In Living Color is a sketch comedy show that ran from 1990 to 1994 and helped diversify the comedic landscape. It is one of many productions in the hands of the Wayans family empire, as you’ll see reading about the cast members below. Namely, Keenen Ivory Wayans wrote and created the show, in addition to being a lead cast member. Sometimes, it can be a red flag when a creator wants to touch every side of a project. With In Living Color, this was not the case, as you can tell how much passion and fun went into it.
The show had many famous names attached to it, launching some of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the film and television industry, and even the music industry. Additionally, In Living Color carved out a space for Black comedians and creators. During the 90s, most comedies starred white people and had no Black creatives on the team. In Living Color’s success showed there was an appetite for diverse comedy that wasn’t just “family friendly.” Let’s catch up with the cast members and see where they are today.
Keenen Ivory Wayans
As mentioned, Keenen Ivory Wayans was one of the masterminds behind the show. But his appearance on-screen wasn’t due to his behind-the-scenes influence: he was a great host with impeccable comedic timing. Since then, he’s had a number of small acting roles (including cameos in a few mentioned in this article) but has found his groove as a director, writer, and producer.
He directed the hit horror parody films Scary Movie (2000) and Scary Movie 2 (2001), both starring Anna Faris and Regina Hall. He teamed up with his brothers on the cult classic White Chicks in 2004 and again with Little Man in 2006. He has ventured away from family-tied projects, such as penning several episodes for Jordan Peele’s The Last O.G.
Kelly Coffield Park
Kelly Coffield Park was a real treat to watch on In Living Color. She took on the persona of a slew of different characters and had some of the best voices to go along with each character. For four seasons, Coffield Park was a staple member of the cast and someone fans missed during the show’s final season.
Her exit from the show did not signal her end of working with her co-stars. Clearly, she formed a great working relationship with the Wayans, as she made an appearance in Scary Movie as a high school teacher who should never be left around kids, a jeweler in Little Man, as well as a small role in an episode of My Wife and Kids. One of her most recent television credits is as a judge in the hit show How to Get Away with Murder in 2019.
Damon Wayans
Damon Wayans was a fan favorite on In Living Color. Before his days on the show, he had a brief spot as a cast member on the other popular sketch comedy show at the time, Saturday Night Live. One of his most popular characters on the show was a drunk named Anton Jackson who inspired countless full-belly laughs from the live-studio audience and the at-home audience.
He took the experience and fanbase he gained over to his starring role as father Michael Kyle in the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids. In the show, he played a caring dad who is doing his best to keep his family happy and healthy. Alongside Tisha Campbell who played his wife, Wayans gave a positive depiction of Black families while not shying away from issues common in many families regardless of color. He starred as a detective in Lethal Weapon, a dramedy for three years until 2019, and will star in the upcoming Poppa’s House series alongside his son, Damon Wayans Jr..
Tommy Davidson
Tommy Davidson is one of a handful of cast members who stayed on the show from its inception to its finale. Davidson surely held his own on the show, but especially shone during skits with some of his fellow cast members. The comedic chemistry he was able to find with each person spoke volumes about his talent. He’s had appearances in the sitcom Martin, children’s sketch comedy show All That, The Bernie Mac Show, and numerous others.
One of his most popular roles was voicing Oscar Proud in Disney Channel’s The Proud Family. The show centered on the eldest daughter in the family, Penny, but Oscar was an essential part of the family dynamic. He was an overprotective father with a chip on his shoulder due to a lack of respect from his mother. Davidson gave Oscar several trademark phrases, such as when he bellowed out the names of his wife, daughter, and mama. The original run for the show ended in 2005, but Davidson picked up his role in the 2022 reboot on Disney+.
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier was also on the show from the first to fifth season. Grier did great celebrity impressions and characters of all ages. His impersonation as a blues musician never gets old to fans of the show. Grier was cast in other comedies or lighthearted projects like Boomerang, Jumanji (1995), and Kenan and Kel. While never abandoning his comedic roots, as time went on Grier started to shift toward heavier, more dramatic roles.
He played an alcoholic named Stymie in independent film The Poker House with Jennifer Lawrence, Selma Blair, and Chloë Grace Moretz. Even before his stint on In Living Color, Grier had a thriving Broadway career, appearing in productions like Dreamgirls and The First. At the end of 2023, he will be getting back to his musical theater roots with the upcoming movie adaptation of The Color Purple, produced by Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, and Oprah Winfrey.
Kim Wayans
Actress and comedian Kim Wayans pulled viewers into her sketches when she expertly imitated celebrities like Oprah, Vanessa Williams, and Whitney Houston. Yet even just as entertaining were her portrayals of original characters, such as Benita, a woman so fed up with and over all the inconveniences and annoyances of life that it’s easy to relate. In 2002, Kim played a WNBA player in Juwanna Mann, alongside former In Living Color co-star Davidson.
Kim has television credits in comedies to police procedurals. One of her most overlooked projects was her role in the 2011 film Pariah. The film follows a Black teen who is coming to terms with her sexuality. Kim plays Audrey, the teenage girl’s mother. Kim proves that she can inspire more than raucous laughter; she also inspires conflicting emotions in viewers who see a mother who loves her child but is struggling to accept said child for who she is.
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh gave it her all in every skit. She brought even more fun to the already over-the-top show. One of her best skits was as Chrissy in “Black World,” where Keymáh played a child who lived in a fantasy land where Black people do not face the discrimination and racism as in the real world. Though funny through Keymáh’s hilarious, childlike voice and mannerisms, it also touched on real issues.
Millennials probably recognize Keymáh for her role on one of Disney Channel’s most popular shows: That’s So Raven. There, she played Tanya Baxter, Raven’s mother. Her portrayal as Tanya was the perfect mix of grounded and silly. Some of the best moments from the show involve Keymáh’s character, such as when Raven dressed up as her mother to avoid getting in trouble or when she and Raven accidentally stole a pop star’s dog at a spa. Keymáh’s character notably left the show under the guise of “going to law school” but did make an appearance on the spin-off series Raven’s Home in 2022.
Shawn & Marlon Wayans
Shawn and Marlon Wayans are both great actors, comedians, directors, and writers individually, but do some of their best work when they are together. Shawn had a recurring role on In Living Color for the first four seasons, while Marlon only appeared during the fourth. Both starred in Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2, giving fans some of the best moments in the entire franchise. They also starred together in Little Man.
However, their most popular joint project is 2004’s White Chicks where they play FBI detectives who go undercover as two White heiresses to prevent a crime. The movie didn’t get a lot of love from critics, but the general public has grown to love the film which has forced an entire generation to be unable to hear A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton without thinking of Terry Crews and this movie. Shawn has been a bit quieter, though there are rumors about a White Chicks sequel. Marlon recently starred in the 2023 film Air alongside Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, and more.
Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx is one of the biggest names in the acting and music worlds. Younger generations may not know that he got his start on In Living Color. He started on the show in the third season. but is still seen as an integral cast member. He made such an impression that it led to him starring in his own show aptly named The Jamie Foxx Show. Over his career, Foxx has successfully jumped from television to blockbusters. He played Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray, which earned him an Oscar and Golden Globe Award. Foxx’s filmography is extensive, but one of his recent roles was as Joe in Pixar’s Soul (2020).
Outside of acting, Foxx also has a successful music career. As both a lead and featuring artist, he had a number of top ten Billboard Hot 100 hits such as Slow Jamz (2003), Gold Digger (2005), and Blame It (2009), which earned him a Grammy. Though his focus seems to be more on his acting these days, his music is timeless. He has several upcoming projects his fans can look forward to, like a thriller titled Tin Soldier, where he’ll star opposite Robert De Niro.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is one of the top comedic actors of all time. Like Foxx, many may not know that he broke through thanks to his involvement with In Living Color. Since then, he has made a name for himself with his distinctive acting style that no other actor can quite replicate. Carrey has tons of classic comedies under his belt like Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Bruce Almighty. From 1994 to 2014, Carrey had a film (or more) released nearly every year.
It made sense that Carrey started to slow down this non-stop pace. But he never truly disappeared. In 2020, during the tumultuous United States presidential election, Carrey portrayed then-candidate Joe Biden in several SNL skits. He played a mad scientist in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and its sequel in 2022, and has since announced plans to retire from acting. Though he expressed some trepidation, he told Access Hollywood, “This is something you might not hear another celebrity say as long as time exists: I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.”