month.
In 2007 he sold a home in LA’s Toluca Lake neighborhood for $4.4 million.
Damon Wayans Ventures and Investments
- In 2008, the comedian announced the debut of WayOut TV with his vision to taking In Living Color to the Internet. Wayans described the venture as “In Living Color 2.0,” where he would allow viewers to share, rate and leave comments on the sketches.
- Damon has embarked in numerous ventures with family members, namely, his brothers. In addition to TV series, in the summer of 2014, Damon performed with his brothers Shawn, Marlon and Keenen on their U.S. comedy tour.
- The ever-evolving Damon Wayans is now a smartphone app developer of new mobile phone apps, Flick DAT & Diddeo. The app (Flick DAT) allows users to create unique business cards featuring 30 second intro videos all shareable by the flick of the thumb. His latest app (VHedz), allows users to put context to content. You can add up to 4 customizable video frames over a photo or video and share with the world. Both apps are available on iOS and Android devices.
Damon Wayans Charity and philanthropy
Damon Wayans has been known to support a number of causes including Adoption, Fostering, Orphans, AIDS & HIV, Cancer, Children, Health, Hunger, Miscellaneous, Refugees, Senior Citizen Support.
Damon Wayans Early life
Damon Kyle Wayans was born on September 4, 1960, in New York City, New York. He is one of 10 children born to Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager, and Elvira Alethia, a social worker.
Many of his siblings also pursued successful careers in the entertainment industry, and they are commonly known as The Wayans Family.
Damon Wayans Career
Damon Wayans began his career in 1982 touring the comedy club circuit. From there he landed a role as a featured player on the famed NBC series, Saturday Night Live and shortly after starred on In Living Color.
“In Living Color,” which ran 1990-94 on Fox, was created by brother Keenen Ivory Wayans. The variety series featured Damon and siblings Kim, Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Damon Wayans gained fame for playing “Homey the Clown,” “Handi-Man” and film critic Blaine from Men.
He’s also known for the ABC sitcom “My Wife and Kids,” which ran 2001-05 on ABC.
In 2006, Damon Wayans created, executive produced and starred in the hilariously comedic sketch show The Underground. Additional, television credits include the half-hour FOX sitcom Damon, in which he starred and executive produced, and the hour-long drama 413 Hope Street.
He served as an executive producer on Waynehead, a Saturday morning animated cartoon for Warner Brothers, which featured the voices of his siblings Kim, Marlon, and Shawn Wayans.
On the big screen, Damon has starred in Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed film Bamboozled. He also starred and executive produced independent film, Harlem Aria. Other feature film credits include starring roles in Major Payne, Blankman and Mo Money, which he also wrote and executive produced. Wayans also starred in The Great White Hype, Celtic Price, The Las Boy Scout, Earth Girls are Easy, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Colors, Punchline, Hollywood Shuffle, Roxanne and Beverly Hills Cop.
In recent years Wayans has been working on another sitcom for ABC called “Let’s Stay Together.”
Wayans also starred in the “Lethal Weapon” TV series that ran 2016-19 on Fox. He was writing a parallel show, “Fatal Ammunition,” a comedy that’s in the planning stages.
Damon who has enjoyed tremendous success in stand-up, has also starred in his own critically acclaimed comedy specials.
Damon Wayans Personal life
When talking about Damon Wayans personal life, the actor is instantly recognize not only for his trajectory but also for his last name, as a member of the Wayans family of comedians and entertainers.
Damon is known for not disclosing details about his personal life. He was in a 16-year long marriage with former model and actress, Lisa Thorner.
As previously mentioned, Damon is the proud father of four, now adult children from his marriage to Thorner.
Damon who has not walked the isle again, has been in a relationship with Charity Duplechan since 2003. He was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in January 2013.
Damon Wayans Achievements
Damon Wayans is most fondly remembered for his three seasons as writer and co-star on the Emmy Award winning series In Living Color. His writing for the series earned him two personal Emmy nominations.
Damon who co-created and executive produced the hit ABC series, My Wife and Kids was awarded People’s Choice Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series for his portrayal as patriarch Michael Kyle.
The series received numerous awards, including the 2002 People’s Choice for Favorite New Television Series.
Damon Wayans favorite cars and toys
Among Damon Wayans favorite cars and toys we find a Dodge Challenger Hellcat.
The star upgraded his ride with matte black racing stripes, red and black leather interior, Oracle Halo Lighting, and a custom DKW badge (to represent his initials) added to his ride. The car was customized by the popular West Coast Customs team in Corona, California.
Damon Wayans favorite character
Damon who became known for playing a variety of characters while In Living Color, was asked if he had a favorite character? He said
“I love ’em all,” “People still yell out Homey the Clown. It’s fun to have done something that gets into pop culture and that people know you for for life.”
His characters included “Homey the Clown,” “Handiman,” and outrageously gay film critic Blaine from Men on Film.
Favorite Quotes from Damon Wayans
“This is raising millennials,” “You think they left the nest, then they fly back. I’m re-raising grown-ups and their children. I’m trying to take my relationship with my now-girlfriend to the next level. The kids don’t care about you. You’re stuck in the role as protector/provider.”
“It’s instant gratification,” “When you make a movie, you don’t know if it’s funny or not. You never hear people really laugh except at the premiere. When you do stand-up, I go onstage, I can do a look, and people start laughing, and that makes me feel alive, immediately.”
Lessons learned from Damon Wayans
Notable lessons to learn from the veteran actor and comedian sure are many; however, our favorite may be the one when Damon, got himself fired from SNL after he wasn’t being treated fairly.
When Wayans joined the Saturday Night Live cast for season 11, many viewed him as Eddie Murphy’s replacement. Aware of how this looked, SNL producers were hesitant to give Wayans much screen time.
Wayans wanted to stand out, much like Murphy had before him. To that end, he pitched various sketch ideas on a weekly basis, only to have them rejected. Instead, Wayans was given smaller roles, sometimes with no lines at all.
“They had me in scenes where I would just hold a spear,” Wayans later recalled. “I’m like, ‘I’m not doing that. My mother’s going to watch this show.’ No lines! Just holding the spear in a thong. I’m like, ‘I can’t do this.’ I said, ‘Y’all need to hire an extra for this.’ And so they told me, ‘You’re not a team player.’ I said, ‘No, I’m just not a slave.’
Wayans frustration got to a point where he sabotaged a sketch and instead of playing a police officer in a sketch titled “Mr. Monopoly” he played his character as an over-the-top, effeminate homosexual stereotype. Wayans was fired on the spot, ending his SNL tenure after only 12 episodes as a cast member.
Wayans later admitted “He was right to fire me,” “I wanted to get fired.”
Wayans admitted years later to The Weekender. “It was right after Eddie Murphy left the show and they weren’t letting me do things that he would do. So, I went against the script. That was my frustration.”
After SNL, Damon went onto become extremely successful; everything he wanted to do on SNL, he was able to do on the sketch comedy show, In Living Color.
In the end, Wayans was actually invited back to host SNL in 1995.
He said he learned from “SNL” to “just always do my own thing. Don’t do other people’s projects. I have not had a great experience doing other people’s stuff.”
What does Damon Wayans do now?
At 60, Damon Wayans remains active as ever doing stand up and performing live shows. He often performs at the Bricktown Comedy Club in Oklahoma City OK.
In 2020 review from his work, Damon’s stand up has been characterized, like most comedians, for the use of family material.
He most likely talks about growing up in New York City and pay tribute to his parents. “My dad was like the original Major Payne,” Wayans said, referring to his 1995 film. “He would come up with these crazy punishments for us,” he added, going into an impression of his dad.
Wayans, 59, also jokes about his grandchildren. “I have four children, seven grandchildren and one on the way. It’s awesome,” “I wish I had grandchildren before I had children, because it’s all the love with no responsibility. It’s candy and fun. That’s what they associate with me.”
In his act, Wayans does impressions of his dad and friends – roughly 20 characters in all as he tells stories. He avoids the political.
Currently, Damon is back on the road to continue his solo performance stand-up tour.
Where does Damon Wayans live now?
Damon Wayans currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Damon is active on social media and is found on most common platforms including:
Damon Wayans Instagram
The comedian can be found on his official Instagram account, where he has over 620k followers.
Damon Wayans Facebook
Damon is also active on Facebook where he has over 190k followers.
