Today, Black comedians are among the most celebrated and widely recognized names in the entertainment industry – but it wasn’t always that way. Just a few decades ago, it was rare for People of Color to see themselves represented on TV, but all that changed thanks to the work of Keenen Wayans. The 66-year-old comes from a family of funny (and talented) people, including siblings Damon, Kim, Shawn and Marlon. While he got into Tuskegee University on an engineering scholarship, Wayans dropped out one semester before graduating to focus on comedy. After moving to California and learning the tricks of the trade from Robert Townsend, the Harlem native never looked back.
For Almost 45 Years, Keenen Wayans Has Been A Pioneer In Black Comedy
Keenen Wayans was in his early 20s when he headed out west, but it didn’t take long for him to find work. By 1982 he was making appearances on the hit TV series Cheers; this was followed by projects like For Love and Honor, A Different World and Hollywood Shuffle, which Wayans co-wrote and co-starred in with Townsend. He directed 1988’s I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, which led to an offer from the Fox Broadcasting Company for the New Yorker to start his own show.
“He wanted to make [something] similar to [Saturday Night Live], but with a cast of people of color and more daring, irreverent content,” Celebrity Net Worth explains. This marked the birth of In Living Color in 1990, which won Wayans a Primetime Emmy (plus six more nominations), an NAACP Image Award and a PGA Award for Most Promising Producer in Television. By the time it ended after five seasons in 1994, the sketch comedy show helped launch the careers of Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Jamie Foxx and more.
‘In Living Color’ Helped Some Of Today’s Stars Get Their Start
While the program remained a favorite long after it ended, Marlon Wayans recently gave some insight into why In Living Color didn’t last longer. “I remember when we left In Living Color because Fox was syndicating the show and it was hurting Keenen’s pockets,” the actor shared during his Club Shay Shay interview. “Keenen was like, ‘Nah, you ain’t gonna do this to me.’ My family said, ‘F**k this money.’ And we all left [the show].” Marlon noted that the network reportedly offered them “big checks” to stick around, but instead, they stepped away while supporting their brother.
“That’s why season five, it got weird,” the podcast guest recalled. “It got Biz Markie. God bless Chris Rock, [but] he came at the wrong time. As brilliant as he is, he couldn’t save it. Because the eyes of the show is gone,” he said. Thankfully, it wouldn’t be the end of the Wayans family. Instead, it motivated them to accumulate more money while keeping the world laughing. In 2000, Keenen directed Scary Movie and its sequel the next year, which could only be topped by 2004’s White Chicks. These days, the 66-year-old is working less frequently, although the influence of his legacy is visible through today’s comedic greats.
What Is Keenen Wayans’ Net Worth?
As of September 2024, Keenen Wayans’ net worth is a reported $65 million. In 2007, he paid $2.6M for a home in Tarzana, California that was listed in 2020 for $3.2M. Besides his real estate assets, the creative’s fortune has mostly been amassed through acting, writing, producing and directing.
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