To call the Wayans family the first family of comedy would be an understandable descriptor given all they’ve contributed to the TV and film industry. But according to one of the youngest in the bunch, Damon Wayans Jr., the family could go even further with a few tweaks. Now, he’s laying out the vision.
Wayans Jr. is the son of “My Wife & Kids” and “In Living Color” star Damon Wayans. The father-son duo has collaborated on several projects over the years, most notably the short-lived CBS series “Poppa’s House” in 2024. On his own, Wayans Jr. also made a cameo in the latest “Scary Movie” installment and starred in other shows, including “Happy Endings” and “New Girl.”
But as the son of a comedy icon and the nephew of other comedy legends, he understandably has big shoes to fill and even bigger dreams of where he and his family could take their talents. That’s why Wayans Jr. laid out his potential business plan in a new interview on the “Killin It” podcast.
Related: Damon Wayans Jr Talks Family’s Comedic Legacy
In a nutshell, he explained that if he were at the helm of the Wayans family brand, he’d be intentional about finding other talented writers in the business and producing their work rather than doing mostly parody projects.
“If I were in charge of the Wayans brand…I would be more of an umbrella company. I would definitely do my own stuff, like the ‘Scary Movies,’ like the ‘White Chicks.’ But I would also find other people that are writing good stuff and slap my name on it and produce it,” he explained.
He continued: “Not only am I going to be creating my own stuff, but I’m going to have all these other people orbiting my company, and they’re gonna build great stuff, and I’m gonna take credit for that—and I get a percentage!”
Wayans Jr. went on to mention that other comedians, like Adam Sandler, have already implemented a similar business model and suggested that his family, along with Tyler Perry, could benefit from doing the same. This way, he explained, they can sit back and reap the monetary rewards, critical and fan acclaim, while backing creatives they believe in.
To be fair, the family does have a myriad of their own production banners, like Wayans Bros. Entertainment (run by Keenen Ivory and Shawn), Ugly Baby Productions (run by Marlon), Wife’N Kids Productions (led by Damon Sr.), and more. But we’d be lying if we said that this idea and the thought of the Wayans family churning out top-tier comedies, dramas, and other things written by a handful of today’s hottest writers didn’t sound amazing. It sounds like a family meeting needs to happen ASAP!
Check out the full clip below.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
