Kim Wayans

Kim Wayans
Wayans in 2012
Born
Kimberly Nichole Wayans

(1961-10-16) October 16, 1961 (age 63)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationWesleyan University
OccupationActress
Years active1982–present
SpouseKevin Knotts
RelativesWayans family

Kimberly Nichole Wayans (born October 16, 1961) is an American actress. She is the sister of Keenen Ivory, Damon Sr., Marlon, Shawn, and Nadia Wayans and aunt of Damien Dante among others. She is best known for her numerous roles on the Fox sketch comedy show In Living Color (1990–94), and Tonia Harris on In the House (1995–98). Wayans has also directed episodes for several series, including Bunk'd, The Neighborhood, and My Wife and Kids.

Early life

Wayans was born in New York City, the daughter of Elvira Alethia (Green), a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager.[1][2][3] Wayans is one of ten siblings,[4] several of whom have become actors and comedians. She and her family lived in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood, and were Jehovah's Witnesses.[5][6][7] Wayans graduated from Wesleyan University, where she studied English.[8]

Career

Wayans made her film debut in Hollywood Shuffle (1987).[9] Her earliest roles on television included a guest appearance on China Beach[10] and as Allison on A Different World during its first season.[11] In film, she portrayed minor characters in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1989)[12] and A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994).[13] Both films were directed by her brother Keenen Ivory Wayans.

She starred with her siblings on the Fox variety show In Living Color. Wayans was a part of the cast at its outset in 1990,[14] where she did celebrity impressions of Naomi Campbell,[15] Whitney Houston, Vanessa Williams[16] and Oprah Winfrey.[17]

Regarding original characters, one reviewer opined she was "hysterical" as Mrs. Brooks[18] and another claimed Wayans played Benita Butrell "to perfection."[19] She left the series along with her brothers Keenen Ivory and Damon in 1993, after a dispute between Fox and the three Wayanses regarding reruns and syndication.[20]

In 1996, Wayans joined the cast of sitcom In the House as Tonia.[21] She provided the voice of Mrs. Wayne on short-lived cartoon Waynehead.[22] She appeared as Mrs. Johnson in Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996),[23] and had a starring role in the art film Talking About Sex.[24] She also appeared in two episodes as Sheila on The Wayans Bros. starring her younger brothers Marlon and Shawn.[25] Wayans co-starred in Juwanna Mann (2002) as basketball player Latisha Jansen.[26]

Wayans then worked as a story editor on her brother Damon's sitcom My Wife and Kids.[27] In 2008, she co wrote a series of children's books with her husband Kevin Knotts, titled Amy Hodgepodge, about a multiracial girl adjusting to life in public school after years of homeschooling.

Known predominantly as a comedian, Wayans claims to have struggled finding roles in other mediums.[28] However, in 2011, she was cast as Audrey, a mother who struggles to understand her seventeen-year-old daughter in the drama film Pariah.[29] According to director Dee Rees, Wayans was chosen in the role as she was the only actress to give Audrey "vulnerability" in her audition.[28] Wayans was nominated for a Black Reel Award and NAACP Image Award in 2012, both in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress.[30][31]

Following Pariah, Wayans has acted in more dramatic fare, including guest spots on Criminal Minds and Hawaii Five-0.[4] Her turn on the former led to a regular role as paralegal Vi Briggs on Reckless.[29] She appeared as a doctor on The Soul Man[32] and portrayed Susan on New Girl.[33] Wayans returned to sketch comedy, appearing in one episode of A Black Lady Sketch Show in 2021.[34]

In Living Color

Impressions

Characters

  • Benita Butrell
  • Cousin Elsee
  • Laquita (I Love Laquita)
  • Lil' Magic
  • Mrs. Brooks
  • Reesie (Cephus & Reesie)

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Hollywood Shuffle Customer in Chair
Eddie Murphy Raw Interviewed Fan
1988 I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Nightclub Singer
1994 Floundering Unemployment Clerk
Talking About Sex Andie Norman
A Low Down Dirty Shame Diane
1996 Don't Be a Menace Mrs. Johnson
1997 Critics and Other Freaks Bettina
2002 Juwanna Mann Latisha Jansen
2006 Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness Momma/Joyce Voice, television film
Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc's Street Momma Voice, television film
2007 What News? Pearl "Lightning" Davis Television film
2009 Dance Flick Ms. Dontwannabebothered
2011 Pariah Audrey
2017 Ray Meets Helen Lizzie Faye
2020 Exit Package Mary Birdsall Short

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987–88 A Different World Allison Recurring cast: season 1
1988 China Beach Cameo Candette Episode: "Lost and Found"
1990 Dream On Nicki Episode: "Over Your Dead Body"
1990–93 In Living Color Herself/Castmember Main cast: season 1-4
1991 Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime Various Characters TV special Documentary
1995–98 In the House Tonia Riley Harris Main cast: season 2-4
The Wayans Bros. Shelia 2 episodes
1996–97 Waynehead Mom Voice, main cast
1998 Getting Personal Rhonda Episode: "There's Something About Rhonda"
2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Jackie-In-The-Box / Lulu Voice, episode: "The Steadfast Tin Soldier"
Cousin Skeeter Mystic Ruler Episode: “New Kids on the Planet”
2012 Criminal Minds Darlene Beckett Episode: "The Pact"
2013 The Soul Man Dr. Owens Episode: "Get Thee Behind Me"
2014 Reckless Vi Briggs Main cast
2015 Hawaii Five-0 Diane Episode: "Ike Hanau"
2016 Hit the Floor Karen Halford Episode: "Lockout"
New Girl Susan 2 episodes
2017 The Breaks Ella Williams Recurring cast
2018 Marlon Miss Shabazz Episode: "Divorce Counseling"
2020 Boomerang Juanita Episode: "End of the Road"
2021 A Black Lady Sketch Show Aunt Bev Episode: "Way to Ruin the Party, Soya!"

References

  1. ^ "Kim Wayans Biography (1961–)". www.filmreference.com.
  2. ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, January 19, 2016, PBS
  3. ^ "Keenen Ivory Wayans' Interactive Family Tree". PBS. January 22, 2016. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Daniels, Karu F. (October 21, 2016). "What Ever Happened To Kim Wayans?". NBC News. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  5. ^ Wild, David (July 16, 2000). "FILM; The Family That Clowns Together". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  6. ^ "Marlon Wayans". TIME. November 4, 2007. Archived from the original on November 4, 2007.
  7. ^ The Movie Chicks – Interview – Marlon Wayans
  8. ^ Booe, Martin (October 28, 1990). "He's So Fresh". The Albany Herald. pp. 4−6.
  9. ^ Rauch Klotman, Phyllis; Gibson, Gloria J. (1997). Frame by Frame II: A Filmography of the African American Image, 1978-1994. Indiana University Press. p. 223. ISBN 9780253211200.
  10. ^ Smith, Dinitia (October 8, 1990). "Color Them Funny". New York Magazine. p. 34.
  11. ^ Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (November 15, 2005). Historical Dictionary of African-American Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 472. ISBN 9780810865228.
  12. ^ Wilmington, Michael (February 24, 1989). "Machismo the big joke in 'Sucka'". Boca Raton News. p. 3W.
  13. ^ Steelman, Ben (November 30, 1994). "Wayan's wit carries 'Shame'". Star-News. p. 2D.
  14. ^ "'In Living Color' First Episode: THR's 1990 Review". The Hollywood Reporter. April 15, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  15. ^ "Sunday Night Highlights". The Hour. June 4, 1993. p. 37.
  16. ^ "Tonight's series". Times-News. October 18, 1992. p. 9E.
  17. ^ Froelich, Janis D. (May 12, 1990). ""Living' it up". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  18. ^ "Best Bets". Eugene Register-Guard. January 3, 1993. p. 13D.
  19. ^ "Sunday". Observer-Reporter. December 18, 1992. p. C-2.
  20. ^ Richmond, Ray (October 21, 1993). "Producers: slot hurts 'Living Color'". Observer-Reporter. p. B12.
  21. ^ Weintraub, Joanne (August 3, 1996). "Network strives to include culture on little screen". The Vindicator. p. B10.
  22. ^ Perlmutter, David (May 4, 2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 684. ISBN 9781538103746.
  23. ^ "Wayans Brothers' Parody, 'Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood', Takes Humorous Look At Black Urban Movies". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. February 12, 1996. p. 61.
  24. ^ Flowers, John; Frizler, Paul (2004). Psychotherapists on Film, 1899-1999. Vol. 2. McFarland & Company. p. 573. ISBN 9780786419081.
  25. ^ "Highlights". The Tuscaloosa News. December 17, 1998. p. 8C.
  26. ^ Germain, David (June 21, 2002). "Movie gets whistled for an offensive foul". The Daily Gazette. p. D3.
  27. ^ White, Katherine (December 15, 2004). The Wayans Brothers. Rosen Publishing Group. p. 36. ISBN 9781404202658.
  28. ^ a b Van Meter, William (January 6, 2012). "Kim Wayans". Out. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  29. ^ a b Fisher, Lucinda (June 27, 2014). "'In Living Color' Star in New Dramatic Series". ABC News. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  30. ^ Morales, Wilson (December 14, 2011). "Pariah Lead Black Reel Awards Field". Black Film. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  31. ^ "2012 NAACP Image Award Film And TV Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. January 19, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  32. ^ Ng, Philiana (April 17, 2013). "'In Living Color' Star Books TV Land's 'Soul Man' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  33. ^ Smith, C. Molly (May 11, 2016). "New Girl finale recap: The top 5 moments from Wedding Eve / Landing Gear". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  34. ^ Porter, Rick (May 24, 2021). "'A Black Lady Sketch Show' Renewed for Season 3 at HBO". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
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