Many millennials will agree that TV shows and movies from the late 1990s era were much funnier and more entertaining than shows that are released on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime these days.
The scripts contained genuine humor that would catch the audience by surprise and make them laugh out loud. Some movies had the most absurd plotlines that would intrigue people just with their short trailers.
Shawn Wayans is one of the most popular comedians from that era who was featured in some of the most hilarious movies and TV shows of the time. He was born in New York City to Elvira Alethia, a social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a manager of a supermarket. He is the ninth of the ten Wayans siblings and grew up in a family who were all Jehovah’s Witnesses previously.
He graduated in 1989 from the Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities and was soon featured in his older brother’s (Keenen Ivory Wayan)’, feature film debut called I’m Gonna Get You Sucka. And that landed him a role in the Emmy Award Winning Comedy Show In Living Color. He also starred in many box office hits, which he contributed to as a writer as well as a producer.
If you would like to learn more about Shawn Wayans comedic career, we have compiled some winning highlights that you will enjoy immensely.
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Here Are Some Interesting Facts about Shawn Wayans You Should Know
1. Shawn Wayans is part of the iconic Wayans siblings duo
Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans are the two youngest siblings of the Wayans family. Shawn has co-written many blockbuster movies with his brother Marlon Wayans featuring comedic plotlines and memorable characters that audiences love to this day.
He also co-wrote Dance Flick with his brothers Marlon and Keenen Ivory, in which he starred as Baby Daddy, a dimwitted bad father, and made a memorable impression on people’s minds with his amazing acting skills. Both of the youngest Wayans brothers have also been a part of the award-winning show, In Living Color.
Nevertheless, their most creative collaboration together has to be The Wayans Brothers, a show that was launched in 1995 and ran for five seasons.
The brothers started the show with little control over the artistic direction of the show. However, after some time, they were not only starring in the show but also producing, directing, and writing it as well.
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2. Shawn Wayans has two other talented older siblings in the entertainment industry
Shawn Wayans is a part of a very talented family in the entertainment industry. Keenen Ivory Wayans is Shawn Wayans’ older brother, who is famous for playing impressive roles in many movies such as A Low Down Dirty Shame and for his exceptional filmmaking skills.
He also became highly popular among audiences for his show called The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show.
Shawn Wayans also has a highly talented older sister called Kim Wayans, who starred in the television series In The House and A Different World. Damon Wayans is another famous Wayans sibling known for his television show called Damon and movies such as Bamboozled.
3. Shawn Wayans has been a part of some iconic comedic films
Shawn Wayans is a talented entertainer who is a terrific comedic writer and performer.
Shawn was first inspired by his brother Keenan Ivory Wayans when he was staying with him and watched him work on the film Sucka.
After that, Shawn has not only produced some of the best comedic films of the early 2000s era but also co-written or starred in them with his brothers. Little Man is a box office hit that he co-wrote and co-produced that won the hearts of many people worldwide. The film featured his younger brother Marlon Wayans as well.
He was also a part of Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, New Blood, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, and many other hilarious movies. Nevertheless, his role in White Chicks is what made him famous all over the world, as it grossed a worldwide total of $113.1 million.
Most of his movies did not do well commercially but were extremely imaginative and contained comedic instances that had not been seen before on TV nor in films.
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4. Shawn played a great role in the success of “White Chicks”
Shawn Wayans played the lead role in the famous movie “White Chicks” as an FBI agent called Kevin Copeland, who works with Marcus Anthony Copeland II (Marlon Wayans) to solve a kidnapping case with a disguise of a white heiress.
The movie received critical reviews at first but became a cult classic film over time after receiving great success at the box office.
It allowed the audiences to witness the talents of Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans as fantastic actors in the industry and helped them learn that they were multi-faceted entertainers. White Chicks was nominated for multiple awards at the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards and Razzies.
The movie was nominated for Worst On-Screen Couple, Worst Actor, Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Actress, and many more. However, the film was only able to snag the Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy Award from the 2004 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.
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5. He has performed stand-up comedy at some of the classic comedy clubs
Shawn Wayans is not just a comedian on screen, but he also performs live as a stand-up comedian at many known locations in the country. He started his career in showbiz by working as a comedian first.
He has performed at the Laugh Factory, a classic location where comedians all over the USA first take their steps into comedy. Shawn loves writing creative and humorous material, whether it be for his blockbuster hits or for his stand-up comedy. He is always writing on the road as he travels to different cities and states.
Whenever he took time off between his work on television or films, he was always working as a stand-up comedian since he loved the feeling of performing in front of a live audience since it excited him to no end.
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Shawn Wayans Stand Up – Comics Come Home 4 (1998)
Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans do some funny stand-up comedy as they introduce “Comics Come Home 4”, a 1998 Comedy Central special.
Summary
Shawn Wayans is one of the most popular comedians, actors, producers, and writers of the late 1990s and early 2000s era. He was part of some of the most popular box office hit movies of the time, such as “White Chicks” and “Little Man.”
He also starred in a funny TV series with his brother called “The Wayans Bros.” where they made audiences laugh with their antics.
Aside from his career on the big screen and on television, Shawn Wayans has also done stand-up comedy and performed at notable comedy clubs such as the Laugh Factory and Punch Line Comedy Club.
If you would like to learn more about up-and-coming comedians that you can watch live near your locations, click on any of the following links.
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Image Credit – Greg2600, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
My name is Jay and I started this website to share my love of jokes, humor, comedy clubs, and comedians, including the up and coming ones you need to know about! Please feel to send me your suggestions and feedback through the contact form.