Shawn Wayans
Shawn Wayans | |
|---|---|
 Wayans in 2004 | |
| Born | Shawn Mathis Wayans January 19, 1971 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Children | 3 |
| Family | Wayans family |
Shawn Mathis Wayans (born January 19, 1971)[1] is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He made his debut on the comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1993). He went on to work with his brother Marlon Wayans on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros.(1995–1999), and in the comedy films Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), White Chicks (2004), Little Man (2006), and Dance Flick (2009).
Early life
Wayans, the ninth of ten siblings, was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira Alethia (Green), a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager.[2][3][4] His family were once Jehovah's Witnesses.[5][6] Wayans grew up in the Fulton Houses in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea and is a 1989 graduate of the Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities.
Career
On Fox's In Living Color, he began as DJ SW-1 and later became a featured performer, working with brothers Dwayne, Keenen (the show's creator), Damon, Marlon and sister Kim.
Along with Marlon, Shawn Wayans created and starred in the sitcom The Wayans Bros. (The WB, 1995–99) and co wrote, co executive produced and starred in the feature Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), in which Keenen also acted. Wayans guest starred on episodes of MacGyver and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and provided the voice of Toof for the animated children's series Waynehead (based on brother Damon's real life childhood experiences).
After a supporting stint in the gang drama New Blood (1999) Wayans' film fortunes increased dramatically when he co-starred with his brother Marlon in a hit film directed by their older brother Keenen: Scary Movie (1999–2000), a comic satire (which he also co wrote) on the then-recent trend of horror films like Scream.
Wayans played the apparently closeted Ray Wilkins, a role he reprised for the similarly popular 2001 sequel Scary Movie 2. To date, Wayans has not had any involvement with subsequent sequels.
He kept the familial team intact when he and Marlon starred in the Keenen-directed comedy White Chicks (2004), playing a pair of FBI agents forced to masquerade as spoiled white blonde heiresses. Shawn also received a share of story and screenplay credit on the film. Wayans teamed up with Marlon and Keenen once again for the 2006 comedy Little Man, which Wayans acted in, co-wrote, and co-produced.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Pedestrian | |
| 1996 | Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood | Ashtray | Also writer and co-executive producer |
| 1999 | New Blood | Valentine | |
| 2000 | Scary Movie | Ray Wilkins | Also writer and uncredited producer |
| 2001 | Open Mic | Himself | |
| 2001 | Scary Movie 2 | Ray Wilkins | Also writer and co-executive producer |
| 2004 | White Chicks | Kevin Copeland | Also writer and producer |
| 2006 | Little Man | Darryl Edwards | Also writer and producer |
| 2006 | Bicentennial | Himself | |
| 2007 | For the Bible Tells Me So | Himself | |
| 2009 | Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy | Himself | |
| 2009 | Dance Flick | Father of baby | Also writer |
| 2012 | Vanilla Ice Archive | Himself |
Television
| Year | Television | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime | Various |
| 1991 | MacGyver | Robo |
| 1990–1993 | In Living Color | Various, DJ SW1 |
| 1993 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Dominique |
| 1995-1999 | The Wayans Bros. | Shawn Williams (also creator, executive consultant, producer, writer and director) |
| 1996–1997 | Waynehead | Toof/Kid |
| 1996 | The Parent 'Hood | Himself |
| 1998 | Comics Come Home 4 | Himself |
| 1999 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Bad Boy (voice) |
| 2000 | 2000 MTV Video Music Awards | Host |
| 2006 | Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness | Slim (voice) |
| 2006 | Legends Ball | Himself |
| 2006 | Thugaboo: Miracle on D-Roc's Street | Slim, Cheapie |
| 2016 | Animals | Tommy |
References
- ^ Rose, Mike (January 19, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 19, 2023 includes celebrities Dolly Parton, Jodie Sweetin". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ Shawn Wayans Biography (1971-)
- ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, January 19, 2016, PBS
- ^ "Keenen Ivory Wayans' Interactive Family Tree | Finding Your Roots | PBS". PBS. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016.
- ^ Marlon Wayans – TIME
- ^ The Movie Chicks - Interview - Marlon Wayans
External links
- Shawn Wayans at IMDb
- Shawn Wayans on Twitter
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1971 births
- American people of Malagasy descent
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- African-American male comedians
- American male comedians
- African-American male actors
- African-American television producers
- Television producers from New York City
- American male film actors
- Living people
- Male actors from New York City
- Wayans family
- American male television actors
- American sketch comedians
- American stand-up comedians
- Comedians from New York City
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American comedians
- Film producers from New York (state)
- People from Chelsea, Manhattan
- 20th-century African-American people
- 21st-century African-American people