Shawn Mathis Wayans (born January 19, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He made his debut on the comedy television series ''

In Living Color ''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990, to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions ...

'' (1990–1993). He went on to work with his brother

Marlon Wayans Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for his work with his brother Shawn Wayans on The WB sitcom ''The Wayans Bros.'' (1995–1999) and the comedy films ''Don't Be a M ...

The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...

sitcom ''

The Wayans Bros. ''The Wayans Bros.'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999. The series starred real life brothers Shawn Wayans, Shawn and Marlon Wayans, comedian John Witherspoon (actor), John Withe ...

''(1995–1999) and the comedy films '' Don't Be a Menace'' (1996), ''

Scary Movie ''Scary Movie'' is a 2000 American parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written by Marlon Wayans, Marlon and Shawn Wayans (who both also star), alongside Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Starring Jon ...

'' (2000), '' Scary Movie 2'' (2001), ''

White Chicks ''White Chicks'' (stylized as ''WHiTE CHiCKS'') is a 2004 American buddy cop crime comedy film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans from a screenplay co-written by Wayans, Xavier Cook, Andy McElfresh, Michael Anthony Snowden, with additional contrib ...

'' (2004), '' Little Man'' (2006), and '' Dance Flick'' (2009). After an extended hiatus from acting, it was announced in February 2025 that Wayans will star in the upcoming films '' Scary Movie 6'' (2026) and '' White Chicks 2'' (TBA).

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 Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

.The Movie Chicks - Interview - Marlon Wayans
/ref> Wayans grew up in the Fulton Houses in the

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

neighborhood of Chelsea and is a 1989 graduate of the Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities.

Filmography

Film

Television

Documentary

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wayans, Shawn 1971 births American people of Malagasy descent 20th-century African-American male actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century African-American male actors 21st-century American male actors African-American male comedians African-American comedians American male comedians African-American television producers Television producers from New York City American male film actors Living people Male actors from Manhattan Shawn American male television actors American sketch comedians American stand-up comedians Comedians from Manhattan 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians Film producers from New York (state) People from Chelsea, Manhattan 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people