As the nepo-baby discourse continues to cause waves in Hollywood with celebrity offspring being offered parts in huge hits including White Lotus, Stranger Things and The Substance, lest we forget the ultimate showbiz family.
The Wayans have infiltrated Hollywood over the past few decades, starring in films such as the Scary Movies, White Chicks and Little Man – with the children and grandchildren of the family earning parts in top projects.
The family has a combined net worth of over $300 million, and have grossed $1 billion in box office sales throughout their careers.
New Girl star Damon Wayans Jr. recently admitted he loves the idea of being referred to as a nepo-baby, because it means his family worked hard to open the door for him.
He said recently: ‘I like the idea of my family working their a**es off to make sure that I can come in, and potentially work my a** off because they’ll let you in to see you, but they won’t keep calling you back if you’re not good’, reports Salon.
The Wayans have infiltrated Hollywood over the past few decades, starring in films such as the Scary Movies, White Chicks and Little Man – with the children and grandchildren of the family earning parts in top projects (pictured Damon, Keenan, Shawn, Marlon and Damien)
Damon is the son of Damon Wayans Snr, who is one of 10 children raised by Howell and Elvira, whose brood have all successfully broken into Hollywood.
Howell, who passed away in 2023, was a supermarket manager while his wife worked as a social worker and homemaker. Elvira died in 2020.
The humble couple may appear an unlikely pair to create a lineage of acting, producing and directing royalty in Hollywood, however their offspring have all broken into the business in various ways.
Similarly to the likes of other legacy families including the Barrymores and Coppolas, most members of the dynasty have ended up in the film and TV industry.
With this in mind, MailOnline takes a look at the most successful members in the huge Hollywood brood…
Keenan Ivory Wayans (Born 1958)
Keenan is often noted as the Wayans son who opened the door to Hollywood success for his other brothers and sisters, after working on some of the most iconic films and series associated with the family.
The actor wrote, created and starred in the comedy series, In Living Color, which helped launch his own career along with the likes of Jim Carrey and David Alan Grier.
Keenan’s siblings Kim, Shawn and Marlon also appeared on the show, kickstarting their own careers as actors thanks to their famous brother.
Keenan is often noted as the Wayans son who opened the door to Hollywood success for his other brothers and sisters, after working on some of the most iconic films and series associated with the family (pictured In Living Colour)
After the show proved a hit, Keenan worked on blaxploitation parody movie I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, which also featured his siblings.
Keenan’s biggest hits include directing his brothers Shawn and Marlon’s films White Chicks, Little Man, and the first two Scary Movie films.
He worked with his brothers again on Dance Flick, which also featured his nephews Damien Dante and Damon Wayans Jr.
One of the only projects he worked on without the other Wayans was in The Glimmer Man alongside Steven Seagal.
Damon Wayans Sr (1960)
Damon is widely regarded as the biggest star in the family thanks to his success alongside his brother Keenan in In Living Colour.
He became the first in the clan to break out with his own projects and enjoyed an abundant comedy career.
Damon also wrote and appeared as the titular character in Major Payne as well as in Blankman, where he plays a superhero of the same name with an alter ego called Darryl Walker.
One of his best known projects was after switching to TV acting, as he starred in the hit sitcom My Wife and Kids as Michael Kyle (pictured)
The actor also played Johnny Stewart in Mo’ Money and appeared in several buddy action films, including Bulletproof with Adam Sandler and The Last Boy Scout with Bruce Willis.
One of his best known projects was after switching to TV acting, as he starred in the hit sitcom My Wife and Kids as Michael Kyle.
He also worked on Lethal Weapon as Roger Murtaugh, and will return to the small screen in the sitcom Poppa’s House alongside his son Damon Wayans Jr.
Damon Wayans Jr. (Born 1982)
Damon Snr’s son Damon Jr. has also enjoyed major success in the industry, which started out with an appearance in his father’s sitcom My Wife and Kids.
He had an eight-episode role as John, one of Michael’s son Junior’s friends.
His first starring role was as Thomas in Dance Flick (2007), which was co-written by his uncle Keenan and nephew Damien Dante.
His work led to options outside of the Wayans collective, working with A-listers such as Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in The Other Guys.
Some of his biggest roles include in Happy Endings as Brad and New Girl’s Coach (pictured far right in New Girl)
He also appeared as character voice in Big Hero 6 as Wasabi.
Some of his biggest roles include in Happy Endings as Brad and New Girl’s Coach, who he played for four seasons. Damon’s other appearances include Let’s Be Cops, The Harder They Fall, and Players.
Damon most recently appeared in Netflix film, Kinda Pregnant.
He is set to reunite professionally with his father in the new sitcom Poppa’s House, where they will play on-screen father and son.
Kim Wayans (1961)
Kim has worked steadily over the past three decades after also getting her first gig on In Living Colour with some of her other family members as a sketch performer.
She went onto also feature in Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), of which her brothers became breakout stars.
Kim has worked steadily over the past three decades after also getting her first gig on In Living Colour with some of her other family members as a sketch performer (pictured left with her brothers Damon, right, and Keenan, centre)
Kim was one of the writers on her brother Damon’s sitcom My Wife And Kids and she appeared in Dance Flick with some of her other relatives.
The film, which was directed by her son Damien Dante, saw her play the role of Ms. Don’t Wanna Be Bothered.
Her roles without her family include playing Audrey in Parish, Diane in Hawaii Five-O and Darlene Beckett in Criminal Minds.
Damien Wayans (Born 1980)
Kim’s son kicked off his career by appearing in Wayans projects, with his first role of note being in Major Payne as Cadet Dwight D. Williams.
Away from Wayans projects, Damien secured a major part in Malibu’s Most Wanted as Tec and worked The Norm Show, NYPD Blue and House M.D.
Damien is both an actor and director, and worked on My Wife and Kids.
Kim’s son kicked off his career by appearing in Wayans projects, with his first role of note being in Major Payne as Cadet Dwight D. Williams (pictured in 2014)
His directorial debut was Dance Flick, which he wrote with his uncles Keenan, Shawn, and Marlon.
In 2006, Damien and his cousin Craig Wayans wrote and produced uncle Damon’s The Underground, a sketch comedy show on Showtime.
By 2009, Damien had formed a production company called Second Generation Productions, a reference to the second generation of his family in the industry.
Shawn Wayans (Born 1971)
Shawn is best known for co-creating and starring in the sitcom, The Wayans Brothers, which he also appears in alongside his brother Marlon.
The project began a working relationship between the two siblings, as they went on to a appear in a number of other films together.
Shawn and Marlon co-wrote the screenplays for the first two Scary Movie films, as well as starring as the character Ray Wilkins in the films.
The brothers also co-wrote and starred in White Chicks (pictured) and Little Man, in which he played Kevin Copeland and Darryl Edwards respectively (Shawn pictured right)
The brothers also co-wrote and starred in White Chicks and Little Man, in which he played Kevin Copeland and Darryl Edwards respectively.
He appeared in Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood as Ashtray.
Marlon Wayans (Born 1972)
As above, Marlon is best known for his work with his brother.
He played Marlon Williams in The Wayans Bros and Shorty Meeks in the first two Scary Movies, as well as Marcus Copeland in White Chicks and Clavin ‘Babyface’ Sims in Little Man.
Away from acting, Marlon has also pursued a stand up comedy career, which his most recent tour God Loves Me, being released as a special in 2023.
He has also worked with top directors in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream as Tyrone C. Love, the Coen Brothers’ The Ladykillers as Gawain MacSam, Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks as Dean, and Ben Affleck’s Air as George Raveling.
He played Marlon Williams in The Wayans Bros and Shorty Meeks in the first two Scary Movies (pictured right), as well as Marcus Copeland in White Chicks and Clavin ‘Babyface’ Sims in Little Man
