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Actor

1971-01-19 · New York City, New York, U.S. · Male

12 series in the catalog

Shawn Mathis Wayans ( WAY-ənz; born January 19, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer.

Early life and education

Wayans, the ninth of ten siblings, was born in New York City, the son of Elvira Alethia (Green), a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager. His family were once Jehovah's Witnesses. Wayans grew up in the Fulton Houses in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea and is a 1989 graduate of the Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities.

Career

Wayans made his debut on the comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1993). He went on to work with his brother Marlon Wayans on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros.(1995–1999) and the comedy films Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), White Chicks (2004), Little Man (2006), and Dance Flick (2009).

After an extended hiatus from acting, it was announced in February 2025 that Wayans would star in the sixth installment of the Scary Movie franchise, titled Scary Movie (2026), and would also star in the upcoming sequel film White Chicks 2 (TBA).