Wayans, Keenen Ivory Desuma
1958- · Contribution: 1987-1994
Filmmaker & Comedian
Co-wrote and co-starred in 'Hollywood Shuffle' alongside Robert Townsend, already profiled in this collection; created 'In Living Color,' the first major Black-led network sketch comedy show, launching the careers of Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, and Jennifer Lopez
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1958
- Active since
- 1987
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- Created "In Living Color"Co-wrote "Hollywood Shuffle"Launched major comedy careers
Impact on the world
Wayans built a Black-led comedy platform that reshaped sketch television and launched an extraordinary roster of stars. He brought a distinctly Black comedic sensibility to primetime.
An alternative history
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Sources
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BlackPast.org
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Related visionaries
Townsend, Robert
1957-
Self-financed and directed 'Hollywood Shuffle' in 1987, a satire of the racial stereotyping faced by Black actors, financed entirely through his own savings and multiple credit card applications
Murphy, Eddie
1961-
Comedian, actor, and singer who became one of the defining box-office draws of the 1980s and one of the highest-grossing actors in film history; rose to fame as a cast member on 'Saturday Night Live' (1980-1984) and headlined blockbuster comedies including '48 Hrs.,' 'Trading Places,' 'Beverly Hills Cop,' and 'Coming to America,' opening doors for a generation of Black comedians and actors.
Lawrence, Martin Fitzgerald
1965-
Co-created and starred in 'Martin,' a Fox sitcom that became Black television's flagship Thursday-night program in the 1990s; hosted HBO's groundbreaking 'Def Comedy Jam,' launching the mainstream careers of Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, and Bernie Mac
Pryor, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas
1940-2005
Transformed American stand-up comedy by bringing unflinching honesty about race, addiction, and his own troubled life to the stage; first recipient of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor