We no longer live in those days when people of the colors were considered less talented or less intelligent. In the United States, many people of African descent have clearly demonstrated that they have the skills necessary to succeed in the entertainment industry or any other field of endeavor.
Anyone who’s listened to African American comedy will know that it’s relentless and hugely cracking, it’s basically hilarious. The Wayans family is arguably the biggest African-American family in on-screen comedy.
Keenen Ivory Wayans Bio, Net worth, Career
Of the entire Wayans race, we will be focusing on one of his boys; The multi-talented Keenen Ivory Wayans. Born June 8, 1958 in Harlem, New York, to Howell Stouten Wayans, a devout Jehovah’s Witness, supermarket manager and his wife, Elvira Alethia, a homemaker and social worker. He was the second child in ten. Yes. Ten gifted children.
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Keenen Ivory Wayans grew up in the Manhattan borough of Fulton Projects, attending high school at Seaward High School, when his college days passed he went to Tuskegee University for an engineering scholarship. In his early days, he was racially discriminated against as was the case in society at the time.
Very early in life, he was clear on his chosen path – to become a comedian. His friends in college already knew him as an artist. So it was no surprise at least arguably not too much, when he decided to leave college with just one semester to complete his major, in order to pursue his ambition of being a full-time stand-up comedian. It turned out to be the right decision in the long run.
He met Robert Townsend, his first mentor as he went to work at the famous comedy club, The Improv in New York. It didn’t really work out in New York, so he decided to move to Los Angeles in 1980. His first regular role was in a series called “For Love and Honor,” in which he played a soldier a professional boxer.
In the mid-’80s, young Keenen met fellow comedian Eddie Murphy who would later collaborate with him to write “Eddie Murphy Raw.” “I’ll Have Git You Sucka” was produced in 1988 and it appeared in the script. In 1990, FOX Network gave him the chance to have his own comedy show “In Living Color”. It was a smash hit and the series helped launch the careers of his siblings Damon, Shawn, Marlon and Kim.
In 1994, he left the show to focus on movies. In 2006, he teamed up with his brothers for a remake of “Clifford” in “Little Man” with the concept of the adult in the body of a child. Now remember when I said leaving college after one semester was the right choice for Keenen? He has an estimated net worth of around $65 million.
Keenen Ivory Wayans Siblings
Keenen was the pioneer of Wayansempire comedy and he helped shine a light on the talents of his siblings. Damon Wayans Sr, is best known for The Last Boy Scout and My Wife and Kids. Elvira Wayans is best known for her work in My Wife and Kids. She also doubled as a writer for the series, her sole script credit.
Kim Wayans is one of the most serious Wayans, she had a role in Pariah. She also joined the family for “In Living Color,” My Wife and Kids, and Dance Flick. Shawn Wayans has had great jobs in Scary Movie and White Chicks. Marlon Wayans, the youngest of the first generation of Wayanses, got his hands on serious trouble in Requiem For A Dream.
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Marlon is also known for his roles in WhitePoussins and Dance Flick. More recently, he starred in ‘Naked’ – a comedy series named after him (Marlon) and the role of Mr. Black in the parody novel 50 Shades of Black.
Keenen Ivory Wayans Wife, Girlfriend, Kids
Keenan married Daphne Wayans in 2001, the union fractured and eventually dissolved when they separated in 2004. The marriage produced more Wayanses, five of them to be precise, four daughters and one son . Bella, Jolie, Nala, Daphne and Keenen Jr.
Since his separation from his wife, there have been rumors about his personal life and what he may or may not see. He had a girlfriend in Brittany Daniel but that ended too. So, at the moment, he seems to be really single; maybe not for long.
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