Why You Rarely Hear From The Wayans Brothers Anymore

Over the last three decades or so, the Wayans brothers — Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Damon Wayans — have established a comedy dynasty, using their unique brand of humor to skewer mainstream pop culture. The sketch comedy show "In Living Color," which was created by Keenen, brought the brothers to national attention and laid the foundations for them to succeed. What followed was an impressive box office run in the '90s and early 2000s, while also having TV hits like "The Wayans Bros" in 1995, "The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show" in 1997, and "My Wife and Kids" in 2001.

However, while the Wayans brothers were once all over TV and film, we rarely see them headlining the biggest comedies and network sitcoms these days. They never really went away, but they're no longer at the forefront of comedy, and you may be wondering how it happened. What was behind their decline? Well, we're here to explain why you rarely hear from the Wayans brothers anymore.

Readying themselves for prime time, the Wayans brothers cut their teeth in late '80s cult classic films like "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" and "Earth Girls are Easy." Then, in 1990, they came together as a group for "In Living Color." The Fox sketch show (which became a launching pad for the likes of Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey) gave the Wayans the chance to prove that they had the comedy chops to rival the biggest names of the day — and prove it they did.

"In Living Color" became a big hit for Fox, but the network's decision to syndicate the show was the beginning of the end — this move was going to hurt creator Keenen Ivory Wayans financially. During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Marlon Wayans revealed that they were all offered "big checks" to get on board with the move, but they put on a united front and sided with their brother. "It was hurting Keenen's pockets," Marlon said. "Keenen was like, 'Nah, you ain't gonna do this to me.' My family said, 'F*** this money.' And we all left 'In Living Color.'"

The Wayans brothers clearly don't regret walking away from "In Living Color" in a show of solidarity with Keenen Ivory Wayans, but that doesn't mean the creator of the hit sketch series doesn't miss it. In fact, Keenen attempted to launch a new version of it in 2012 (a few years after Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence almost made an "In Living Color" spin-off movie). Keenen served as writer and on-screen host, but the rest of his brothers were absent. In their place was a new collection of young comic talent that included Lil Rel Howery, Jermaine Fowler, Cooper Barnes, and Kali Hawk.

A pilot episode was produced and hopes were high at Fox, but, according to its creator, the show simply didn't work. "The bar for 'In Living Color' is so high that, if I didn't feel like we could sustain that, then I did not want to move forward," Keenen told the New York Post in 2013, when the plug was finally pulled on his long-planned reboot. He blamed the failure on changing times and new sensibilities, and he also said that the "talent pool" required for such a show just wasn't large enough. Fox President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly agreed, saying: "The stars just didn't align. I think the pilot was pretty funny, but it just didn't feel like we had the players."

Early in their careers, the Wayans brothers were on the big screen, and after the success of "In Living Color," they went back to movies. Keenen Ivory Wayans starred in "A Low Down Dirty Shame," while Shawn and Marlon teamed for "Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood." That success continued into the new millennium, where Marlon spearheaded slapstick cash cows like "Scary Movie," "White Chicks," and "Little Man," a flop that later beat the odds to become a hit on Netflix.

However, as the years ticked on, the Wayans' brand of goofball satire seemed to lose its luster, and audiences began to abandon them. 2009's "Dance Flick" was a box office bomb, barely making back its $25 million budget domestically. The world of comedy was changing, something that Keenen had alluded to when his "In Living Color" reboot hit a roadblock. "I just feel like we're in a different time," he told the New York Post.

In 2016, Damon Wayans came back to TV to lead a remake of one of the best action-comedies of all time, "Lethal Weapon." He took over the role of Roger Murtaugh from Danny Glover, with the 21st-century reinterpretation leaning more into comedy than its big-screen counterpart. Though critics weren't always hot on the series, they did note that the chemistry between its two leads was a highlight, and the show did pretty solid numbers in its debut season. After the show's third year, however, Wayans departed — just a few months after co-lead Clayne Crawford was fired from "Lethal Weapon."

With both stars gone, the show had little choice but to close shop. Wayans later said that his exit wasn't due to a contract dispute or creative differences, but to focus on his health. "I'm a 58-year-old diabetic and I'm working 16-hour days," Wayans told Eurweb. He made it clear that while he was proud of the show, he wanted to not only take better care of himself, but to spend more time with his family. "It's hard for me to play this loving, supportive father/husband/friend on TV, but be the guy in life that is telling everyone, 'I can't I have to work,'" he explained. "I have seven grandkids. I've been missing recitals and graduations. To me, it's just not worth it."

After their "In Living Color" reboot stalled, and after Damon Wayans walked away from "Lethal Weapon," the Wayans took a detour. The brothers got back together and returned to their roots: Stand-up comedy. In 2018, Keenen Ivory Wayans and Shawn Wayans picked up the mic and were joined by former "In Living Color" co-stars David Alan Grier and Tommy Davidson for the Off Color Comedy Tour, making it a reunion of sorts.

Shawn had actually been doing stand-up for some time, and following the reunion tour he kept it going. He's been performing stand-up ever since, with his 2023 tour taking him all over the United States. That tour was largely the result of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, which the comedian says he used to craft a bunch of new material. Keenen and Shawn aren't the only brothers who've been doing stand-up performances. Damon Wayans has also taken to the road, while Marlon has toured regularly in recent years and even released his own comedy special on Amazon Prime in 2024 titled "Good Grief." 

Lauded by fans for generations, comedian Bill Cosby was a pillar of Black comedy and a huge influence on those who would follow in his footsteps, like the Wayans brothers. From his long career in stand-up to his critically acclaimed sitcoms like "The Cosby Show," he long had a reputation as one of Hollywood's nicest guys, even earning the nickname "America's Dad." But Cosby's legacy was shattered when he was found guilty of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand and sentenced to a lengthy prison term in 2018 (his conviction was overturned when his legal team pointed out that a previous district attorney had guaranteed that Cosby wouldn't be prosecuted over the accusations if he testified without invoking the Fifth Amendment).

When rumors about Cosby's alleged predatory behavior came up back in 2015, Damon Wayans commented on them while appearing on "The Breakfast Club," and his words caused quite the stir. Not only did he state that he didn't believe Cosby's accusers, he said that they weren't attractive enough to be the target of sexual assault. "I don't believe he was raping. He was in relationships with all of them," Wayans said. "And some of them is unrapeable. I look at them and go, no, you don't want that. Get out of here." The backlash was swift, and Wayans' reputation took a hit as a result. He rigorously defended his comments, claiming the media was twisting his words and urging people to watch the full interview — he also said: "For anybody who was raped by Bill Cosby, I'm sorry and I hope you get justice."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Even as he embarked on regular stand-up comedy tours, Marlon Wayans wasn't ready to give up on the screen. Though he was no longer the leading star, he took key supporting roles in not one but two high-profile projects, one on the big screen and one on television (or streaming, to be more precise).

Wayans appeared in Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's "Air," the feature film that chronicles the corporate clash to sign emerging basketball superstar Michael Jordan to a shoe deal in the mid-1980s. He plays George Raveling, an early coach in Jordan's career. Raveling went on to become Nike's Director for International Basketball for decades, and he was instrumental in helping the shoe company ink a deal with the future Chicago Bulls legend. Wayans' performance helped earn the film a Critic's Choice Awards nomination for best acting ensemble.

Not long after that came "Bel-Air," a dramatic reimagining of the seminal '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Wayans plays the father of the new Will Smith (Jabari Banks), who is led to believe that his dad abandoned him. He shows up in the Season 1 finale and explains to Will that he's actually been in prison and that he didn't want his son to see him locked up. It's an emotional moment that reminded viewers just how capable Marlon Wayans is when it comes to dramatic roles.

While "In Living Color" creator Keenen Ivory Wayans did have a few movie roles after the show ended, he largely stepped behind the camera to pursue writing, directing, and producing. His last on-screen performance was over a decade ago (he popped up in a 2013 episode of the TV Land show "Happily Divorced"), but that hasn't kept him away from Hollywood. In fact, Keenen was involved in many of his brothers' biggest movies, though instead of starring, he helped them by writing the script and directing them.

These collabs include co-writing films like "White Chicks" and "Little Man," which starred brothers Marlon and Shawn, as well as "Dance Flick," which was helmed by his nephew, Damien Dante Wayans. More recently, in 2020, Keenen served as a writer of the Tracy Morgan comedy "The Last O.G.," penning eight episodes of the TBS comedy. In addition to sitting in the director's chair for many of his brothers' films (including the first two "Scary Movie" films), Keenen did the same for his own starring vehicle, 1994's "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka." 

While Hollywood may have largely turned away from the Wayans that put the name on the map, that doesn't mean the studios and networks of Tinseltown are done with the family for good. In fact, there's a new Wayans on the block: Damon Wayans Jr. His first role was in his dad's 1994 superhero parody "Blankman," in which he played the younger version of David Alan Grier's character Kevin Walker. Since then, Damon Jr. has appeared in movies and shows of his own, most notably "Let's Be Cops" and "New Girl." He was also the voice of Wasabi in "Big Hero 6."

What's interesting is that the new generation of Wayans are playing a key part in bringing the old ones back into the fold. Damon Wayans Jr. and his dad are co-starring in a new CBS sitcom that's due to start airing on CBS in October 2024. It's called "Poppa's House," and Damon Sr. plays a veteran radio host. "I've been trying to do this for about 10 years now," he told Entertainment Tonight. "But [Wayans Jr.'s] people didn't think I was ready yet. But it's been in the making. We've been talking about it for a while and it just finally kind of came together." Both father and son serve as executive producers on the series, and Damon Sr. is also credited as a co-writer, so it's very much a family affair.

A career in film and TV is only over when the actor throws in the towel. In 2023 alone, several actors made Hollywood comebacks. Is there a chance that we'll see all of the Wayans brothers back on the screen together at some point? It hasn't happened yet, but, according to Damon Wayans Jr., it's not down to a lack of trying. The son of Damon Wayans has revealed that they've even talked about reuniting to bring "In Living Color" back. "I feel like they've visited it a couple of times, but it never actually landed," Damon Jr. told CBS This Morning. "I think, if I were to take the helm, maybe [it could be a success]."

This was likely music to the ears of fans of the original show, but Damon Jr. also acknowledged that capturing the same magic would be difficult, especially in the current climate. This is a view shared by David Alan Grier, who was asked about rebooting "In Living Color" during an appearance on The Daily Show in 2024. "The world has changed," Grier said, adding that complaining about TV shows was a lot harder in pre-social media days. "You can't be doing the crazy stuff we did. I mean, we barely got away with it the last time!"

Even if the Wayans brothers never again reach the heights of their early '90s success, their legacy is already secure. A large part of that is based on the fact that "In Living Color" is still regarded as a landmark show. "We knew what it was gonna do," cast member Tommy Davidson said during a 25th anniversary panel (via The Hollywood Reporter). "There was so much energy built up and anticipation because America needed something new."

New it was, and before long an entire generation of aspiring comedians were looking to the Wayans as influence and idols. But it's more than just the show's impact on the world of comedy that cemented its place in Hollywood history. In fact, it may even be responsible for the very concept of today's extravagant Super Bowl Halftime Shows: "In Living Color" did a special episode timed for the middle of the 1992 championship game that proved so popular that the NFL was forced to turn the halftime show into a bigger spectacle to avoid losing viewers.

This led to Michael Jackson headlining the halftime show the following year. However, if you ask creator Keenen Ivory Wayans, he's more proud of the opportunity the show gave to women. "If people were to look at the credits on 'In Living Color,' I would say 80 percent of our staff were all women, and women of color," Wayans said at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019. "From the co-executive producer to the line producer, to the first black woman to direct a sketch comedy, Terri McCoy, to Pam Veasey who was our head writer." It's just one more great thing about a show that changed comedy and will never be forgotten as a result.