Keenen Ivory Wayans Biography (1958-)

Born June 8, 1958, in Harlem, NY (some sources say New York, NY); son of Howell (a retail manager) and Elvira (a homemaker) Wayans; brother of Damon Wayans (an actor, writer, and producer), Kim (an actress), Marlon (an actor), Dwayne (an actor), and Shawn (an actor); married Daphne Polk, June 16, 2001; children: Jolie Ivory Imani, Keenen, Jr., Nala, Bella. Addresses: Manager:The Gold/Miller Company, 9220 Sunset Blvd., Suite 320, Los Angeles, CA 90069.; Contact: 16405 Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90049; Attorney: Barnes, Morris, Klein & Yorn, 1424 Second St., 3rd floor, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor, director, screenwriter, producer
Birth Details
June 8, 1958
Harlem, New York, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Recruit Duke Johnson, For Love and Honor, NBC, 1983-1984
  • In Living Color, Fox, 1990-1992
  • Host, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show, syndicated, 1997
  • Specials
  • Motown Thirty: What's Goin' On!, CBS, 1990
  • MTV's 1990 Video Music Awards, MTV, 1990
  • A Laugh, a Tear (comedy), syndicated, 1990
  • Story of a People: The Black Road to Hollywood, syndicated, 1991
  • A Comedy Salute to Michael Jordan (also known as Los Angeles and Chicago Salute to Michael Jordan), NBC, 1991
  • The Fifth Annual American Comedy Awards (also known as The 5thAnnual American Comedy Awards), ABC, 1991
  • Host, The American Music Awards, ABC, 1991
  • Himself (actor), The Real Malcolm X, 1992
  • Comic Relief V, HBO, 1992
  • Presenter, The 44th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 1992
  • In Censors We Trust, E! Entertainment Television, 1993
  • (Archive footage) Himself, Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America, HBO, 1993
  • Soul Train Comedy Awards, 1993
  • Episodic
  • Benson "Clete" Hawkins, Benson's nephew, "Summer of Discontent," Benson, ABC, 1979
  • (As Keenen Wayans) Customer #1, Cheers, NBC, 1982
  • Roberts, "Meet the New Guy," CHiPS, NBC, 1982
  • Guest, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, NBC, 1983
  • Raymond Jackson, "The Runner Falls on His Kisser," Hill Street Blues, NBC, 1987
  • Professor Lawrence, "War of the Words," A Different World, NBC, 1987
  • Himself, "Darker Than Me," The South Bank Show, 1994
  • Ken, "A Little Romance," My Wife and Kids, ABC, 2001
  • Pilots
  • Ray Brewster, Irene, NBC, 1981
  • Recruit Duke Johnson, For Love and Honor, NBC, 1983
  • Television Work
  • Series
  • Executive producer and creator, In Living Color, Fox, 1990-1992
  • Executive producer, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show, syndicated, 1997
  • Episodic
  • Director, In Living Color, Fox, 1990-1992
  • Specials
  • Producer (with Robert Townsend), Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime, HBO, 1987
  • Pilots
  • Executive producer, Hammer, Slammer, and Slade, ABC, 1990
  • Film Appearances
  • Comic, Star 80, Ladd Company/Warner Bros., 1983
  • Donald/Jerry Curl, Hollywood Shuffle, Samuel Goldwyn, 1987
  • Eddie Murphy Raw, Paramount, 1987
  • Jack Spade, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1988
  • Shame, A Low Down Dirty Shame (also known as Mister Cool),Buena Vista, 1994
  • Mailman, Don't Be a Menace (also known as Don't Be a Menace toSouth Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood), Miramax, 1996
  • Detective Jim Campbell, The Glimmer Man (also known as Glimmerman), Warner Bros., 1996
  • Sergeant James Dunn, Most Wanted, New Line Cinema, 1997
  • Amistad II Slave, Scary Movie, Dimension Films, 2000
  • Cameo, Scary Movie 2 (also known as Scarier Movie), Dimension Films, 2001
  • Film Work
  • Coproducer, Eddie Murphy Raw, Paramount, 1987
  • Director, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1988
  • Director, A Low Down Dirty Shame (also known as Mister Cool), Buena Vista, 1994
  • Producer, Don't Be a Menace (also known as Don't Be a Menace toSouth Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood), Miramax, 1996
  • Executive producer, Most Wanted, New Line Cinema, 1997
  • Director and (uncredited) producer, Scary Movie, Dimension Films,2000
  • Director, Scary Movie 2 (also known as Scarier Movie), Dimension Films, 2001
  • RECORDINGS
  • Music Videos
  • Appeared in Will Smith's "Just the Two of Us."
  • WRITINGS
  • Television Specials
  • (With Townsend) Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime (comedy), HBO, 1987
  • Television Episodes
  • In Living Color, Fox, 1990-1992
  • Television Pilots
  • Hammer, Slammer, and Slade, ABC, 1990
  • Screenplays
  • (With Robert Townsend) Hollywood Shuffle, Samuel Goldwyn, 1987
  • (With Eddie Murphy and Townsend; sketch portions) Eddie Murphy Raw, Paramount, 1987
  • I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1988
  • (With Townsend) The Five Heartbeats, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1991
  • A Low Down Dirty Shame (also known as Mister Cool), Buena Vista, 1994
  • Most Wanted, New Line Cinema, 1997
  • Other
  • (Author of foreword) George, Nelson, In Living Color: The Authorized Companion to the Fox TV Series, Warner Books, 1991

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • Contemporary Authors, Vol. 140, Gale, 1993
    • Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 18, Gale Research, 1998
    • George, Nelson, In Living Color: The Authorized Companion to the Fox TV Series, Warner Books, 1991
    • Newsmakers 1991, Issue Cumulation, Gale Research, 1991
    Periodicals
    • Ebony, December, 1994, p. 86
    • Hollywood Reporter, January 25, 1989
    • Newsweek, July 9, 2001, p. 54
    • New York, October 8, 1990, pp. 28-35
    • People Weekly, November 15, 1999, p. 196

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