Kim Wayans
Kim Wayans | |
|---|---|
 Wayans in 2012 | |
| Born | Kim Nichole Wayans October 16, 1961 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Wesleyan University |
| Occupation | Actress, comedian, producer, writer, director |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse(s) | Kevin Knotts |
| Relatives | See Wayans family |
Kim Nichole Wayans (born October 16, 1961) is an American actress, activist, comedian, producer, writer and director. Wayans is the sister of Keenen Ivory, Damon Sr., Marlon, Shawn and Nadia Wayans. 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 is also best known as the noted family matriarch of The Wayans Family.
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] Her family were Jehovah's Witnesses.[4][5] She and her family lived in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood.
Career[]
In film she appeared in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (both directed by her brother Keenen), and had a starring role in the art film Talking About Sex and later co starred in Juwanna Mann as Latisha Jansen. She starred with her siblings on the Fox variety show In Living Color and A Low Down Dirty Shame.
Her other television work includes regular appearances on the sitcom In the House with LL Cool J and a recurring role on A Different World. Recently, she has worked as a story editor on her brother Damon's sitcom My Wife and Kids. In 2008, she co wrote a series of children's books with her husband Kevin Knotts, entitled Amy Hodgepodge, about a multiracial girl adjusting to life in public school after years of homeschooling.
In December 2011, she got a chance to showcase her dramatic chops with a supporting role as a mother who struggles to understand her seventeen-year-old daughter in Pariah. She was nominated (alongside co star Pernell Walker) for Best Supporting Actress at the 2012 Black Reel Awards but lost to Octavia Spencer for The Help.
In Living Color[]
Characters[]
- Benita Butrell
- Cousin Elsee
- Laquita (I Love Laquita)
- Lil' Magic
- Mrs. Brooks
- Reesie (Cephus & Reesie)
Impressions[]
- Altovise Davis
- La Toya Jackson
- Esther Rolle
- Crystal Waters
- Grace Jones
- LaWanda Page
- Oprah Winfrey
- Tracy Chapman
- Della Reese
- Lynne Thigpen
- Whitney Houston
- Vanessa L. Williams
- Cree Summer
- Tina Turner
- Sandra "Pepa" Denton
- Telma Hopkins
- Dionne Warwick
- Lucille Ball
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Cathy | Charlene Andrews |
| 1987–1988 | A Different World (television series) | Allison Guisewite |
| 1989 | Cathy's Last Resort | Charlene Andrews |
| I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Nightclub Singer | |
| 1990 | Dream On | Nicki |
| 1990–1993 | In Living Color (television series) | Various |
| 1991 | Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime | Various |
| 1994 | Talking About Sex | Andie Norman |
| Floundering | Unemployment | |
| A Low Down Dirty Shame | Diane | |
| 1995–1998 | In the House (television series) | Tonia Riley Harris |
| The Wayans Bros. (television series) | Cousin Shelia | |
| 1996 | Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood | Mrs. Johnson |
| 1996–1997 | Waynehead (television series) | Mom (voice) |
| 1997 | Critics and Other Freaks | Bettina |
| 1998 | Getting Personal (television series) | Rhonda |
| 2001 | Scary Movie 2 | News Anchor (Uncredited, Deleted Scene) |
| 2002 | Juwanna Mann | Latisha Jansen |
| 2006 | Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness (television) | Momma/Joyce (voice) |
| Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc's Street (television) | Momma (voice) | |
| 2007 | What News? (television) | Pearl "Lightning" Davis |
| 2009 | Dance Flick | Ms. Dontwannabebothered |
| 2011 | Pariah | Audrey |
| 2012 | Criminal Minds (television) | Darlene Beckett |
| 2013 | Reckless | Vi |
| 2014 | New Girl (television) | Susan |
| 2016 | The Breaks (television) | |
| 2020 | Boomerang (television) |
References[]
- ^ "Kim Wayans Biography (1961–)". www.filmreference.com.
- ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, January 19, 2016, PBS
- ^ "Keenen Ivory Wayans' Interactive Family Tree". PBS. January 22, 2016. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017.
- ^ "Marlon Wayans". TIME. November 4, 2007. Archived from the original on November 4, 2007.
- ^ The Movie Chicks – Interview – Marlon Wayans
External links[]
- Kim Wayans at IMDb
- Kim Wayans on Twitter
| show Authority control  |
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- 1961 births
- American people of Malagasy descent
- Actresses from New York City
- African-American female comedians
- African-American television directors
- American television directors
- African-American television producers
- Television producers from New York City
- American women television producers
- American television writers
- Women television directors
- Living people
- Wayans family
- Wesleyan University alumni
- American women comedians
- American women television writers
- African-American film producers
- Film producers from New York (state)
- American impressionists (entertainers)
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- American voice actresses
- American television actresses
- African-American actresses
- American film actresses
- Comedians from New York City
- Screenwriters from New York (state)
- American women film producers
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American comedians
- People from Chelsea, Manhattan