Damon Wayans, an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer, was born on September 4, 1960, in Harlem, New York. He was the third of ten children and grew up in a low-income household with his parents struggling to make ends meet. Despite the challenges, Damon found solace in comedy and began performing stand-up in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Damon's big break came in 1985 when he was invited to join the cast of the TV show "Living Color." He became a regular on the show, but left after one season due to creative differences. However, his popularity continued to grow, and he appeared in several films, including "Beverly Hills Cop" and "My Lover is from Another World."
In the 1990s, Damon focused on his stand-up career and released a book, "Bootleg." He also began to develop his skills as a writer and producer, creating the TV show "In Living Color" and appearing in several films. In 2001, he created the popular TV show "My Wife and Kids," which ran for five seasons.
Damon retired from stand-up comedy in 2015 due to health issues, including a brain tumor and type 2 diabetes. However, he continued to work behind the scenes, writing and producing TV shows. In 2016, he returned to acting, starring in the TV series "Lethal Weapon."
Today, Damon lives a reserved life, preferring to work behind the cameras rather than in front of them. He is married to actress Aja Metoyer and has four children with his first wife. Despite being retired, Damon occasionally performs stand-up and supports his son, Damon Wayans Jr., who is also an actor.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Damon Wayans was born on September 4, 1960, in Harlem, New York.
2. He was the third of ten brothers.
3. Damon's parents worked to support the family, with his father working in a supermarket and his mother as a social worker.
4. Damon dropped out of 9th grade school to help his parents with household bills.
5. He worked as a mail attendant when he was 22 years old.
6. In 1982, Damon and his brother moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy.
7. Damon started doing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles and gained popularity.
8. His first appearance on the big screen was in the 1984 film "Beverly Hills Cop" alongside Eddie Murphy.
9. Damon met his wife, Lisa Thorner, in the 1980s and they were married for 16 years, having four children together.
10. Damon's big break came in 1985 when he joined the cast of the TV show "In Living Color".
11. He left the show after one season due to creative differences with the director.
12. Damon continued to work on his stand-up comedy and appeared in several films, including "My Brother Is from Another World" and "Blankman".
13. In 2001, Damon created and starred in the TV show "My Wife and Kids", which ran for five seasons.
14. Damon retired from stand-up comedy in 2015 due to health problems, including a brain tumor and type 2 diabetes.
15. He continued to work behind the scenes, writing shows for TV and developing mobile apps.
16. In 2016, Damon returned to acting, starring in the TV series "Lethal Weapon".
17. Damon is currently married to actress Charli Damelio and has an estimated fortune of $45 million.
18. He is active on social media and has 759,000 followers on Instagram.
19. Damon's son, Damon Wayans Jr., is also an actor and is looking to make a name for himself in Hollywood.
20. Damon returned to doing stand-up performances in 2021, despite being retired for several years.