Keenan Ivory Wayans

The Wayans family has been associated with film and television comedy since the 1980s and Keenan Ivory Wayans is the patriarch of that talented group. After almost graduating with an engineering degree, Keenan pivoted to Hollywood with his good friend Robert Townsend, starring in the superb satire about the life of black actors called "The Hollywood Shuffle". From then on Keenan would mix film triumphs ("I'm Gonna Get You Sucka'!) with groundbreaking tv work ("In Living Color"). His comedy is urban, raunchy, and very, very funny. In recent years, Keenan has worked more behind the camera, often featuring family members in his casts. Find more clips below as always, and thanks for sharing our shows!

Want more Keenan?

Keenan has spent so much time as a sketch actor, director, and producer that it's easy to forget he is a fine standup as evidenced by this 1983 set on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. https://youtu.be/OU91m_TtTTw?si=3V7_Pk2gVqRS4x22

Keenan found a kindred spirit (and early comedy writing partner) in Robert Townsend and their work bore fruit in the form of the 1987 satirical gem "Hollywood Shuffle". Here's a sample, featuring their take on the "Black Acting School". https://youtu.be/HoqmCwp95Q8?si=b9aFZqJpCI09J59C

In 1990 Keenan launched his signature show "In Living Color". Conceived of as an edgier SNL, with a multiracial cast, In Living Color launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx, as well as Keenan's siblings Marlon and Damon. This bit about a sketchy shopping service is one of the show's enduring classics. https://youtu.be/55aHvFD-I80?si=hbBGhkZTEHOQA5L-