Marlon Wayans

July 23, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Marlon Wayans was born on July 23, 1972. A jack of many trades, Wayans is an actor, producer, screenwriter, comedian, and entrepreneur. A member of the funniest (and most talented) families in showbiz, he never strays far from his roots. Over the years, fans have come to know him for his wit and sense of humor, but there is still a lot that they do not know. So, let’s take a closer look at this talented star.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Marlon Lamont Wayans

Birth date:

July 23, 1972

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Leo

Height:

6' 0"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$40 million

Background

Marlon Lamont Wayans, a popular name in entertainment, was born in the Big Apple – New York City. His father, Howell Stouten Wayans, was a supermarket manager, and his mother, Elvira Alethia, was a social worker and homemaker. Wayans was the youngest of 10 siblings and was raised in New York City’s housing projects. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. After graduating from LaGuardia, Wayans attended Howard University but decided to drop out after two years.

He began a career in film as a teenager and appeared in the 1988 comedy “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” Interestingly, he featured in this film as an extra but his siblings — Kim, Shawn, and Damon — had bigger parts in it. In subsequent years, the actor began appearing in popular American sitcoms such as “In Living Color” (1992 to 1993) and “The Wayans Bros” (1995 to 1999).

The actor also dabbled in production, producing two installments of the “Scary Movies” series, in which he was credited as a writer. In addition, he produced “The Boo Crew” for Nickelodeon along with his brother Shawn. Furthermore, he received appreciation for his performance in the sitcom “Marlon,” which was also renewed for another season by N.B.C. In 2021, Wayans played a supporting role in the film “Respect,” a biographical musical drama on the life of Aretha Franklin.

Career timeline

1988

Wayans Begins His Career

The actor makes a brief appearance as a pedestrian in “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.”

1992

He Lands His First Major Role

The actor plays the role of Seymour Stewart in the film “Mo’ Money.”

2000

Wayans Showcases His Acting Caliber

He plays Tyrone C. Love in the film “Requiem for a Dream,” which earned praise for its wonderful performances.

2018

He Begins His YouTube Career

Wayans teams up with Shot Studios and launches his self-titled YouTube channel.

2021

He Releases an H.B.O. Max Comedy Special

The actor releases a stand-up comedy special on H.B.O. Max called “Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is.”

Why We Love Marlon Wayans

He is honest
After the success of “Scary Movie,” Wayans claimed that the studio behind the film rushed to write a sequel — and it shows. The actor and co-writer for the film admitted that the sequel was not as good as its predecessor. Such honesty is in short supply, especially from Hollywood hotshots, but Wayans seems to be an exception.
He is always on the grind
The actor still has an exceptional work ethic, even to this day! He keeps going from one project to the next, often working on multiple at a time. He never seems to get tired or overwhelmed and loves his work.
He is very talented
Wayans is a fine actor, as exhibited in “Requiem for a Dream.” In addition, fans will be surprised to know that his character in “G.I. Joe” was written for a white male. However, Wayans bagged the part as he embodied the character in such a way that it transcended race. The actor later pointed out that acting is about a character’s attributes and not the color of his skin.

5 Surprising Facts

He comes from a talented family
All his siblings — Shawn, Dwayne, Kim, Keenen, Elvira, Damon, Ivory, Diedre, Nadia, and Vonnie — are part of the entertainment industry.
He almost played Robin in “Batman Returns”
The actor was considered for the 1992 movie “Batman Returns” as Robin, but the character was, unfortunately, omitted later on.
He almost played Two-Face
He was cast for the role of Two-Face in the 1995 sequel “Batman Forever”, but was recast — it seems like the Batman franchise gave him a hard time!
“The Wayans Bros” was semi-autobiographical
Art imitates life in the popular show, which explored his real-life personality and relationships.
He was friends with Tupac
Wayans and Tupac were close friends until the rapper met a tragic demise in 1996.