The Wayans family has provided years of quality content in Hollywood. From In Living Color to The Wayans Bros., their legacy is cemented and remains relevant. From the Wayans family come the comedic stylings of the likes of Shawn, Marlon, Damon, Kim, Keenen Ivory, and includes their offspring. But though they have made the world laugh over the years, growing up wasn’t easy for them. But their lives have been the inspiration for many years of hilarious material.
The Wayans household consisted of 10 siblings that grew up in New York City to parents Elvira Alethia and Howell Wayans. The family crammed in a tiny apartment with the patriarch bringing in an annual salary of around $12k. But they would not allow their life situations to threaten their goals.
The Wayans family have made light of their hardships and struggles, which could be seen in their 2013 episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter. Siblings Marlon, Shawn, Kim, and Keenen sat with Winfrey to reflect on their upbringing, cracking jokes about the hard times. One of the stories the family recalled was a time when Damon Wayans, comedian, and star of films such as Major Payne and tv shows like My Wife and Kids, stole 15 cents from their father’s jacket pocket. Damon would end up getting in trouble for stealing but would also wonder how he could be so poor and catch the small amount.
Marlon Wayans, who found incredible success both on television and at the box office, further reflected on life with his family on The Jonathan Ross Show. According to the youngest Wayans sibling, their impoverished upbringing did not come attached with any type of privilege. Marlon Wayans explained that his family did not have the benefit of education or strong athletic capabilities like others in their situation. “Jokes was what we do,” the Respect star shared. Marlon stated that instead of looking at the downsides of life, the family chose to focus on the funny aspects. “What’s funny about poverty? What’s funny about funerals?” he stated, explaining the Wayans’ “sick mind” and how it works.
Marlon then reflected on some funny moments that the family experienced while at funerals. The comedian told a tale of his cousin’s funeral, where one of their aunts mentioned that he wouldn’t enter heaven due to his dressed-down apparel in the casket. Later, Ross shared a photo taken by Wayans at one of his aunt’s funerals. In the picture were some of his cousins and family. “That was a lot of fun,” he recalled. “We have a blast every funeral.”
Marlon then went on to share a bizarre story of his cousin who took the eulogy that was done by him and sold it, presenting it as “special appearances by ‘The Wayans Family’.” “They sold the funeral in the streets like a bootleg,” Wayans revealed. The “sick, twisted family” (his words) would then go on to create a flier for a funeral after-party where they advertised that you could “party it up” with their dead aunt. It’s good to be able to find joy in terrible situations!
