Marlon Wayans joins Shannon Sharpe at Club Shay Shay for an honest conversation about life, comedy, and family. Marlon, the youngest of the Wayans siblings, reflects on growing up as the “butt” of his family’s jokes. He shares how his childhood was shaped by his mom’s hands-on approach and his father’s strict religious beliefs as a Jehovah’s Witness. He talks about how his mom foresaw New York real estate’s value skyrocketing and recounts wearing hand-me-downs from his brothers—a habit he’s kept up even today. Marlon dives deep into his upbringing, recalling how different his family was from others in the neighborhood because they had both a mother and a father. He recounts having legendary entertainers like Eddie Murphy and Robert Townsend visit his home, and how he was writing sketches from a young age. Marlon also discusses the tension with his father over attending a performance arts high school and eventually leaving Howard University because of his experience with professors treating him differently due to In Living Color. He opens up about his career in comedy, from his early auditions for his brother’s movie Mo’ Money to the creation of The Wayans Bros TV show with his brother Shawn.
Marlon reflects on his family being labeled with nepotism despite their immense talent and discusses the challenges they faced with networks, including their decision to leave In Living Color when NBC attempted to blackball his brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans. He gives credit to Keenen’s talent-spotting abilities, noting how Keenen discovered major stars like Tommy Davidson, Jim Carrey, and Jennifer Lopez, and he reminisces about the legendary four-year run of In Living Color, which even led to the invention of the Super Bowl halftime show. Marlon shares stories about his experiences in Hollywood, like working with Eddie Murphy on Norbit, his close friendship with Tupac Shakur during the filming of Above the Rim, and how the tragic deaths of Tupac and Biggie impacted him. He discusses the origins of The Wayans Bros show and remembers some of their best guests, including Bernie Mac, whom they helped elevate to stardom. He gets into the complexities of Hollywood, discussing his family’s challenges with the Weinstein brothers and how they were cheated out of a fair deal for the Scary Movie franchise. He reflects on the impact of being a visionary Black entertainer and the importance of coming together to create rather than tear each other down. Marlon talks about some of the iconic moments in his career, such as the making of White Chicks, which he describes as the hardest movie he’s ever done.
He responds to claims from Mo’Nique that White Chicks stole her baby powder joke, and addresses criticism about Black actors wearing dresses in Hollywood. He also shares his unique approach to comedy, stating that he doesn’t write his jokes but performs spontaneously, “like Jay-Z in the booth.” In a more personal segment, Marlon opens up about his relationship with his daughter and the difficulties of accepting her transition. He discusses his desire to have another child in his 50s, his reluctance to get married, and how he plans to be a different father this time around.
Tune in to this episode of Club Shay Shay for a raw and insightful conversation with Marlon Wayans, filled with laughter, love, and some unexpected revelations.
