Club Shay Shay - Damon Wayans Part 2

Summary

Club Shay Shay - Damon Wayans Part 2 Release Date: April 2, 2025

Introduction In the second part of his insightful conversation, Damon Wayans sits down once again with his brother, renowned comedian and actor Keenan Ivory Wayans. The episode delves deep into Keenan's personal journey, comedic philosophy, family dynamics, and his perspectives on the evolving entertainment industry.

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1. Comedy as Therapy Keenan Ivory Wayans opens up about his entry into stand-up comedy, emphasizing its role as a therapeutic outlet for him.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [04:46]: "I just wanted to be as funny as I could be on stage, and stand-up became therapy for me."

He discusses how performing allowed him to process personal tragedies, including the loss of his brother, and navigate through dark periods in his life.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [05:08]: "I've been suicidal. I've been, you know, in very, very dark places. But, you know, when you go on stage and you talk about it and people laugh, you go, it's not that bad."

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2. Money and Relationships The conversation transitions to Keenan's views on money, especially in the context of lending to friends and maintaining relationships.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [21:33]: "Money is money you spend. And people always want to spend your money when they see you."

He emphasizes treating money as a tool rather than a measure of worth, highlighting his disciplined approach to finances.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [21:54]: "Money is a tool. And I'm grateful to have some tools, you know, and to be able to help people when I can."

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3. Racism and Success in America Keenan shares his observations on how increased financial success among Black men doesn't necessarily equate to the eradication of racism.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [24:16]: "The more money you make, the less black people you see."

He explains that financial advancement often leads to segregation within communities, affecting personal relationships and societal interactions.

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4. Career Highlights and Missed Opportunities Reflecting on his career, Keenan recounts audition experiences and roles that didn't materialize as anticipated.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [07:21]: "I was supposed to be Cooper Gooding's character in Jerry Maguire."

Despite receiving praise from director Cameron Crowe, circumstances led to him not securing the role, a decision he respects and moves forward from gracefully.

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5. Stand-Up and Cancel Culture Keenan addresses the impact of cancel culture on stand-up comedy, expressing his reluctance to return to the stage amidst evolving societal norms.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [30:20]: "Cancel culture made me not really want to do stand-up."

He cites a conversation with Dave Chappelle, who encouraged him to continue performing, but Keenan remains hesitant due to the high stakes involved.

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6. Family Dynamics and Legacy A significant portion of the discussion centers around Keenan's commitment to his family, both immediate and extended. He highlights the collaborative nature of his projects, involving his children and siblings.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [51:07]: "Everything I do is family. So Damon Jr. was there and my son Michael and my sister."

He stresses the importance of representing his family authentically in his work, ensuring that diversity and familial bonds are showcased.

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7. Personal Health Journey Keenan opens up about his battles with type 2 diabetes and a pituitary tumor, sharing how his faith and discipline have helped him overcome these challenges.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [79:37]: "I have a beautiful family. I have a wonderful God. I have so many blessings."

He discusses the lifestyle changes he adopted post-diagnosis, including dietary adjustments and rigorous monitoring of his glucose levels.

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8. The Comedy Industry and Joke Stealing Keenan delves into the notorious issue of joke stealing within the comedy sphere, sharing anecdotes from his early days alongside legends like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [40:06]: "They took it out of context."

He recounts how tight-knit the comedy community was, with a strong sense of camaraderie and mutual respect to protect each other's material.

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9. Marriage and Personal Relationships Keenan reflects on his 19-year marriage, the subsequent divorce, and the mature relationship he maintains with his ex-wife for the sake of their children.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [69:05]: "Marriage is not just the moment, right? You have to get through moments."

He emphasizes the importance of setting aside resentment to foster a positive environment for their children.

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10. Mentoring the Next Generation Concluding the conversation, Keenan discusses his dedication to mentoring his children and grandchildren, ensuring they carve out their own paths in the entertainment industry.

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [56:10]: "So I walk in, and I got to show them how to do it, how to lead."

He highlights the importance of allowing them to earn their positions and contribute meaningfully to their projects.

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Notable Quotes

• Keenan Ivory Wayans [05:58]: "That's what Richard did. He set the bar."
• Keenan Ivory Wayans [27:14]: "People can't see that you are... the internal conflicts you have."
• Keenan Ivory Wayans [38:19]: "We've lost our way as a society. We're so, you know, we call it the of men, where you don't..."

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Conclusion The episode provides a profound look into Keenan Ivory Wayans' life, showcasing his resilience, humor, and unwavering commitment to family and faith. Through candid conversations, Keenan articulates the challenges and triumphs that have shaped his journey, offering listeners valuable insights into the complexities of fame, personal struggles, and the enduring bonds of family.

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Speaker Attribution:

• Damon Wayans: Host, engaging in conversations and posing questions.
• Keenan Ivory Wayans: Guest, sharing personal experiences, perspectives, and anecdotes.

Note: The summary omits advertisements, sponsor messages, and non-content segments to focus solely on the enriching dialogue between Damon and Keenan.

Transcript

[Damon Wayans]

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[Jeff T]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Check.

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[Damon Wayans]

Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. What did Keenan do?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Mimicking Pray what did he do? Mike Tyson want to beat you up?

[Damon Wayans]

Pray the Super Bowl Fox put that on. Put you guys on and stole the audience. But Marlon said you got him in trouble. What you do?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I think I did a gerbil joke with Richard Gere.

[Damon Wayans]

Richard Gere at the table.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Improvise that it was funny we only lost one or two sponsors. The dad already got the money. What are you mad about? But don't put us on live if you don't want it live. That's what that was. My thing with SNL is this is supposed to be live, and I don't feel no edge.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I don't feel. This is so. I don't know, it's like methodical. It didn't feel like, oh, there's some danger.

[Damon Wayans]

You like being on the edge?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I loved being. Loved being on it.

[Damon Wayans]

Right. You're not there anymore.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, no, I'm older, wiser.

[Damon Wayans]

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[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, I just wanted to be as funny as I could be on stage, and stand up became therapy for me. You know, I. I've been able to solve a lot of problems in my life by going on stage, and I just enjoyed, like, talking about my foot and, you know, I talked about my brother dying and, you know, just everything. And I did stand up because I had to.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Because, you know, I've been suicidal. I've been, you know, in very, very dark places. But, you know, when you go on stage and you talk about it and people laugh, you go, it's not that bad. What else is messed up in.

[Damon Wayans]

Is that what a comedian job is, is to take real life events and make them funny, even if it's personal events. Like you said you were suicidal. You talk about that and you make a joke out of it, or you see things going on in the world, you make it funny, and you make people laugh. And for that set, 30 minutes, an hour, 90 minutes set, they forget about the problems that there might be going on.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. Your job as a comedian is to live until you almost die, to survive it, and then cry. Then put a smile on your face and tell them why.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

That's what Richard did. He set the bar.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes. Wow. Why do you think black men get so much criticism for wearing dresses in movies when whites have won Academy Awards for doing same thing?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Cause blacks is gay. No. I don't know. Why. I just think, you know, you can make anything an issue for me. It's like, is it funny?

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. To me, Tyler Perry in a dress, all day, every day I'm there. Right, Heller. That's funny. I don't care. It's funny. So, you know, if you do it and it's not funny, then I got a problem with you.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Because you went through hair, makeup, and. And you.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah. For that long period of time.

[Jeff T]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And it wasn't funny.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

White chicks, hilarious.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Big Mama House, hilarious. I personally don't have a problem. I don't know. I think we say it because we're crabs in the barrel sometimes, and we try to pull people down. But, you know, like you said, Dustin Hoffman won an Academy Award, Robin Williams won an Academy Award. You know, it's like, I don't have a problem with it.

[Damon Wayans]

Are there many. Any roles that you auditioned for that you didn't get, that you felt you should have gotten, or there's a role that you turned down, you're like, damn, I probably should have took that one.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Every role you auditioned for, you think you should have got. But, you know, every role is not for you. You know, so I had auditioned, not auditioned. They picked me to be in. What? Show Me the Money. What movie was that? Jerry McGuire.

[Damon Wayans]

Jerry Maguire.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yes.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Had a big meeting in New York, and.

[Damon Wayans]

And so you're gonna be Cooper Gooding's character.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I was supposed. Yeah, I was. I was up for that.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

They wanted Me, I met with Tom Cruise and, and the, the director, what's his name? Cameron. Cameron Crow Crowe. Yeah. And I think that's his name. And we're walking around Jim Brooks's apartment in New York and we're doing the scene where he meets him at the mall and he's walking around like this here. And I'm on fire. My brain is just like. I'm improvising and they laughing and me and Tom Cruise, I'm just like. And out of the corner of my eye I see Tom doing this.

[Damon Wayans]

You too, tall? Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And I'm like, what is this? Something on my head? What am I doing? I don't know what's going on. And then afterwards I didn't get it. And Cameron wrote me this beautiful five page letter and it's explaining to me, like how talented he thinks I am and how great and wonderful and, you know, but, you know, it was out of his control and it's fine, right? Because Cooper laid it out. Do I think I would have gotten an Oscar? I don't know. But. But I don't even think for one minute about another man's success. I'm happy for him. It's another brother. Chalk it up. Another one did something good.

[Damon Wayans]

But you were supposed to be like Batman Forever also, right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, that was Marlon.

[Damon Wayans]

Marlon? Richard Prybach. When did that. Cause we keep talking about it and if I'm not mistaken, I think Mike Epps was like, we're close to doing it. And then something happened, right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Well, I was the original one that they picked and supposedly Richard wanted me to do it and Martin Scorsese was going to produce it and it was, you know, we met about it, they loved it and, you know, just felt I could really. And then I don't know what happened, but it went from me to Eddie to, To Mike, Mike Eps to Marlon, to. It's just like, you know, are we.

[Damon Wayans]

Going to get that, Are we going to get the, the, the biop of Richard Pryor?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I hope so. There was a wonderful script written by this playwright in New York. I forgot his name. Very bad. Anyway, but he wrote this amazing script based on Richard Prior's book, Prior Misdemeanors. Right. And it's just great. And then I don't know what the politics are, but it's a, It's a movie that needs to be made, right? And because his life is complex, I.

[Damon Wayans]

Mean, you can't sugarcoat it. It is what it is. It's his life. He lived it.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And I think it's his life. I think it's his ex wife who wants to make it her story.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Because I read her book, A Fallen angel, which was a good book, but Richard was abusive and she wants it to be more about that. And I met with Jennifer and I was like, look, Richard Pryor is Malcolm X with punchlines. That's how black people see him.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

They would lose their minds if they made this movie about you.

[Damon Wayans]

It ain't gonna fly.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You are a minuscule part of Richard Pryor. Correct to us. So you do yourself a disservice trying to make it. This here, this that you have right now is amazing. You should go with that. And then I never heard from her again.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow. Bernie Mac. Bernie Mac was in Mo Money. What's Bernie like?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Love Bernie, man. One of the funniest guys ever.

[Damon Wayans]

Oh, man.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know Bernie. Bernie Mac was. I was there doing in Chicago, the Miller Light Comedy. I guess it was comedy competition.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay. Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And they were giving the winner, like, $15,000. And Bernie won that night. I was hosting. And Bernie. That was the same night that Robin Harris died.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay. Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. And he did a tribute to Robin Harris, and that's how he won.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow. I'm looking at this. You and the Last Boy Scout with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis. How did you and Bruce team up and come up with this?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Oh, he didn't team up. I got a call that they wanted to meet me in New York.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And this is funny because I. I say, okay, I'm going to come to New York. He was shooting some movie in New York, I think Howard Hawke or something like that. And they flew me out. The limo driver comes to pick me up at my house, and he has a sign that's saying Keenan Wayans. I was like, oh, snap. Okay. And I get in the car, get to the airport. The greeter, Keenan Ivory Wayans. I think they want Keenan. I get to my hotel, I check in under Keenan, and I get. And I'm like, all right, I'm gonna just go for this. And I go. And I go to the set and Bruce goes, gotcha. I was like, oh, you son of. I was like. I had a knot in my stomach because I was, you know, you don't want me, but I'm here and I just wanted to meet you, but they wanted me and they put me in the movie. And it was. It was. It was. It was good to do a big action film.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, it's. It's weird when you, you know, when you do sketches, it's like, Five minutes, and then you're done, right? When you're doing a movie. Three months.

[Damon Wayans]

Six months.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, six months. And you just go, wow, this is pretty cool.

[Damon Wayans]

Big ass budget.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

We having lobster and steak every day for lunch. I'm like, man, this is crazy.

[Damon Wayans]

How have you learned. I mean, is it a situation where you've ever been on set and you're doing something and you and maybe someone in the movie don't get along? How do you suppress that and say, you know what? I'm here to do the movie. Damn you, damn him, damn her. Whatever the case may be, I'm doing this, and then I'm gonna be out. I don't care if I ever see y'all again.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It happens. And, you know, you would see my family, whenever we do something, it's always a party, right? You come on a set of a Wayne's Project, it's a part. People hug each other and they laugh and, you know, and it's all right, quiet, let's. On the set, we trying to make the people behind the camera laugh. And you know. But then you go on another set, and I've been on toxic sets where you just go, oh, damn, this don't feel good, right? This, like, this is. This is horrible. You know? And you okay, being this kind of an asshole and you gonna maintain this for the rest of. For the next three months? I don't get it. And I've worked with people who just like.

[Damon Wayans]

You ready for it to be over? Huh?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yes, ready, like quit. Like, I'm out. Check, please.

[Damon Wayans]

Major Pain, Is that your masterpiece? Is that your Mona Lisa? Is that your.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I love Major Pain. The funny thing about Major Pain, and most of the times with my projects, I worry about other people. First I think about, like, what are the kids? Do they know their character? I didn't figure out the character of Major Payne until the cameras rolled. So I was like. So there was a guy we had to do, like, worked with a tech guy, went down to Camp Pendleton and this guy named Captain Dale Dye. And Captain Dale Dye talk like this. But he was always like this. That's the way he talked. And I was like, that's interesting, but that's too. It'll get on your nerves. And then the stunt coordinator was a guy named Billy Washington. And Billy had a rubber bite, and Billy talked like this. And Billy would. He was real mean. He told the guy, stuntman, when he was doing Blank man, right, he was on a gurney, and the guy was opening up multiple doors, laying on the gurney, but he had come up too high, so his head was hitting the doors, going through, and he was going, ow, ow. And at the end of the take, Billy said, you want me to call your mama? Get your ass back on that table and get the scene done. And the guy was. His head was bleeding. I was like, this dude is crazy. So I took Billy Washington and Captain Dale Dye, and I came with major pain because he had a overbite. I mean, talking look crazy, you know? So, yeah, it was. It was. I think people love it because it's so extreme. And to torture kids is fun. You know what I mean? And to actually get away with it, you know, where it's funny to them and funny to me. And one of the greatest feelings is to sit and watch it with my grandkids. And they laugh, right? And you just go, wow, that's amazing.

[Damon Wayans]

Orlando Brown was a star in your movie. He was very, very talented as a kid, but now seemingly going. Going viral for all the wrong reasons. Have you.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Have you touched him?

[Damon Wayans]

Huh?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

He said I touched him. He be wild with it. Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

Have you reached out to him? Have you talked? Have you spoken to him?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No. I mean, he's. He's somebody else. Who. I love Orlando. We had a great time on Major Pain. And, you know, there were times, but, you know, sometimes guy got to talk to you, right? You know, and I don't know who's around him. I don't know. We don't have that kind of relationship.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know what I mean? I love him. I want what's best for him, but, you know, he need somebody. Hey, come here, youngin. Let's talk. You know, and I don't feel one. I don't know. I don't have his information. The other thing is, y'all don't have.

[Damon Wayans]

That type of relationship, and I don't.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You don't want to get rejected.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know what I mean? You don't know what's. When somebody start talking crazy, you don't know what they'll do. It's not what he'll say is what he'll do if I tried to reach out to him, you know what I mean? So I just hope, you know, that, you know, he finds peace. Cause he definitely is not in a good place right now as being a.

[Damon Wayans]

Top comedic standup, being a top actor. Obviously, in the 90s, you had it going on. I mean, did you buy anything lavish? Did you live? I mean, you say you broke your marriage up, so you kind of live.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Had a nice house in a gated Community and Michael Jordan moved in next door to shoot Space Jam.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But my wife got that.

[Damon Wayans]

You go over, check him out, you talk to him.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, we became like friends. But, you know, I gave Michael his space. Right, because you don't go behind a gated community to be bothered, right? Yes, a dude next door. So, you know, we have a friendship and it's based in know, love and respect. He's taught me a lot of things about life and how to navigate fame and all that other stuff. But she got the house. She got the house.

[Damon Wayans]

You want it back?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, I want her happy. No, honestly, because it's, it's, you know when you say it's over, it's over. Right. And you pay. Whatever. When you think about, you know, giving up, who? Jeff Bezos gave up like 3 billion?

[Damon Wayans]

No, 40 plus billion.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, that was the other guy. Who was the Bezos?

[Damon Wayans]

Oh, it was, it was over 40.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But that was just for peace. The price of peace.

[Damon Wayans]

I like chaos for 40 billion.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But he gonna go make.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah, but he got two. He got 230 now, so he good.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right, but, but that, you know, as a woman, you gotta say, someone would give me $40 billion to get out of their life.

[Damon Wayans]

Damn, I sure Wish I had 40 billion. What do you think? The dumbest purchase you've ever made?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Hmm. Drugs back in the day. Dumb. But I've never really been an addict. I was just stupid.

[Damon Wayans]

Hardcore stuff, coke.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I've done pretty much everything. But I always liked getting up and going to work, so I never could get addicted. I didn't have time to get addicted to anything. But now it's just like, you go, well, I'm glad I experienced it and I'm done. I came out on the other side. I don't need nothing. Nothing.

[Damon Wayans]

Did it interfere with any time that was. Was the drugs ever a deter. A hindrance for anything that you were doing at the time?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, doing the drugs to do the.

[Damon Wayans]

Things I wanted to do.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, but it was like, you know, I feel bad for people today because it's so dangerous. The drugs they doing could kill you.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah, they.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I ain't never you. If you told me this could kill you, I wouldn't do it.

[Damon Wayans]

Right. Because you don't know what you get now. They lacing it with everything. And what have you learned about money?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Money, you see, is money you spend. And people always want to spend your money when they see you.

[Damon Wayans]

True, true.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And the thing is, for me, money is not. Money is a tool. Right. And I'm grateful to have Some tools, you know, and to be able to help people when I can.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But I. Right now, I don't need nothing. I have. I have everything I want in life, you know, and really, that's my peace with God and peace with men.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And then, you know, I got my music. I'm. I'm a vinyl freak. I love vinyl music.

[Damon Wayans]

Oh, so you got a bunch of old 45s?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, the albums. I don't have 45. Yeah, I have the albums. I have some 45, but for disc. I used to DJ. I've always DJed. And I've always had two turntables my whole life, since I was, like, 13 years old.

[Damon Wayans]

You said money is a. What did you use? Tool.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Tool.

[Damon Wayans]

Cause people look at money in different ways. Me, I look at money I like. It's not so much money. I like freedom. Freedom is what money provides.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Mm.

[Damon Wayans]

So, you know, and I think there are different things. I mean. Cause if I could have freedom and still be what I am, be, you know, still don't have to worry about anything because that's what, you know, you wanna get to a place like, we were just talking about the 40 billion. So you get 40 billion, you can say F you. I don't care. I don't wanna do nothing. I don't like you. I've been wanting to say this for the longest time.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, but you got. You know, we live in a Etch A Sketch society where you're no longer free. So you can't rely on your money.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Because you don't know what's going to be written on the next extra sketch.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. So you can't. I feel like I can't think about my money.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

In terms of my freedom. My freedom is, you know, what. What God gave me. My ability to create, my ability to love, my ability to be disciplined and to take care of myself and those I love.

[Damon Wayans]

Right. There was a viral clip. You did a standup special and say you were talking about blacks making millions then and asked if there's still racism in America. And can you believe that video in 1990, we're talking about 35 years ago is still viral today.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Well, it's never gonna change.

[Damon Wayans]

But you do realize people think that. People think once a black person get millions, hundreds of millions, that racism has dissipated. Well, Damon, if you made $100 million, you worth $200 million. How is there racism?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right? Well, what happens is the more money you make, the less black people you see. Money brings you into a new category. You move to A different house in a different neighborhood, and you get different friends, your money, people that come around you to help you make the money, maintain your money and make more money. The complexion changes. You know what I mean?

[Damon Wayans]

I like that.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

That's what I love about, like, LeBron, you know, he's got his home, he's got his.

[Damon Wayans]

Got Mav, and he got Randy and he got rich.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

So he kept. He kept that group.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yes.

[Damon Wayans]

Around him.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

But unless you have that group, because, like you say, the higher you climb, the less you going to see. And you're like, okay, well, they don't treat me that way.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So it's gone, and it's divide and conquer. You know, at a certain point, they sit you down, you know. You know, Beyonce's father. All right, we got it from here. The Jacksons. All right, Joe, we got it. We got it. You know, you sit back and go, what? You know, Venus is from Reno. We got him. You know, but it's. And if you want them to be successful, you have to kind of let it happen. And then they hit new heights, but you become a liability. You know what I mean? As the parent. Well, where were you those nights in the rain when we were hitting balls? Mm.

[Damon Wayans]

Mm. Yeah. Let me ask you this. When you're on top of the world and you were. You still are. I mean, you gotta. You live a great. Like you say, you live a great life. You don't have any. You don't overly concerned about money. You have a family. You can still feed your family. You got grandkids. But when you're at that apex in the 90s, what was that like?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It was a pain in the ass.

[Damon Wayans]

Really?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, like being famous is like being a beautiful woman on a period.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay, I bet you next, nobody.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Nobody know the cramps and stuff that you was going on. Yeah. They see the external beauty and they think you should be happy. And it's like, I'm bleeding, right? Okay, you want to know? I'm bleeding.

[Damon Wayans]

So what. What was. We see this external. We see Damon. And then everything like, man, major pain and mo money and yada and yada. What was brewing inside that we couldn't see?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Club foot, you know, my foot, I'm always in pain.

[Damon Wayans]

Really?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Oh, constant pain. Yeah. It's like a throbbing pain, you know, so. But it's. You get used to it.

[Damon Wayans]

They can't do anything for it. They can't give you, like, medication or shoot it up or something.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I don't want medication. It's a reminder to be grateful this foot took me a long way. You know, if I didn't have this pain, I wouldn't have this edge. I wouldn't have my perspective on life. I wouldn't have that fire in my. On my tongue. Right. So I'm grateful. But people can't see that.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

People can't see that you are. You know, the internal conflicts you have, you know, with family and friends and people. You know that you tend to lose friends because you loan them money and then they don't pay you back and then they get mad at you because.

[Damon Wayans]

You asked for it back.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, but I had not even for asking for it. Just because you look at it. I'm gonna pay you, man.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah, yeah, but why is it like that? Why? I mean, if you come to me and ask me for money, I shouldn't have to go to you to repay it. You should be man enough. You was man enough to ask. Here you go. But I've learned name. And I don't know what you think about this. I'll only lend money that I know I can lose, that I'm not getting back.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. It's a gift.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

That's how I do. I give.

[Damon Wayans]

I give it because I already know because we're going to end up falling out. And I don't want to fall out. I don't want a 10, 15, 20, 30 year relationship to end over money. So here you go. Because I know you're not gonna pay me back.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right? Well, that, I mean, that's what. That's maturity.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It's like, you know, you just. I don't. I've. I've paid a lot of people out of my life.

[Damon Wayans]

You mentioned, like, stand up. Is. Is stand up therapeutic for you?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Absolutely.

[Damon Wayans]

Why'd you stop?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I used to have to need. Because I don't need it anymore.

[Damon Wayans]

And you don't need therapy no more?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, no, I'm at peace. I really am. I'm at peace. And, you know, the therapy is knowing that I can bow my head and you know that God is hearing my prayers and seeing in my life my prayers answered. And it ain't for material things. It's for the safety of my family and, you know, for me to have wisdom and to be grateful for everything.

[Damon Wayans]

It's therapeutic. You don't need to scratch that itch anymore. So now what do you do to replace what you gave up by doing comedy?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I write.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I write for sport. I drive my son crazy because every other week I'm sending him a script. Read this, Dad. I Got a life. I have six kids. Come on, man, just read it. When you get a chance, read it. But I write because I do have a fear of going crazy, you know?

[Damon Wayans]

Cause you have so much going on in your head?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No. Cause it runs my family. It's like diabetes. You gotta know. You gotta know that it's a possibility, right? And the thing is, you know, I can't turn my brain off. I can't not think about these stories and characters that come to mind. So rather than have them up in my head scrambled, I put them on paper and I go, one day, I'm making money off of this or sell it or something. But I had to get it out.

[Damon Wayans]

Do you sleep?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I do. I sleep wonderfully.

[Damon Wayans]

How? You sleep so well. And it's hard for you to turn your mind off.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

When you get 65, it's easy. You just lay down. All you gotta do is see the bed. It's beautiful.

[Damon Wayans]

Did cancel culture scare you away?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Cancel culture made me not really want to do stand up. I had this long conversation with Dave Chappelle. He's like, man, we need you. Get back out there, man. We need, you know, we need that voice. Come on. And I was like. And I had done it again at his, you know, his. Him encouraging me to do it. But you know what? Today you can't be a shock comic.

[Damon Wayans]

No.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Especially if you're famous, right? Because they hit you in your pockets, right? So back in the day, guys like Sam Kinison and Dice Clay and, you know, we. That's how I grew up. I grew up with guys that, you know, start trouble, you know, and they say. And it's like people, you know, they want to talk about comedy. You got reporters talking about comedy. You don't know my world. You are not qualified to talk about comedy. If you ain't never bought a joke or told a joke or sold a joke or stole a joke or wrote a joke or wrote a joke, you have no business talking about comedy. You ain't have been paid in burgers. You can't talk about comedy. So I think a conversation about comedy and what's acceptable should be held amongst comedians.

[Damon Wayans]

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[Jeff T]

It's Jeff T from Club 520 podcast here with my latest fresh take on 2025 NCAA tournament brought to you by Wendy's, the official hamburger of March Madness. What a weekend. Easily my two favorite games from the Elite 8 were Duke beating Alabama, Florida beating Texas Tech, Duke beat Alabama with their defense being able to attack and transition and getting out on the open floor. Find a Cooper flag and all their talented players and Florida beating Texas Tech. What a win by them coming up big in the end. Now with my Final Four is set. I like Florida beating Auburn because of the way they play. They got a closer and Clayton Jr. And I got Duke playing Houston and I got Houston being my champions in a 2025 NCAA tournament. It should be a good game, should be exciting weekend. I'm looking forward to it. We'll see if I'm right. But while you watching the games in the meantime, remember the freshest deal in fast food's Gotta be Wendy's right now you can get a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger or a double stack for $1 with an in App offer and a purchase. Again, head to Wendy's app to grab a $1 junior bacon cheeseburger, a $1 double stack with an in app offer and a purchase for the freshest hamburgers around. Gotta be Wendy's, the official hamburger of March Madness.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

If Dave Chappelle wants to talk to me about my act, I'm I want to hear it. If Jerry Seinfeld if Jay Leno, guys who've done it. Yeah, I want to hear what you say. Cuz you're going to do it in a way that. To encourage, right? Not to just tell me you can't. I never put on a football helmet and got hit by no guy your size and got up and did it again. What can I talk to you about football? Just because I watched some games, I could watch a thousand games and I can't tell you what a locker room smell like. You know what I mean? I don't know. The camaraderie sitting on that plane, flying into bad weather. I haven't experienced that. So I can't talk to you intelligently about it. Same thing with comedy. It's a conversation for comedians, not reporters.

[Damon Wayans]

But Chappelle has been one of the few guys that have been able to beat cancel culture because they can't take. Because you know, normally, like you said, they hit you in the purse. But he's like, hey, I just put up a dot com and I just go do it. I don't need Hollywood, I don't need to do movies anymore. So you really, you can't really hit me where it hurts me, which is financially.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It's, it's, it's also. He's a unicorn, right? And Dave has rode the wave, right, of, you know, he didn't take any breaks. It's when you take the break and then you try to come back, okay. Then they can hit you and get you because you, you know, he already knows how to talk to them. They're his puppets, you know what I mean? He, they bow to Dave Chappelle because he is the only real voice out there in terms of holding us down, right? Holding comedy down. So, you know. Yeah, I mean, but you can't be a shock comedian today. You have to have a conversation. Like, I could do stand up, but it's like understanding. You can't go on stage. You usually be able to go, man, I hate my wife. And then now you say I hate. And you hear women, you know, and it's like, but if you go on stage, you go, I don't understand women, right? That's different. Now the guard is down. Help me understand why women like, you know, say and behave in the manner which. It's a conversation, not a proclamation, right? So, yeah, I could do it, but I like going on stage and say I hate, I want to hate stuff.

[Damon Wayans]

I mean, where Versus was out. You like, you like to do a Versus?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I was just having a conversation with somebody on the radio. And go, have you ever thought about a verses? And I said, dave Chappelle. Because I think Dave Chappelle is like, you know, like, he.

[Damon Wayans]

The mouth, he don't talk.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Who should. I said, you know, I don't want to dog anybody here, but like, you know, I'm a great comedian.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So I want to do. I would do a versus against another great comedian.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know what I mean? That's all I was saying. But they, they took it out of.

[Damon Wayans]

They took it out of context.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

With Trump being in office, the PC culture, because now people feel very comfortable saying, doing pretty much anything. Are you okay with that?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I'd rather know how you feel, what you think. Yeah. You know, I'd rather say, no, you don't have the job, or say, no, you got the job, as opposed to no black person. We don't want you to work.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. So I think it's, you know, we've lost our way, I think, as a society. And we're so, you know, I call it the of men, where you don't, you know, it's like every. Everybody is, I don't know, just soft.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, and it's soft about it.

[Damon Wayans]

Everybody's scared to say how they really feel.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. It's like, what, what, what's wrong with telling the truth? Say it. Say the truth. At least I know where to go or where, you know where not to go.

[Damon Wayans]

Joe Rogan said, you need better friends. You needed somebody to tell you said, damon, get your ass back on stage, man. You too good to be housed up. Holed up in a house writing. Put on writing and go do a set.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I love Joe Rogan. I've actually stolen a joke from Joe Rogan.

[Damon Wayans]

You stole his joke?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

You know how people feel about stealing jokes now?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, not intentionally. So here's what happens with comedians is like you, this is why I don't watch comics, is because you are. You can't help but have that writer on in your brain. Go, oh, if he had done that, right? So the school I grew up in, if you watch the comedian do something on stage, and then you, after he comes up, you go, I got to. I got a tag for you. And you give him that joke that you wrote in your head, because that's his, right. So when I was coming up, it was like, we go to this place called Cantors, a little dive on Fairfax. And after the cullups closed down, like 2, 3 o'clock in the morning, Jerry Seinfeld would be at a table and Jay Leno and my brother and Robert Townsend. And we were poor. We were eating French fries, sharing some French fries. That's how broke we were. But what would happen is Jay would come over and go, hey, Kenan, I saw you do this joke. And I was thinking about that. And then Kenan would get up and go and tell Jerry, and Jerry would come over and tell Arsenio, you know, and it was like a community. And if another comedian was on stage doing somebody else's act, they would yell up, that's Jeff Cesario.

[Damon Wayans]

Really?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

In the middle of your act? Yep. I was there. Tonight, Joe Rogan was gonna beat up Carlos Mencia.

[Damon Wayans]

He stole a joke.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. And he told. And he. And Carlo said, hey, it worked for you, Joe.

[Damon Wayans]

I like that.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

He's so stupid. I can't even hit you, because you just really believe that I know you.

[Damon Wayans]

I don't know if you watched the interview, but you've heard it. Kat sat down with me about a year ago.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Oh, yeah. The world heard it.

[Damon Wayans]

And people got upset with me, Damon, because they say, well, you should have defended this, you should have defended that, or you shouldn't have. All I did was ask him a question. I didn't know that there was so much animosity or beef between comedians. I don't think the world knew it. The comedic world knew it, because you live in that. Like you said, you live in that world. So you know what, guys? Gals don't get along with each other. When you heard the interview, tell me what went through your mind.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I laughed because Kat is funny. Kat is one of the fewest comedians that, in one word, you know who it is. Amara. As soon as he opened his mouth, him, Wanda Sykes, Chris Rock.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know that means you have a clear and distinctive voice. Right?

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So when I watch a comedian, I'm watching funny. I'm watching what's going on behind his eyes when he goes. I'm. And he reaches for his drink, and then he starts. And he's thinking funny.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

He's really roasting these guys.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

People took it, you know, like, personal. Like, he's trying to. He was just having fun.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Got that liquor in him, had the fire going behind him. You know, he was, like, feeling stuff. I don't think. I personally don't think it's that. I feel like we're a fraternity and there's enough stuff going on out there for you to be talking about instead of talking about what's going on in here. You know what I mean?

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Because you know Like I said, I think it's funny. But everybody steals jokes, right? You know, it's like. It's not stealing. The joke is once you know it's not yours and you keep doing it. That's the crime. Because this is, you know, it's. It's funny how it works. The mind just works. And it's grabbing stuff, especially for, you know, people who don't write jokes, right? They just go up on stage and talk, right? Cat Williams talks, you know, Steve Harvey, you know, that's. You just talk, right? It's almost like being an emcee and you go, hey, where you from? What you do? And the first thing that comes to mind is what you say. But sometimes you saying the first thing that came to your mind is somebody else's joke.

[Damon Wayans]

Do you have to give. If you steal somebody's joke, do you have to give them credit for it?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No. You know, Robin Williams was a notorious thief. I ain't lying. His manager used to walk around with a checkbook, and Robin would come off stage and comedian, hey, he just took my angel. Write him a check. $75.

[Damon Wayans]

Damn.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Cause he knew Robin was all stream unconscious, and he would steal material. He was known. Comedians would go, I'm not going on because Robin's here. You know, but it happens, right? But I always look at, like, comedy like this. If this is not the last joke I'm ever gonna tell, I ain't gonna treat it like that, okay? You ain't take my wife or my kid. It's just a joke. That means I gotta think of something else, right? You know what I mean? But for people to be all, you know, up in arms about a joke, really, what is the joke? Did the joke end the war in, you know, in the Middle East, Right. Was it that powerful? Then what you tripping over?

[Damon Wayans]

The creator from the Jamie Foxx show say he and Jamie, if I'm not mistaken, haven't received a check because he said the network said they're still in the red, as if they're operating at a loss 25 years later. It's hard for. And I think a lot of people, when they hear that, it's hard for them to believe, especially with the success that the Jamie Foxx show enjoyed.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Well, it was on the network, right? So I made a lot of money off of wife and kids. I can't relate to that.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

There's a different network, though, so Jamie and, you know, and Living Color, too. I get, like, residual checks for 39 cents. I'm like, what? What is that trying to be funny.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah, right, Yeah, I saved the postage for that.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. So. But, but that's what they send out. Now what happened with these upstart networks, WB was one of them, FOX was one of them. They got these sweetheart deals from SAG and Aftra where they didn't have to because they were the upstart. Right. But they still, you know, operating as if they just started.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And wb, my brothers didn't really make no money off the Waynes brothers show. So you know, like I said, I made a lot of money from wife and kids.

[Damon Wayans]

So that's why you want to be on major network.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, I still get checks. Not to rub it in, but I still get checks.

[Damon Wayans]

My wife and kids. What's your favorite memory? Because I mean, like I said, you were voted one of the greatest TV dads of all time.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Greatest moments was the bond that I had with Tisha and George and Jennifer and little Parker. You know, it was just some of the best times. And you know, everything I do is family. So Damon Jr. Was there and my son Michael and my sister. No, Kim wasn't there. But like a lot of family, you know, on a day to day. And there's nothing like walking in and seeing family faces that look like you, you know. And now is that conscious?

[Damon Wayans]

Absolutely. When you do things like that, you're like, I want to make sure that we're well represented.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

If I don't, nobody else will. So if you don't make that conscious effort that, you know, you hire a producer who happens to be white because that's who the studio wants because they control their money and they want to make sure that their money, you know, they. Okay, that's cool. And then you tell him the mandate. I need you to hire some black folks. He gonna give you one or two people, hair and makeup and you go, no, that's not enough. I need department heads. I want camera, I want a cameraman. You know, I'm very like adamant about what I want.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And you know, when you walk on and I understand all white sets because people want to be.

[Damon Wayans]

It's about a comfort zone, being comfortable.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You want to be racist and tell those jokes and then you look up and you see the black grip walking around, you just feel uncomfortable, you can't tell your joke. Right. Okay. But it's the same way with us. It's like we bring in people and it's a family and you're free to express yourself.

[Damon Wayans]

We want to talk about eating oxtails.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

But you had Cat. Cat was on the set of My Wife and Kid for a few episodes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, Cat used to open for me. I knew Kat was, you know.

[Damon Wayans]

Did you know you knew Kat was gonna blow up?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Absolutely. That's why I brought on my wife and kids. Cause he would open for me. Cat was one of those comedians. Like, I took him to Vegas.

[Damon Wayans]

He.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

He got standing ovation, 20 minute set.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

He was powerful. Still powerful. But like, he was. Like, when he was young, he was all over the. Doing splits and sliding across the stage. And you just go, wow, I got to bring my A game. You know what I mean? And I think, you know, what most comedians respected about me is I never told them to not do material. Like, you know, it's customary for the opening act to go, hey, is there any jokes that you don't want? I said, no go. Do you really? Yeah, I don't want you to tamp down.

[Damon Wayans]

I want you to hold down anything.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

D. Ray, all of these guys. Nope, just don't hold it in. Just go back. I just have to be better.

[Damon Wayans]

Hold on. I'm reading that you have an Oscar worthy film with Cat, your brother Marlon, Terry Crews, that you won't release.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

Why?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

The myth.

[Damon Wayans]

Oh, you.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It's just, you know, what happened was I shot this movie called behind the Smile, about this comedian who moves from Cleveland to LA and he meets his idol, who's me, and his idol see his potential. He takes him under his wing and then destroys him because he's threatened by him to the point where the kid blows his brains out on stage. It's called behind the Smile, and Marlon is absolutely brilliant in this movie. But I went to sell it, and Netflix was the first place to come to me. This is before. So this movie was in 2000, like four or five. And they came to me and I didn't like the deal, so I just said, I'm put in the vault. But that was like the only. I mean, we got great reviews and we did a festival up in Aspen and Dave Chappelle was like, oh, man, that's my favorite movie. That's why I went to Africa.

[Damon Wayans]

So, so what? So if they were to come back and offer you more money, would you let it go?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, I told. Yeah, I told Marlon I don't want to go shop it, but if he can sell it, sell it. It's fine. It's a great. It's a. He's brilliant. Cat is brilliant. This is like, you know, like Cat Williams, George Wallace. What's his name? Bob. He died recently. Bob Saget is in it and Jim Belushi, and. Yeah, it's just. It's a great, great cast.

[Damon Wayans]

You got many. How many movies do you think you have in the vault that you've shot or you got scripts?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Just that one. But of scripts, it's crazy. I've got cabinets of scripts, TV and film, because I have to write. I have to. Just because it gives me peace, and it also gives me something to think about that's like. So when I wake up in the morning, I'm thinking about my script. I'm not thinking about what's wrong in the world.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Thinking about these characters.

[Damon Wayans]

You know, I got a production company. Right. Do you.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I'm gonna give you some if you want. I gave you some. I just wrote it.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah, I do.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

All right.

[Damon Wayans]

We might need to look at that. Look at that. That film.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Okay.

[Damon Wayans]

I know some people that know some people.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Well, let's meet some people, do some things with some people.

[Damon Wayans]

Papa's House, your new show.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yes.

[Damon Wayans]

Brother, sister, granddaughter. I mean, you. You mentioned that, like, when you do something, yay. It's a family affair.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. Cause I'm gonna go to. Here's what is wonderful about, like, doing my show. So my granddaughter is actually an episode. She's brilliant. Robert Townsend directed it. Crazy, because Robert Townsend directed me in my first thing, and then he's directing my granddaughter and her first thing. Wow. Then my sister Kim is a director. Writer. Sean is a writer. Damian directed an episode. Michael's in the writer's room. Kim. And, you know, it's just like to walk in. It's what it does to me psychologically, is I have to check my ego at the door. Right. So I walk in, and I got to show them how to do it, how to lead. Right. And so, you know, my son is also an ep, but, you know, he's kind of deferring to his dad.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But it's also like, my temperament is so that everybody feels at ease. Right. As Damon goes, so goes the show. Right, Right. And Junior also is like, you know, it's like, no, we gotta be here on time all the time. You know, you're ep. You gotta set an example.

[Damon Wayans]

Right. When you say all so people in your family is in the room, how different are you intellectually? Like, when you write, how close? How similar are you? Like, you think like Keenan. Do you think like Marlon? Does Kim think like you? Does Sean thinks like this?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I'm like this. You know, at the end of the day, I have veto power, so I want to Know what you bring to the table. I want to hear what you think. And that's every writer in the room. Everybody has good ideas, right? But not every idea is good for this particular episode.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But I want to hear them all, right? Because for the most part, my brain works like this. That's it.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And, and either it is or it ain't. Right, Right. Either it's a good episode, a good story, or it doesn't work. And my brain, because I write all the time, I can see it just in the pitch. Okay, yeah, that'll work. You know, but I, I, we, Everybody feels good about contributing to these episodes.

[Damon Wayans]

You know, we haven't seen Sean in a while because I was looking for. Cause I had never, I had never seen Kim. I think I saw you in passing, but to meet you at the NAACP Image Awards, obviously, Marlon, couple of years. Many, many years ago. I met both of them. Is he still writing?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Sean? It's amazing. Sean. They're working on Scary Movie. I don't know what number six, but yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

So since Marlon is in Papa's house, are you going to be a scary movie?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Probably not.

[Damon Wayans]

I mean, you perfect with the foot. Are you done? Are you, Are you done with movies?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, it's not done with movies. It's just the, you know, that particular, you know, they be watching scary movies that I don't.

[Damon Wayans]

That you don't really care for.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, that ain't you. I don't play with demons. Cause I don't want them playing with me.

[Damon Wayans]

So you know what I've never really had, normally when I give my family money, but when you working with family, how you negotiate with them? Cause they be trying to, they be trying to upcharge you.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No. Well, family gets what they deserve. You know, they have fair market value, Kim and Sean. And, you know, it's the younger ones that come along. You go, you gotta earn it.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, so my son, he's a staff writer and he's earned it. He got three scripts in this season, you know, so you get paid for scripts, too. You can't cheat the process.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, because then you, you don't.

[Damon Wayans]

Want to set a bad precedent, do you? Because what if they're not working for you? Ain't nobody else going to be giving them money just because you like. I want you to earn it. I want you to earn this. I'm not going to give you what you deserve. I'm going to give you what you earn. And once you earn it, that means you deserve it. And I'm going to pay you accordingly.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Well, the thing is, like, they. It's. The industry has a set for what you get at each level.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So it's not on me.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, and they can't cheat him even if they wanted to. Right, Right. So, like, next year, you put in work and there's a bump for it and you get a different credit.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know what I mean? So it's like. But I don't feel that I should go in and make them. Make him a co producer.

[Damon Wayans]

Right. Okay.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I probably could.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But that's. That's a disservice to him because now all the other people in the room looking at him like this.

[Damon Wayans]

Well, you ain't. That's not what you earn.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right? Right. So, like, my granddaughter is in an episode coming up, and she had to audition.

[Damon Wayans]

You make him an audition.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

She wanted to.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So she's so Amara. She is a stand in. Right? And I told her so she's doing Standing for Essence. And I told her, I said, baby, this is an opportunity. When you are doing these lines, do them as if you are playing that role.

[Damon Wayans]

Okay?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So go home and I want you off page after the second day. You don't have a script. You memorized it. Learn to hit your mark. Say it with enthusiasm. Say it like you replace essence. You're not. But if you act like that, you get in your reps. Now, when it's time to go, you ready to go, you're confident. So she walked into that audition, killed it, and there was probably 20 other women. So I said to the casting, I said, listen, who do you think was better than her? Nobody. Then she got the part.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow. Nepotism. Talking to Marlon. Marlon said, man, look here, what good is it if I can be in this position? If I can't put my family on, what the hell am I doing?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, the thing about nepotism is sometimes, you know, you know, Keenan said this one time to the family, he goes to the next generation. You guys were born on the road to success. Why do you keep making detours?

[Damon Wayans]

Oh, I like that one.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It's like, just show up and they talk about, we don't want to do Wayne's product. What? What? We can't keep doing Wayne's Brothers. What? So go. All right. You go and see how many other projects you get. Build your resume off of funny stuff. That's what you know is going to happen if you do a Wayne's project is going to be funny. There's levels to how funny It'll be right. But for the most part, you can say you did some comedy, right, that you could put on your resume. You go do one or two lines in somebody else's stuff, you ain't going to get off because they don't care about you.

[Damon Wayans]

Right? You. I've always. I wanted to ask this my mom, because people ask, why. Cause I look just like my dad. My mom, they ask my mom, why didn't I name me a junior? And my mom says, that wasn't gonna happen. LeBron says he kind of hate naming his son LeBron James Jr. Because of if you are someone the natural comparison you are, you have a junior and you. And people automatically think you funny like your dad. Can you write like your dad? Ken Griffey Jr. Deion Sanders Jr. LeBron James Jr. What made you. Did you think, did you factor that in? It's like, well, no, I just wanna name him Junior.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I didn't think he was gonna be in show business. I thought he wanted to be an animator. Okay, right. So I never like, you know, when you name him, you just. I got my son, right? You know what I mean? I want him to be named after me. Yeah. I ain't thinking about. I didn't even know what I was going to do back then.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know what I mean? So, you know, he has jokes about being a junior. He says the most arrogant thing you can do is to name somebody after you. Like, I'm so wonderful. Look, I'm going to make another me. But he was able to navigate, you know, a very tough road because at the height of my fame, he started doing stand up and, you know, because I wasn't giving them money, you had a baby, but I can teach you the family business, you know. So I took him on the road and he would. He changed his name to something Kyle Green. And he'd go up on stage and half his act, they yelled that Damon son. So he just had to OWN Damon Wayans Jr.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, but because he wasn't able to concentrate on stage because he kept hearing people, you know, say, you look just like your daddy, right? Oh, yeah, you spit him out, he spit you out, right? It's just like, just say it, address it, and then keep it moving.

[Damon Wayans]

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[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

LLC equal housing lender licensed in all.

[Damon Wayans]

50 states NMLS consumeraccess.org number 3030 bring.

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[Jeff T]

It's Jeff T from Club Five20 podcast here with my latest fresh take on 2025 NCAA tournament brought to you by Wendy's, the official hamburger of March Madness. What a weekend. Easily my two favorite games from the Elite 8 were Duke beating Alabama, Florida beating Texas Tech, Duke beat Alabama with their defense being able to attack and transition and getting out on the open floor, finding Cooper Flag and all their talented players and Florida beating Texas Tech. What a win by them coming up big in the end. Now with my Final Four is set. I like Florida beating Auburn because of the way they play. They got a closer and Clayton Jr. And I got Duke playing Houston and I got Houston being my champions in a 2025 NCAA tournament. It should be a good game, should be exciting weekend. I'm looking forward to it. We'll see if I'm right. But while you watching the games in the meantime, remember the freshest deal in fast food's gotta be Wendy's right now you can get a junior bacon cheeseburger or a double stack for $1 with an in app offer and a purchase. Again, head to Wendy's app to grab a $1 junior bacon cheeseburger a $1, double stack with an in app offer and a purchase for the freshest hamburgers around. Gotta be Wendy's. The official hamburger of March Madness situation.

[Damon Wayans]

We saw a couple of weeks ago, Michael Jordan's son run into some issues, had some drug issues and things like that. I don't know if your kids have ever been here.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I gave them the drug.

[Damon Wayans]

How would you handle that situation if one of your kids got into a similar situation?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Here goes. Funny about my family. We are comedians, right? Oh, so you don't want to write us some new material? I kid you not. I got a phone call this morning from some dude who said he's a hacker. A hacker. And that he has some explicit images from some young. I think he said, boys, on one of my family's phone that he hacked into. And I said, listen, we're comedians. Tell me who, because I want to write.

[Damon Wayans]

I hope it's Keenan.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I hope it's Keenan. I need to know who the pervert in the family is. I said, you can't. And he was like, you think it's funny? I said, yeah, it's funny. And go ahead and release it. It's funny. And that's how my family would deal with it. Am I lying, Heather?

[Damon Wayans]

No. Yeah. Raising kids in a privileged situation, because that's not how you grew up. And the thing is, we always. Well, I want my kids to have so much more. And sometimes we do a disservice to our kids because we give them more. And they're not always appreciative because tough times create tough men. Yes, tough men create easy times.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

That's true.

[Damon Wayans]

Kids that come from hard, easy times create hard times all over again. So how were you able raised having what you have kids grew up with 50 times more than what you had. How did you get your kids to say, you know what, my daddy has, but that ain't me. I'm gonna go get my own.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You got to start them out. You guys start them out. You give them bare minimum, if you happy with $700 a week, okay? That's. That's going to be your life. See how good that $700. I'm going to keep you off the pole, you know, I'm. Keep you off the crack, right? Because you can't afford it.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, so now. And with that comes opportunities to make and to. I can give you a job, I can't give you a career. And that. The thing about having, like, the next generation, they don't have that, you know, and that's what it take to really hit that next level. That.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, I have that because I missed meals. My kids never missed meals.

[Damon Wayans]

Missed a meal, so. And they wasn't eating, you know, pig knuckles and everything like that. They eating steak, they eating lobster, they eating crab leg. They eating.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

They have snack. A snack. What do you call that? A pantry. Pantry with snacks.

[Damon Wayans]

Ah, chips.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yes. Yeah, I ain't had none of that. No, you had now later that you kept in your pocket. And if you wanted to eat one, you had to sneak it out, slide it up your arm here and. Cause if my brothers find out, they gonna take it from you. You know what I mean?

[Damon Wayans]

Now that you're a grandparent and a great grandfather. A great grandfather too. Damn. I didn't know that. We didn't know that.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. It's beautiful.

[Damon Wayans]

What's the. Because a lot of times. And I'm a granddad now, two times. My son just had welcomed a daughter about three weeks ago.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Congrats.

[Damon Wayans]

And when I heard people say my grandmother, and I'm living testament to this, I believe my grandmother loved her three grands more than she loved her own nine.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. I love my grandkids more than my kids. And I'm gonna tell you why. Because it's a different love. Right. So with your kids, all your hopes and dreams is in your kids, right? When they say something smart to someone, it's a reflection on you. You don't talk to Mr. Jones like that. You go apologize. My granddaughter goes, he's fat. Yeah, go tell him. It's funny, you know, because it's a different kind of parenting, you know. So I frustrate my kids because they want me to. I said, listen, it's on a need to know. My kids, the grandkids, the relationship I have with them, they could tell me anything. They tell me the stuff they too afraid to tell you.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And I'm going to give them the best advice possible because part of my title is parent. Right, Right, right. So. But if I feel you really need to know something, I'm gonna tell you and I'm gonna tell them that I'm gonna tell you.

[Damon Wayans]

Right. But right now they're saying stuff you don't need to know.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. But they. Because they feel comfortable around me and I feel. My granddaughter told me yesterday, she said, pop, I'm coming to you for advice from now on. Cause we talk about stuff that they feel like they can't really tell their parents.

[Damon Wayans]

Let me ask you who are some of the people that had they been around when you Guys were doing in Living Color that you would have loved to do a sketch about.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Hmm.

[Damon Wayans]

Kanye. Y'all killed Kanye West.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah, but you know what? I love Kanye, you know, and people are mad at him. You know, what he's doing is wild. But, you know, when you see a homeless person in the street and they talking to theyself, you can't be mad at them. Something wrong. They sick, right? Kanye, something wrong with them, you know, and people. I don't listen to the homeless man yelling stuff and think, oh, he mean that, right? He don't mean that. It's just coming out, right, Right. So somebody needs to grab him. Somebody, you know, that's when you need an uncle, right? Grab him. Hey, come here, boy. Let me talk to you. You don't say that. You don't do that. Somebody who he loves and respects, does he have that in his life? I don't know.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But I love Kanye. He's a musical genius.

[Damon Wayans]

You were married for 15 years. What do you learn about marriage? What do you learn about yourself during marriage?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I was married 19 years.

[Damon Wayans]

19. Damn. I shorted you for my bad. I'm gonna add it back on.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It's cheaper to keep her. That's what I look. Or cheaper to kill her.

[Damon Wayans]

Keep her, Keep her, keep her. We gonna kill her.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But. But, you know, marriage is. Is not just the moment, right? You have to get through moments. You know, it's. It's tough. Like. So, you know, I was trying to tell my sons, like, you know, you want to get married because brands want to know if you think about Bill Gates and jobs and, you know, all these guys, Bezos about to get married again. Why? Because when you sit down and people think about being in business with you, if you can make. Manage your marriage, I can be in business with you. Because I know on a day to day, you are having to humble yourself and have to kind of work through stuff. So with business, you'll do the same thing. I feel like you would do the same thing. You know, I think marriage is beautiful, but marriage, when you get to the older years where it becomes a. A ballet where they don't say much, you know, after all these years, she know what shut up mean. She know she not talkative. She make you a little coffee in the morning and your toast, not breakfast toast. You know, she figured out you need something to eat and come downstairs and the paper's there and you read it and y'all just exist together. You know, you fart and you look at. She ain't laughing. Okay. Go back to the paper, you know, and then she talk and you just. Mm hm. Mm hmm. And when you get to a certain age, you got the most wonderful thing in the world, which is a hearing aid. You turn that down. Did. Looking at. So what did you do? And that's what it is. But you think about all that you've been through and the kids and the grandkids, you know, and it's special. I think marriage is a beautiful arrangement. You know, I was just too young and dumb to know that back then.

[Damon Wayans]

Are you on. Are you on good terms?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. Here's what's crazy is, you know, for the longest, like she and I would, you know, we never said it to each other, but we just made up our minds that we can't let the grandkids feel our resentment. And there was resentment. You know, she'd come in and sit over there and I'd sit over there. And then probably about seven years ago, I was over at Junior's house, family gathering, because kids would invite her to barbecues at my house. And it's fine, you know, and what it was is the fear of having to relitigate what happened in the marriage. And I know I messed up. I messed up. So I don't want to deal. That's why I pay you alimony, so I don't have to deal with it. Right? But about seven years ago, we over Junior's house and we're sitting outside and she's over there somewhere and we laugh. We all. That's what we do is laugh and we joke and we start reminiscing. And then she came and sat right next to me and started chiming in. And then we were talking about. She brought up a story and I was like, remember, remember? And it was. And the kids were like, talking, but I could feel all the tension just leave, dissipate. The relationship changed. I love her. And I was able to say, I love you. And she says that to me when we see each other, I care for. I don't want nothing bad happening.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, and it's. It's a. It's maturity.

[Damon Wayans]

Right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, and she said the last week when I saw her, she's like, we did good by the kids. Right? We high five. Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow. So what's, what's, what's the dating life like for us? Because I need, you know, I'm. I'm headed towards 62, bro.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I don't date. I'm happy. You happy? I wake up in the morning like a kid, you know, you run outside and you come home smelling like pennies. I could do whatever I want to do. There's peace in my house. I don't have to. Hey. We good? You all right? You need anything? Yeah, I don't. I could not. I've been by myself too long.

[Damon Wayans]

You sitting ways then, huh? So you ain't getting married no more, huh?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, I never say never.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Because if some woman can climb over the wall of resentment, the bile that I had.

[Damon Wayans]

All the checks you done had to write.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

For 25 years, I've been writing checks. Alimony. If she can come out. She was sent by God. That's a superhero.

[Damon Wayans]

Hold on. This can't be true. That you dated the same woman as your nephew once?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. I was in love with her. That's the thing. Come on. You ain't never did.

[Damon Wayans]

Hell, no, I never did.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Jackson, fine.

[Damon Wayans]

I mean, for a family member, that's off limits. Damon.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No, but he would. It wasn't like they were in love.

[Damon Wayans]

So he dated her.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Do you know how small the pool is out here in Cali?

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Dating pool. Like, and this was probably, what, 2000? What? 2000. 1. 2.

[Damon Wayans]

Did you know originally. Did she know originally that.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yes, when I met her. So I was. I got divorced, and I was by myself for two years. Right, right. And then I saw her, and I was just like, oh, my God, I'm in love. And I found out my nephew had dated. I'm like, you know, what's up with that? He goes, that's you. I was like, okay, Pastor Kabasi, let's go.

[Damon Wayans]

I'm gonna drink.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And I went ahead and I fell in love. Fell in love. And it was okay, but it's just.

[Damon Wayans]

They clowned you, didn't they?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. Family gatherings is awkward. Yeah.

[Damon Wayans]

I don't know about that. One day I'm at. I just have to let her go.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Nah, you didn't see it. You understand? And she cooked. She went to cordon bleu.

[Damon Wayans]

What? She oxtail, neck bones, Mac and cheese, whatever. Collard greens every.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

All that and then some with turkey neck.

[Damon Wayans]

Dessert.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Come on.

[Damon Wayans]

Oh, man.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Like a bonafide. Like chef. I think she does that now. Amazing.

[Damon Wayans]

I might have to think about it.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And then the other things while she cook.

[Damon Wayans]

I do not approve this message. You have type 2 diabetes. How's that going?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

How's it going?

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah, I mean, how do you.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It's like my club foot. No, it's good.

[Damon Wayans]

Did you always have diabetes or you developed.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You got it in 2017. How I don't know. It's in the. Is it.

[Damon Wayans]

It's in your family genes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Here's what I'm learning because I have freestyle libre.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Which changed my life, right? And what it is, is we eat stuff and you don't know what's good or how your body is breaking down, right? So this gives me. I got the glucose monitor, and I can look at it, and I know where I'm at at all times. The thing is, I walked into the hospital, I. I was. I felt delirious. My sugar was at 5:35. Oh. Supposed to be between 80 and 20.

[Damon Wayans]

You better go into a diabetic coma.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

That's what he said. So. So I tell Keenan, and Keenan's like, okay, you got to change your diet. What do you mean? Because, well, if you don't eat sugar, you won't have a sugar problem, right? Life changing. So he goes through my cabinets and stuff, and you're gonna throw away this. You're gonna throw away this ketchup. Got sugar. Everything I, like, got sugar.

[Damon Wayans]

It does.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

And I was like, wow. So then I'm like, I still had to take insulin. You know, you taking five, six units with every meal. I'm like, I don't want to do this. Sticking your finger. Oh, my God. It's like, I don't. But what I found out, having this glucose monitor is if I lift weights, heavier weights, then my sugar goes down all day. And especially legs, right? So that's the first thing that go when you start. When you get older, you stop doing the legs. You think walking is working your legs up? Oh, I walk three miles. Nothing.

[Damon Wayans]

In order for a muscle to grow, you got to put it under stress.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

That part. You know, they say there's a part of your brain that only grows when you do stuff you don't want to do. And athletes tend to have the most developed part of their brain. And this part of their brain has to do with discipline, self control, stick to itiveness, you know? And so I'm trying to develop that part of my brain, right?

[Damon Wayans]

So we see Lavar Ball has some complications with diabetes. Ended up having to have a limb amputated. Irv Gotti, I think he ended up. He had type 2 diabetes. He ended up succumbing to it. So now. So how does Damon Wynn eat? Now? I read that you, like, only eat. You know, you have a garden protein, vegetables.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I do eat from my garden every day. People think I'm crazy, but I, you know, it's. It's delicious. I don't put a whole lot of seasoning. It's just salt and pepper. And then I have my, you know, like, turkey. Crazy thing is, I can eat turkey, but chicken don't sit well. It don't digest.

[Damon Wayans]

Really?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. You think it's just. It's the cousin.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes. Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. Why am I having problems?

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But, you know, I learned that with the glucose.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, yams shoot my blood sugar up. Blueberries, it's all the stuff that they tell you you can have. No, you can't have.

[Damon Wayans]

They're very high in sugar, though. Especially fruit is very high in fructose. You had brain surgery?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yep. I had a tumor on my pituitary, so everything was shut down. That's your master gland.

[Damon Wayans]

Yes.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. So testosterone was low. My. My adrenals were blown out. So I go there, and what was crazy is I was starting to see cockeyed because the thing was the size of a lemon inside my brain. So if you do like this, that's where the pituitary is, in the middle, right underneath. Doctor told me that's the best place to get a tumor because they don't have to cut your head open. They went in through my nose.

[Damon Wayans]

Nose.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Right. So, you know, I'm Jehovah's Witness, couldn't do it with blood, so I had to tell the doctor.

[Damon Wayans]

So you don't do transfusions, right?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

No transfusion. Right. So the crazy thing is, when I found out I had the tumor, I thought they were going to cut my brain open. So I'm like, I don't know if I'll do this. I'm just riding it out. I had a good life. Thank you. And my family. Kim especially, was like, you are going to get this surgery. I'm going to punch that thing out your head. So I like, it was crazy because, you know, not doing the blood, you know, you have to really, you know, this is a test of your faith.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So they give you that thing, and there's no turning back. Right. And you don't know what's going to happen when you go out underneath. But here's how faith works. So I say my prayer, and I asked God what I'm going to do. Okay, I'm going to do it. No blood. Not only was this. It successful, but the. The number one doctor in the world to perform this surgery. Did my surgery.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Dr. Kelly at St. Joseph's Hospital, and he went in and got it all, 99% of it. And I didn't have to do no blood. So when you. When you put God first, good things happen. But I remember being in the hospital afterwards and you know, that recovery sleep is amazing bad, isn't it amazing?

[Damon Wayans]

They just don't let you get long enough. They up there shaking. You waking up, Mr. Sharp. Leave me alone.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I ain't slept for three days, but I. All I remember is a kaleidoscope of weans. Every time I open my eyes, there was somebody different there. There's so much love in my family, you know, grandkids and my brothers and sisters and, you know, and nieces and Nep. It was just like there was never not anybody there.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, because in the hospital, they try to upsell you.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, they constantly trying to put something else in there, and you go, no, no, no, no, no, I'm good. You need somebody to advocate. No, he don't need that. He said no blood. The blood is the most expensive thing they can give you.

[Damon Wayans]

The brain surgery, the diabetes. What have you learned most about life? What do you embrace most about life?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I have a beautiful family. I have a wonderful God. I have so many blessings that, you know, I. I'm. The anger that I used to have when I was young, I no longer have because I. I just know that God has his hand on me and my family.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

He's protected us for years and years.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I know not everybody with the last name Wayne.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You know, is. Is good or tries to be good, but what we do have is others that will correct you. And we ain't shy about going, hey, you're acting a fool.

[Damon Wayans]

Wow. Like that.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You get checked. And so for that reason, I truly appreciate my family and this wonderful journey that I'm on. You know, people. I jokingly said, when people. When I die, I want it on my tombstone. Don't cry for me. You're next.

[Damon Wayans]

What does Damon Williams want his legacy to be?

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I just want people to smile when they think about me. I just want them to smile. Cause that dude, he loved life. He was funny. That's it.

[Damon Wayans]

What your family. What can people take away from the Wayans family? With the way you guys interact, what would you like other families to take most away from? The way you interact with your family or your family interact with each other.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

That you never know what could happen or will happen. So all that stuff you hold on to, let it go. You know, I don't always agree with my brothers and sisters, and we have our little disagreements.

[Damon Wayans]

Yep.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

But for the most part, you never know what tomorrow brings.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

So don't Bring tomorrow today. Right. Which is. I wish I could have. I know so many people. I don't understand families that don't get along. You don't talk to your brother.

[Damon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

You don't. You stop talking to your mother. How'd that happen?

[Damon Wayans]

I don't get that.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

My mother come kick the door down. She climbing through the window. You don't stop talking to her. You know, that's not how my family. I just wish that people. The funny thing is, like, on my set, people are hugging and kissing when they come in and they tell me, we don't do this in my family.

[Damon Wayans]

Well, you should.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Yeah. And they just thank me. I got some wonderful cards of thanking me. It's not me, it's my family.

[Damon Wayans]

Right.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

It's how just we are. And we get work done.

[Damon Wayans]

Right. Anything you want to promote, I know you have papa's house now.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Just Papa's house and the movie that we gonna do together.

[Damon Wayans]

All right. I like that. Damon, I wanna thank you.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Thank you.

[Damon Wayans]

Continued success, everything you've done in this business and what your family has meant to this community. I think I speak for everybody that's gonna watch this and they're gonna listen to this. Thank you.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

God bless you. I appreciate you.

[Damon Wayans]

Thank you. Spotlight la, the newest exclusive nightclub for allowing Club Shay to film here. Spotlight LA is a place for anything and everything with something programmed for everyone. Keep up with Spotlight on instagram @spotlight lacride price wanna slice got to roll a dice that's why all my life.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

I've been grinding all my life all my life been grinding all my life.

[Damon Wayans]

Sacrifice Hustle page of Price wanna slice like to roll a dice that's why.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

All my life I've been grinding all my.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Here's why April chose to vaccinate her child.

[Target Circle]

I think actually meeting someone who was not vaccinated and now has a lifelong struggle with a childhood disease really cemented.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

For me that it's super important that we as parents continue to vaccinate our children.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Talk to your pediatrician or visit yvaccines.com brought to you by Merck. When it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist, my fellow friends and fans. Check my favorite jersey. It is good luck. Check. An iconic drink that's a fan favorite.

[Keenan Ivory Wayans]

Check.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard of my game day roster. Because not only is it versatile like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails. It also finishes smooth, so grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17% alcohol by volume Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely, drink wisely. The Unshakables podcast is kicking off season two with an episode you won't want to miss. Join host Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, as he welcomes a very special guest, Chairman and CEO of of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon. Hear about the challenges facing small businesses and some of the oh moments Jamie has overcome. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Chase Mobile app is available for select mobile devices. Message and data rates may apply. J.P. morgan Chase Bank NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 J.P. morgan Chase & Company.