The Wayans family has always had what basketball fans might call a deep bench. With 10 siblings (Dwayne, Keenan, Diedra, Damon, Kim, Elvira, Nadia, Vonnie, Shawn and Marlon) born to Howell and Elvira Wayans, the members of this funny, talented family have been making us laugh in films and TV shows since the 1990s.
The family affair now continues into the second and even third generations of Wayanses — specifically on CBS’ “Poppa’s House,” which premiered in 2024 and stars Damon Wayans as the title patriarch (Damon also co-created the show with Kevin Hench) in a sitcom where he stars opposite his son Damon Wayans Jr. “I knew it would be fun doing scenes with my dad,” Wayans Jr. told TODAY Feb. 9. “My dad’s fun, it’s funny to be with him.”
Working together, he added, “It’s half improv. We’re just having fun.”
Based on the history of the Wayans family, there’s a good chance some of the rest of the clan will also find roles on the series — Kim, Marlon and Michael (also Damon’s son) already have credits, according to IMDb. But who are all of the 10 offspring of Howell and Elvira Wayans, and where have we seen them before?
Read on to learn more about the Wayans family and what we know.
Dwayne Wayans (b. 1956)
The eldest sibling, Dwayne started out as a production assistant on his brothers’ (Keenen and Damon Sr.) sketch comedy TV series “In Living Color,” which ran from 1990-94; he also was a production assistant on “My Wife and Kids,” which starred Damon Sr., from 2002-03, according to IMDb. But largely his credits include composing and music department roles; he’s composed for “Poppa’s House,” “Marlon” (which starred his brother Marlon Wayans), “My Wife and Kids” and “The Underground” (which starred both Damon Sr. and Jr.).
As public as some of his siblings can be, though, Dwayne and several of his sisters are very private people, and it’s not well known whether he has children.
Keenen Ivory Wayans (b. 1958)
Early on, Keenen paired up with filmmaker Robert Townsend (who’s directed a few episodes of “Poppa’s House”) and the two co-wrote and co-starred in 1987’s “Hollywood Shuffle,” according to IMDb. Wayans took a page from Townsend’s indie spirit and directed, wrote and starred in “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” the following year.
The success of both films helped pave the way for Keenen’s influential sketch TV series, “In Living Color,” which became a home for multiple siblings over the years. Keenan won a 1990 Emmy for the show (shared with Kevin Bright, Tamara Rawitt and Michael Petok) the year it debuted. He went on to alternately write, direct, produce and/or act in films like “Scary Movie” (2000), “Scary Movie 2” (2001), and “White Chicks” (2004). He executive produced “The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show” in 1997, and wrote “The Last O.G.” for TV in 2020.
Diedra Wayans (b. 1959)
Diedra has largely led a private life, but according to IMDb she’s a producer on “The Dr. Julian Wright Show,” which is currently in pre-production. She produced 2022’s “A Polished Soul” and the TV series “Changing Steps with Belinda Baker” in 2018. She’s also the CEO/owner and co-founder (with her daughter Summer) of Wayans Girl Productions.
Damon Wayans (b. 1960)
Damon Sr. made his first film appearance in 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop,” then went on to be a featured player on “Saturday Night Live” from 1985-86, according to IMDb. He’s since starred in such films as “Mo’ Money” (1993), “Major Payne” (1995), “Bamboozled” (2000) and “Cinnamon” (2023). On TV, he was a main cast member and writer for “My Wife and Kids,” “Damon,” “The Underground” and “Lethal Weapon.” Currently, he’s on the show he co-created, “Poppa’s House,” and has four Emmy nominations for his writing and performance on “In Living Color.” He has four children from his former marriage to Lisa Thorner: Damon Jr., Kyla, Michael and Cara Mia.
Kimberly (“Kim”) Wayans (b. 1961)
After making her film debut in 1987’s “Hollywood Shuffle,” Kim appeared alongside her siblings on “In Living Color” as an original cast member who made a splash with impressions of Whitney Houston and Oprah Winfrey, among others. She also lent her voice to “Waynehead” (a show that also included her siblings Shawn and Marlon), and made guest appearances on shows like “Criminal Minds,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “New Girl,” “Marlon” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” according to IMDb. She’s married to producer/actor Kevin Knotts.
Elvira Wayans (b. 1964)
Named after their mother Elvira, Elvira the younger has kept her life fairly private. She has an IMDB credit as a writer’s assistant on “My Wife and Kids” and was a writer of three episodes of that series. Not much is known and/or confirmed about her private life, except that she is the mother to Damien Dante Wayans and actress/stand-up comic Chaunté Wayans.
Nadia Wayans (b. 1965)
Nadia is another member of the Wayans family who likes to stay out of the spotlight. She has a single IMDb credit as “Bar Patron” in 1988’s “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.”
Devonne “Vonnie” Wayans (b. 1966)
Vonnie’s sole IMDb credit has her getting a shout-out from her brother Marlon on 2022’s “The Curse of Bridge Hollow.” Not much else is know about her or her private life.
Shawn Wayans (b. 1971)
Shawn made his debut as SW.1, the DJ on “In Living Color,” alongside his siblings. Later, he worked with his brother Marlon as the main stars of “The Wayans Bros.” He has often appeared in projects with his brothers, including “Don’t Be a Menace” (1996), which he co-wrote; “Scary Movie” and “Scary Movie 2” (which he co-wrote); “White Chicks” (which he co-wrote and produced).
His TV credits include multiple episodes of “Waynehead” and “The Wayans Bros.,” plus some guest spots elsewhere. He has three children: daughters Laila and Illia, and one son, Marlon.
Marlon Wayans (b. 1972)
Youngest child Marlon shared a birthday with mom Elvira (the elder) who died in 2020 at age 81. As with many of the Wayans’ gang, he appeared alongside his siblings on “In Living Color,” then co-starred on “The Wayans Bros.” His film career includes many shared sibling credits: “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” “Mo’ Money,” “White Chicks,” and Scary Movie” (1 and 2).
He’s been a co-writer and producer on multiple films including 2009’s “Dance Flick,” and will be a co-writer and producer on the upcoming “Scary Movie 6.” He’s built his TV career on sketch series like “Mad TV” and “Childrens Hospital,” plus game shows like “Lip Sync Battle,” “America’s Got Talent” and “Hollywood Game Night.” He’s had five stand-up comedy specials on Netflix, HBO and Amazon Prime, has directed music videos, and in 2017 he co-wrote and starred in “Marlon,” which ran for two seasons.