The Untold Truth Of My Wife And Kids

The hold that family sitcoms have over popular culture is utterly unmatched. From shows like "Married ... With Children" to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," they've never been far from dominating our screens. Unabashed sitcom fans the world over (and maybe even a few folks out there who don't like to admit it) love to sit down and unwind with their favorite TV families. There's almost always a happy ending or lesson to be learned that audiences can relate to in some shape or form, and that's what makes the family sitcom formula successful.

The early 2000s were somewhat of a silver age for family sitcoms, with shows like "8 Simple Rules" and "Malcolm in the Middle" rising to primetime prominence. One show that truly gets overlooked is the Damon Wayans sitcom "My Wife and Kids." The show ran for five seasons between 2001 and 2005 on ABC. The Kyle family consists of Michael and his wife Jay alongside their three children Junior, Claire, and Kady. The parents are known for using comedy and sarcasm to deal with their somewhat aloof children. And while the show was never the most popular of its time, it has aged favorably, with many viewers now discovering and enjoying everything the Kyle family has to offer.

Let's take a look at some untold truths about "My Wife and Kids" that are sure to surprise even the biggest fans of this wonderful family sitcom.

Claire Kyle is the middle child of parents Michael and Janet "Jay" Kyle. In Season 1, Claire is portrayed by Jazz Raycole. Her version of Claire is strong, sarcastic, and seen as the most talented of the three children. Clearly, this Claire has the wit of her father Michael, who is often seen outsmarting his kids with his sense of humor. However, Raycole was notably absent from Season 2. Instead, actress Jennifer Freeman took over the part of Claire, who also underwent a drastic personality change. This version of Claire is the popular, pretty, and ditzy daughter who's often the butt of her parents' goofy jokes.

Aside from the shift in personality, the two actresses look nothing alike, which makes us wonder why Raycole was recast with Freeman in the first place. However, it was a decision made on Raycole's part. According to Distractify, Raycole decided to leave the show due to her mother's objections about a Season 2 storyline about Claire's friend who gets pregnant. Raycole told The Christian Post that she was 12 years old when she got cast on "My Wife and Kids," and that she was too young to go in the direction that they wanted for Claire. Luckily, she has no regrets about leaving, saying that the freed-up schedule allowed her to pursue her dreams in dance for a while.

As for the drastic actress change in the show, audiences were given a throwaway comedic line in Episode 1 of Season 2 to address the departure of Raycole, with Michael telling Claire, "You look like a whole different person."

"My Wife and Kids" ran for five seasons between 2001 and 2005 before being unceremoniously canceled. This came as a shock for both audiences and the creators, as many assumed the show would get a sixth season. This is likely why the show ends on a cliffhanger episode. Directed by Tisha Campbell, the 26th episode of Season 5 ends with Michael and Jay discovering that she is unexpectedly pregnant. What happens next for the ever-growing family is anyone's guess.

While the official reason ABC canceled "My Wife and Kids" remains a mystery, there are plenty of potential explanations surrounding the end of the show that sound plausible. Ratings might have been going down, which is very difficult to avoid for a show that's been on the air for four years and isn't the exciting new thing anymore. "American Idol" was exploding in popularity around this time, and ABC might've decided to move its resources away from scripted television. Some circumstantial evidence supports this theory, as ABC also canceled another ongoing family sitcom, "8 Simple Rules," the same year. While we don't know the details, the arrival of a new baby to the Kyle family certainly indicates someone with control over the storylines in "My Wife and Kids" was anticipating a Season 6. 

Tisha Campbell portrays Jay, the wife of Michael and mother to Junior, Claire, and Kady. Jay is a loving mother who, like her husband, uses wit and sarcasm to parent her family. Jay's patience is tested by the quirky shenanigans that her children and husband get up to, which allows the audience to relate to her. After all, who among us hasn't been annoyed by a family member's wacky behavior?

When Campbell was cast as Jay, she was 31 years old. In the show, her son Junior is portrayed by actor George Gore II. At the time, Gore was 18 years old, making the age difference between mother and son only 15 years. It's a well-known fact that actors and actresses are typically older than the teenage characters that they play. So while it's not unprecedented for an older actor to play Junior, the casting actually more or less fits the characters' ages, as Michael and Jay had Junior when they were both teenagers. Later, Junior runs into a similar scenario when he and his girlfriend Vanessa unexpectedly get pregnant and decide to keep their baby.

When we think of quintessential sitcom dads from the early '00s, Damon Wayans' Michael Kyle is one of the first that comes to mind. For Wayans, his status as a memorable TV dad likely means a lot to him, as he created the Kyle family and the character Michael from his personal experiences. In an interview published in The Chicago Tribune, Wayans shared that this wholesome version of a Black family is how he grew up and that he wanted to share that positive dynamic with the world.

Somewhat ironically, Wayans had recently been through a divorce from his wife of almost 20 years around the time of the Tribune article, which was published while Season 2 of "My Wife and Kids" was first broadcast. While the character of Michael Kyle wasn't reflective of Wayans' reality at the time, Michael's life might be more like an idealized version of specific aspects of Wayans' life.

A big casting change occurred in Season 2 when audiences noticed that Jennifer Freeman had taken over as the middle child and eldest daughter, Claire. However, this would not be the last major casting change in "My Wife and Kids." The next one pertained to Vanessa, Junior's girlfriend and eventual wife.

Vanessa is first introduced in Season 3, Episode 17 — "Jr.'s Risky Business: Part 1." She is Junior's new girlfriend, and Junior is one smitten kitten. He describes her as being absolutely perfect, leading to his parents being slightly wary of the effect this so-called "perfect girl" may have on their impressionable and dim-witted son.

Throughout Season 3, Vanessa is portrayed by Meagan Good, an actress that you might know from "Minority Report," "Think Like a Man," and "Shazam!" However, once Season 4 came around, audiences noticed that Good had left the show and Vanessa had been recast. As luck would have it, Good worked with Jennifer Freeman again in 2004's "You Got Served."

So, who replaces Meagan Good as Vanessa in Season 4 of "My Wife and Kids?" That would be none other than Donna Summer's daughter Brooklyn Sudano. Astoundingly enough, this series has music royalty in its cast.

The first episode of Season 4, "From Dummy to Daddy," brings Vanessa and Junior's relationship to the forefront. They discover Vanessa is pregnant, and Junior must tell his less-than-enthused parents. The episode starts the new season off with a bang, but audiences are likely to notice that Vanessa looks slightly different than the way she did in Season 3. That's because she's now being portrayed by Sudano.

Aside from having an uber-famous mother, audiences might recognize Sudano from her role as Angela Prescott in "Cruel Summer." And while she may now be known for starring in a successful teen series, it was this family sitcom that really introduced her to the world of acting. Since the show's cancellation in 2005, she has only continued to book more roles.

Portrayed by actor Noah Gray-Cabey, Franklin is a staple character for the series. However, he wasn't introduced until Season 3, Episode 11, "Jay the Artist." His character quickly grew in popularity, making him an honorary member of the Kyle family. In that respect, Franklin has a little bit in common with Steve Urkel, minus any catchphrases as iconic as, "Did I do that?"

In the show, Franklin is a musical prodigy. When Kady, the youngest of the Kyle children, wants to learn to play the piano, Franklin is introduced as her tutor. He quickly develops a crush on Kady. While she initially acts totally indifferent to his attention, eventually the two develop an adorable relationship. Initially, the young love fills Michael with disdain and disgust, but his feelings on the matter also change over time. 

While audiences are used to seeing Franklin in the Kyle home, we don't see much of his family until we're introduced to his sister Aretha, who just so happens to be an amazing singer. As Franklin expertly plays the piano, Aretha sings along — together, the duo is Aretha Franklin.

"My Wife and Kids" wasn't afraid to bring back actors they liked, even if it meant having the same actor play two completely different roles. That's exactly what actor Andrew McFarlane did in the series. Initially, McFarlane portrayed Claire's boyfriend Roger in the Season 1 episode "Breaking Up and Breaking It." Claire quickly realizes that Roger is not the one for her as he's seemingly more interested in playing video games with her father than spending time with Claire. She dumps him, much to Michael's dismay, and McFarlane left the series — for the time being.

McFarlane later returned as the recurring character Tony. Introduced in the Season 2 episode "Letting Go," McFarlane got another chance to join the cast, again as Claire's boyfriend. The big difference is McFarlane's second character in "My Wife and Kids" is really into religion instead of video games. Throughout the show, Claire and Tony must find a way to make each other happy while respecting Tony's religious background and Claire's wants for their relationship. Luckily for McFarlane, Tony stays throughout the show, as he's shown in the final episode of the series, "The 'V' Story."

A common staple for most family sitcoms is holiday episodes. Whether it be Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, the holiday episodes can sometimes bring drama and big laughs. However, "My Wife and Kids" flips the switch on this idea, as it does not feature any holiday episodes in its five-season run. The reason for this has to do with creator Damon Wayans.

The Wayans brothers were raised Jehovah's Witnesses; therefore, the members of the family who still practice don't celebrate holidays. The second oldest sibling of the Wayans family, Keenen Ivory, told Westworld that his father was a Jehovah's Witness, and although his mother was not religious, growing up in his household gave each child a unique perspective and relationship with religion.

Although Damon Wayans is relatively private regarding his religion, he has stated that he follows his father's belief as a Jehovah's Witness (via Breakfast Club). Although he did take a step back from the religion for a few years, he later returned to the faith. And it's likely because of this that he chose not to have any holiday events showcased in his show. However, there is a reference to his faith in the Season 2 Episode "Perfect Dad." Michael imagines what his idea of the "perfect" kids would be, and in his scenario, Junior is a celebrated Jehovah's Witness.

Noah Gray-Cabey portrays Franklin, the young boy who develops a relationship with the Kyle's youngest child Kady. He's a genius on the piano and incredibly mature for his age, often seen giving the entire family relationship and even career advice. Franklin is shown various times throughout the series playing the piano, but what you might not have realized is that Gray-Cabey is hitting the keys and making the music all by himself — no hand doubles necessary.

At a young age, Gray-Cabey was featured on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and toured with his musical family at just 6 years old. For example, in 2002, he was seen playing with the New England Youth Chamber ensemble at the Crystal Cathedral. The young pianist was all dressed up in his tux and ready to play with some of the best in the business.

According to CBC News, Gray-Cabey has been playing the piano since he was just four years old, although it took him years before he was ever able to read sheet music. Gray-Cabey's family decided to instill musical instruments into their children's lives to escape their growing obsession with video games. They knew that the kids needed something else to distract their minds, and luckily enough, the children took to playing together. And the rest is history.

The part of Janet Kyle remains one of the biggest roles in Campbell's career even decades later, but she's had plenty of success since, with performances in "Everybody Hates Chris," "Dr. Ken," and "Uncoupled." All of that success, however, may never have happened had it not been for her risky decision to crash the auditions for "My Wife and Kids."

Believe it or not, Campbell was never actually in consideration for the series, and according to her agent, the studio wasn't even interested in seeing her for a role. But Campbell took a risk, contacting a friend who provided her with information on the auditions and even gave her a copy of the script. Then, after convincing a security guard that there was a paperwork mixup, Campbell snuck onto the studio lot, much to the chagrin of star Damon Wayans, who wasn't happy to see her when she got up for her audition.

"It's a cold-blooded room, Damon's probably pissed at me, nobody wants me," Campbell said of her unscheduled reading during an appearance on the podcast "Understand This" (via Atlanta Black Star). "So, I walk into the room and we start working together. He reads with me, I'm on the edge of my seat, he's on the edge of his, we're going back and forth with ad-libbing ... and it was so magical but I just thought they were still pissed."

Bringing back classic sitcoms has been a tried-and-true method for TV success for decades. Recent years have seen the return of '90s greats like "Full House" and "Roseanne," but it seems there may now be an appetite for revivals of 2000s shows, too. And if it were up to Parker McKenna Posey, "My Wife and Kids" would be one of the next ones we see.

"For a long time 'My Wife and Kids' was all I knew, it was an incredible experience," she told Pop Culture in 2019. "I think it would be so much fun to see all of us on the same set again. I had such a great time with my TV family," she told the outlet. "People still make jokes about how Damon would act and feel about seeing Kady all grown up." While we haven't heard from the rest of the cast, and there's been no official word on whether a network — or even a streaming service like Netflix — would have interest in a "My Wife and Kids" revival, it could just be a matter of time before someone makes it happen.

Some shows, like "Everybody Hates Chris" or "The Goldbergs," are blatantly based on the real lives of their creators. They are named after those writers and stars, and the show's exploration of their personal history — even if heavily fictionalized — is baked into their premise. But while "My Wife and Kids" was never directly based on the life of series star and co-creator Damon Wayans, it did draw quite a bit of inspiration from his life.

Part of Wayan's vision for the series was to create a TV family that was more like his own growing up. He spoke with the Chicago Tribune in 2002, telling them that he grew up with both parents in the home and that they shared a happy relationship. "My mom and dad are still together. It's been some 40-odd years. But I got divorced after 19 years, threw in the towel." 

More than just based on his upbringing, Wayans says that the show also helped him heal from his own divorce. "The show is a bright spot that allows me to relive some of the beauty of being married."

When creating "My Wife and Kids," Damon Wayans didn't just look back at his own life for ideas. He also looked at other successful Black sitcoms, and what they did right or wrong. He admits that it was "The Cosby Show" that was a source of inspiration, particularly the role of a successful father and husband who was always there for his family. 

"Of course, no one has done this kind of show as well as ['The Cosby Show'], but we did look at the Cosby blueprint," Wayans said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times not long after the show first launched. "We neutralize race," he told the outlet, stressing that they never wanted to put too fine a point on the show being a Black sitcom, but rather, just a sitcom. More than its tone, Wayans also pulled from Bill Cosby's portrayal of a good father.

"When we were putting it together, we thought of what Cosby did right. He was smart on his show; the kids couldn't pull things over on him. The stories have a definite universality, and the main theme is 'I'm not your friend. I'm your dad, and I'll be your dad until I die.' It's about a father being a disciplinarian."

You might be scratching your head seeing Sherri Shepherd talk about being fired from "My Wife and Kids." But while it's true that Shepherd never appeared on the show, she was hired to fill a role in the series and was promptly booted before the episodes were filmed. According to Shepherd, it was Damon Wayans himself who gave her the old heave-ho. 

Shepherd, who'd had a recurring role previously on "The Jamie Foxx Show," was brought on to play a friend of Tisha Campbell and Kim Whitley's characters. Unfortunately, the chemistry between the three actors wasn't what producers were looking for, with Shepherd admitting that she couldn't keep up with Whitley's manic energy. Rehearsals and table reads proved frustrating, and eventually — while Shephard was on a lunch break at the studio commissary — she got the bad news. 

"I take my tray to get some more food because the food was free and I'm struggling," Shepherd told an audience during an episode of her daytime talk show. "And all the producers ... walked up to me and said 'It's not working out, Sherri.'" It was apparently at the behest of Wayans himself. Shepherd was immediately escorted out in tears, and to this day she won't let Wayans forget. How does Wayans respond? "Look at you now," she relayed to her audience, because Shepherd has since become one of the most successful daytime hosts of the past 20 years, co-hosting "The View," "Dish Nation," and her own series, "Sherri."

Alongside Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell was George Gore II playing their son, Michael Kyle Jr., more affectionately referred to simply as 'Junior.' Gore started his career in an unusual way and made his acting debut in 1992 at the age of 10 in the movie "Juice." He later had a regular role on "New York Undercover" as the son of series lead, Malik Yoba's Detective J.C. Williams. But he almost left Hollywood after "Undercover," having then just recently graduated high school with hopes of going off to college. Surprisingly, it was his mother who had other ideas.

In 2017, Gore made an appearance on The Danesh Show where he talked about how he nabbed the role of Junior, explaining that he'd already been accepted to college and wasn't seeking more acting work. "My mother really had to talk me into going on the audition," Gore said. As he revealed, his mother felt he had nothing to lose by trying, especially because his higher education was already set if it didn't pan out. 

Unfortunately, Gore felt that the audition didn't go very well at all. "It was probably the worst audition of my life," he said. "Apparently someone thought otherwise." In the end, Gore skipped college and became a star on "My Wife and Kids," though he hasn't acted since 2013.

Jennifer Freeman was also a teen when she starred in "My Wife and Kids," but unlike George Gore, it was one of her first major acting roles. And it was a huge learning experience thanks to the show's two leads, Tisha Campbell and Damon Wayans.

"Tisha had such a great work ethic," Freeman told Where Is The Buzz TV in 2020. "I admire her so much, you know — being a kid and just watching her. I mean, she juggled so many different hats — from being a mom, to being a wife, to being the lead of a show." Freeman also stressed that Campbell's professionalism on the set had a profound impact on her. "She would always show up, always on time ... she treated the cast, the crew, the grips, everyone the same." 

Beyond Campbell, though, Freeman made sure to credit star Damon Wayans, whose whip-smart comedic talents forced her to be on her game at all times. "Damon is so funny, you just never know what he's going to do, you never know what he's going to say ... you have to be present." Thanks to those two mentors, Freeman was able to build a successful career, most recently starring in "The Black Hamptons" on BET.

These days, retrospective reviews of "My Wife and Kids" give the show high marks as a trend-setting sitcom that helped pave the way for more shows that followed. Audiences over the years have hailed the series as one of the best of its day, praising it for promoting strong family values and addressing sensitive topics like teen pregnancy. Some even feel that "My Wife and Kids" is sorely underrated, feeling it should be held in the same regard as all-time classic sitcoms like "The Cosby Show" or "Home Improvement." But surprisingly, it wasn't met with such enthusiastic reviews when it first premiered in 2001.

At the end of the show's second season, Entertainment Weekly gave the show a scathing review, placing a lot of the blame for what they considered the show's problems on star and co-creator Damon Wayans. In their takedown of the series, they called out the lack of romantic chemistry between Wayans and his on-screen wife Tisha Campbell, saying there was very little evidence that they loved each other. They came close to calling Michael Kyle a domestic abuser, too, highlighting his aggression, verbal insults, and dismissiveness.

"When the scripts aren't mean-spirited, they're simply generic," said the review, which called many of the plotlines trite and recycled from other, better shows. Thankfully, the audience didn't agree: The show lasted for five seasons, and is now seen as one of the best of the early 2000s.

Professional reviewers weren't the only ones to take "My Wife and Kids" to task when it first came out, but it might raise an eyebrow to learn that one of its harshest critics was one of Wayans' comic cohorts, D.L. Hughley. You see, at the time "My Wife and Kids" first aired, the network had already been working with Hughley on his own show, "The Hughleys," which completed its second season in 2000. When they gave the green light to Wayans' new show, they gave Hughley's the axe — and Hughley made his displeasure known.

As chronicled by the Los Angeles Times in 2001, "The Hughleys" had struggled on ABC, but the fact that they replaced it with "My Wife and Kids" miffed D.L. Hughley because he felt it was essentially the same show. "It was very difficult to hear that," Hughley said during a public appearance. "[ABC was] having problems and didn't know where to place us ... Then they get another show ["My Wife and Kids"] that is really my show. ... So that didn't fly to me that they didn't have any room for us."

Ultimately, "The Hughleys" was saved from cancelation by UPN, who picked up the series quickly and gave it two more seasons. But Hughley could never get past the slight, feeling that the two shows were so similar that the network's choice to go with "My Wife and Kids" was an insult. 

"My Wife and Kids" had a pair of teenagers in the cast, but they weren't the youngest performers on the show. That title belonged to Parker McKenna Posey, the actor who played the littlest member of the family, Kady Kyle. For Posey, the series was her acting debut, which will come as no surprise considering she was just five years old when the show premiered. Despite more than 20 years having gone by since, though, Posey claims she is still most recognized for her role as Kady.

"It's so crazy," Posey told Where is the Buzz TV in 2020. "'My Wife and Kids' is definitely, like, what everybody knows me for, so it's funny — sometimes people don't know my name, they just call me 'Kady.'" But Posey isn't bothered, despite having a solid career since — including a recent starring role in "The Games People Play" — in fact, she's just happy to still be loved by her fans for a show she never realized would be so popular. "When I was younger I didn't know what was going on around me. You know, I was just happy to be working, it was something that I genuinely enjoyed doing."

Sometimes it takes years — or even decades — for some of the most fun pop culture trivia to surface. Such was the case with one little-known fact about "My Wife and Kids" when fans of the series went to Reddit to reveal something striking they found between the series and an episode of the medical comedy "Scrubs" that aired around the same time.

Debuting in 2001, "Scrubs" starred Zach Braff as a young medical intern named J.D. and Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid, a fellow intern and J.D.'s persistent love interest. It took many years, but in 2018, one fan noticed that a scene in the premiere episode used the living room set from "My Wife and Kids." The moment comes when J.D. begins to fantasize about what a home life would be like if he married Elliot, and when he peers up at a TV in the hospital waiting room he sees that life playing out as a network sitcom.

Alongside J.D. is Elliot as his wife, and they're sitting on the same sofa that Damon Wayans and his family use for family time. It's unmistakable in hindsight, but it's possible that, at the time, "Scrubs" was simply too new for fans of "My Wife and Kids" to be watching. Of course, it wasn't the last time, "Scrubs" did it, as a commenter also pointed to the show's reuse of a set from "8 Simple Rules" for an episode guest starring John Ritter.

Strong enough to last five seasons, "My Wife and Kids" was a hit on ABC, and it remains a fan favorite decades later. But did you know that the series had an even longer life outside of the United States? And its popularity is perhaps even greater overseas than it was in America? It airs in multiple territories around the world and has amassed a fervent fan following beyond America's borders.

In France, the series is known as "Ma Famille D'Abord" (directly translated to "My Family First"), and fans of the show online relay that it was a hit there as much as it was in the U.S. But it's in Brazil where it may have found the most success. Not only do fans of the show in other regions talk about it online, there's also direct evidence that the show is wildly popular in Brazil thanks to Parrot Analytics, a service that tracks TV show viewership across the globe.

According to Parrot, "My Wife and Kids" remains at least 12 times more popular than the average TV show in Brazil, a rate that's considered "outstanding" by their metrics. Oddly enough, it even places among the best romance titles there, too. This is nearly 20 years after the show left the air in the States — and it seems to only be getting more popular.

Plenty of TV shows, particularly sitcoms, are known for high-profile guest stars and cameos. "My Wife and Kids" was no exception, but they went further than many, enlisting the aid of some of the biggest stars in movies, television, and beyond — though you might not remember them all.

Damon's brother Keenan Ivory Wayans guest starred as Michael's on-screen brother Ken, but the guests were far more than just a family affair. Fellow sitcom stars Alan Thicke ("Growing Pains"), James Avery ("Family Matters"), and Charles Robinson ("Night Court") popped up in various episodes, as did comedians Steve Harvey, Anthony Anderson, and David Alan Grier. Musicians got some time on the "My Wife and Kids" stage too, with Lou Rawls, Kool Mo Dee, and Flava Flav all making cameo appearances. Queen of Comedy Betty White also turned up in the episode "The Maid." Sports stars LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal were included, too.

But the biggest guest star came in the two-part installment "Fantasy Camp," where Michael gets the opportunity to play basketball at Michael Jordan's instructional camp. There, Bulls legend and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan stars as himself. That his guest appearance is the only time Jordan ever showed up on television is a testament to just how special "My Wife and Kids" really was.