INTERVIEW: Marlon Wayans Talks 'Him,' Career & Spiritual Journey, Kai Cenat, 'Scary Movie 6' + More

Summary

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The Breakfast Club

INTERVIEW: Marlon Wayans Talks 'Him,' Career & Spiritual Journey, Kai Cenat, 'Scary Movie 6' + More

Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Marlon Wayans

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth interview with Marlon Wayans as he discusses his new psychological horror film "Him," his evolving career, spirituality, navigating legacy as a Wayans, comedy, and what it's like reaching a new era both professionally and personally. The conversation is both hilarious and soulful, with Marlon sharing stories about family, grief, legacy, creative drive, upcoming projects ('Scary Movie 6'), and the strength it takes to remain at the top of his game.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. The New Film "Him": Landing the Role and Its Meaning

• Why Do "Him"?
  • Marlon was approached directly by Jordan Peele and director Justin Tipping.
  • “He called, and I said yes. What, you say no to Jordan Peele? There's certain people you don't say no to." [03:14]
  • Appreciates being selected without an audition — a validation of his 35+ years in the game.
• Plot Breakdown:
  • "Him" is a psychological horror/thriller set in the football world, dealing with themes of sacrifice, legacy, and good vs. evil.
  • Marlon plays Isaiah White, the GOAT quarterback with eight rings, facing a protégé and making dark choices.
  • “Never meet your idols. What are you willing to sacrifice for success?... At a point, it’s not worth your integrity.” [14:11]
• Performance and Preparation:
  • Marlon considers it his best performance, crediting director Justin Tipping for letting him improvise and go “off the chain.”
  • "That’s Miles Davis playing 'My Funny Valentine.' Throw out the sheet music." [17:13]
  • Emphasizes the spiritual and artistic preparation: working with acting coaches, physical conditioning, and intense study of character.

2. Marlon's Comedy chops—even on Twitch

• Discusses appearing on Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream:
  • "There's a 15-year-old boy that lives inside of me that I will never grow up." [07:08]
  • Adapting to new platforms and constantly reintroducing himself to younger audiences.
  • Recounts how, even for a new generation, his reputation as 'movie funny' is eclipsed by being 'funny funny.' [07:36]
  • “That stream was...just fun. I think the key to life is you just have fun. Everything I do, I just have fun.” [11:14]

3. Legacy and Longevity

• Reflects on 35+ years in comedy and Hollywood:
  • “I should have been gone after White Chicks. I should have been dead. But I do the work.” [25:30]
  • Navigating being “the baby of legends” as a Wayans, and the journey to establish his own legacy outside his family.
  • "It takes time to stand apart when you come from such a legacy... I've just been working on Marlon so when I come back to Wayans I could be a better, stronger finger in that fist." [45:07]

4. Surviving, Grief, and Spiritual Journey

• Marlon opens up about personal tragedies: losing both parents and dozens of loved ones, his daughter's transition, and how "Him" (and comedy) helped him heal.
  • “I had gone through devastation...I was so broken. God gave me this...movie helped heal me.” [22:03]
  • “I prayed every day before I got to set...I really tethered myself to God on this dark journey.” [21:40]
  • “You ain’t found God until you heard 'Never Would Have Made It' and you crying in the car with the snot bubble.” [55:32]

5. Mental Health, Motivation, and Humility

• Stress on therapy, faith, and humor as lifelines:
  • "I got two therapists...a female and a male. I have to take care of my mental health." [54:36]
  • Advocates for humility: “You have to be humble as a person and a shark when it comes to your business.” [51:13]
  • On ambitions: wants to be not just a GOAT, but his own "greatest Marlon." [41:53]

6. Scary Movie 6 & Future Projects

• Confirms shooting for "Scary Movie 6" begins October 1st; Anna Faris and Regina Hall returning.
  • “This movie script is funny...we’re gonna knock this out the park.” [48:09]
• Hints at a potential Wayans Brothers project in development.
• Interested in leveraging AI for sequels: “I’m waiting for technology…I don’t want to sit in makeup for seven hours.” [26:25]
• Upcoming creative ambitions include producing, acting, and writing: “I know my next seven movies...I’m just in a zone.” [51:45]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Not Saying 'No' to Jordan Peele:

“He called, and I said yes. What, you say no to Jordan Peele? There’s certain people you don’t say no to.”
— Marlon Wayans [03:14]

On Staying Special:

“You do specials when you are special. God just made me special...I don’t like to hold on to material. I just want to paint, man.”
— Marlon Wayans [05:22]

Humor & Legacy:

“There's a 15-year-old boy that lives inside of me that I will never grow up...I'm a New Yorker negro. I'm never gonna not be the kid on the block ready to snap.”
— Marlon Wayans [07:08]

Using Grief for Growth:

“God gave me this thing. I needed this movie. This movie helped...And my standup helped heal me.”
— Marlon Wayans [22:03]

On Being a Wayans:

“It takes time to stand apart when you come from such a legacy…I've just been working on Marlon so when I come back to Wayans I could be a better...finger in that fist and do our best work.”
— Marlon Wayans [45:07]

On Humility & Spirituality:

“How good God is...If you don't humble yourself...one day you will lose yourself and you will think you are God. That happens to a lot of us.”
— Marlon Wayans [33:10]

On Longevity & Drive:

“Nobody's supposed to be famous this long—especially if you're Black. Ain't...nobody that. It's unheard of.”
— Marlon Wayans [27:01]

On Therapy and Mental Health:

“As a Black man, man, you have to take care of your mental health. I got there, I seen myself tossing myself off of a building…so much devastation happening.”
— Marlon Wayans [54:36]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Big Week & “Him” Announcement: [03:03]
• Getting Cast by Jordan Peele: [03:14]
• Comedy & Stand-up Process: [05:22]
• On Twitch and Generational Humor: [06:07]–[11:14]
• New Audiences & Legacy: [11:38]
• Explaining “Him’s” Plot & Message: [14:11]–[16:28]
• Spiritual & Artistic Preparation: [17:13]–[21:40]
• Dealing with Grief & Healing: [22:03]
• Maintaining Integrity & Work Ethic: [23:56]
• “White Chicks” & Makeup/Tech: [26:25]
• On Longevity in Hollywood: [27:01]–[30:27]
• Hollywood & Creating Opportunities: [30:27]
• Spiritual Lessons from the Film: [33:03]
• Family & Legacy: [36:25]–[40:56]
• Game Changer Roles & GOAT Era: [41:03]–[42:37]
• On Arriving & Artistic Growth: [42:47]–[45:07]
• Plans for Scary Movie 6 & Wayans Projects: [48:06]
• Hero vs Villain in “Him”: [50:27]
• Career Ambitions & Creative Vision: [51:13]–[52:55]
• Mental Health & Overcoming Breaking Points: [54:36]
• Closing Remarks & Appreciation: [56:26]

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Tone & Atmosphere

As always, the conversation is marked by the high energy, humor, and authenticity The Breakfast Club is known for. Marlon moves seamlessly between sharp, sometimes irreverent comedy and sincere, reflective moments, holding court with humility, wisdom, and joy. The hosts are supportive and conversational, drawing out both hilarious stories and deep insights.

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Summary: Why Listen?

This episode is a masterclass in not just comedy and acting, but in resilience and growth. Marlon Wayans lays bare the pain and healing behind the laughs, sharing lessons from loss, faith, fatherhood, legacy, and the grind of staying relevant (and joyful) for 35 years. Whether you’re a fan of his classic comedies, anticipating 'Him' or 'Scary Movie 6', or walking your own journey through pain and reinvention, you’ll leave inspired and entertained.

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Transcript

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This is an I heart podcast.

[Hunter]

I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered black women and girls in America. Stories like Erica Hunt, a young mother vanished without a trace after a family gathering on 4th of July weekend 2016. No goodbyes, no clues, just gone. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Marlon Wayans]

Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor.

[Drew Phillips]

And I'm Drew Phillips and we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated adhd.

[Marlon Wayans]

Oh my God, perfect.

[Drew Phillips]

And want to hear people with mental illness psychobabble.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes, yes.

[Drew Phillips]

Then Emergency Intercom's the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartradio app, search emergency Intercom and listen now.

[Gia Giudice]

Hey, it's your favorite Jersey girl, Gia Giudice. Welcome to Casual Chaos, where I share my story. This week I'm sitting down with Vanderpump Rules star Sheena Shay.

[Sheena Shay]

I don't really talk to either of them, if I'm being honest. There will be an occasional text one way or the other from me to Ariana. Maybe a happy birthday from Ariana to me. I think the last time I talked to Tom, it was like, congrats on America's Got Talent.

[Gia Giudice]

This is a convo you don't want to miss. Listen to Casual chaos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sarah Spain]

Get fired up, y'.

[Marlon Wayans]

All.

[Sarah Spain]

Season 2 of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people, an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapinoe, to the show and we had a take a listen. Sue and I were like riding the lime bikes the other day and we're like, wee people ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests like Megan in store, plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network.

[Marlon Wayans]

Hold up.

[DJ Envy]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

[Marlon Wayans]

Y' all finished or y' all done?

[Jesse]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne. Tha God we are the Breakfast Club. Lon Larose is here as well, and we Got a special guest in the building.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, indeed, ladies and gentlemen, Marlon Wayne.

[Marlon Wayans]

What's happening? What's back? What's happening? Always home. Always home.

[DJ Envy]

How you feel, man?

[Marlon Wayans]

I feel great. You know, I love that y' all got the two ladies here. Y' all need the balance. Thank God. God. One wasn't enough. I felt bad for you. I felt bad for you. I felt bad for her. Oh, my God. Too much toxic masculinity going on. Balls on the table at all times. That's right.

[DJ Envy]

Well, listen, this is a big week for you.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Him comes out on Friday.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes, sir.

[DJ Envy]

Jordan Pill, Monkey Paw Production.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes, sir.

[DJ Envy]

What made you want to do a. A. A dark, psychological sports horror movie?

[Marlon Wayans]

He called, and I said yes. What? You say no to Jordan Peele? There's certain people you don't say no to. Picture me. Nah, I'm good. Yeah, I'm. I'm. I'm good. I'm. I'mma do something. I'mma go do little. It's Jordan Peele. I mean, here's the thing. It was great. Is one of those roles I didn't have to audition for. They wanted me. They was just like, you're the guy. Him and director Justin Tipping, two visionaries, call you. You pick up the phone and you go, all right, bet. I'm gonna bring my A game. And I think I put my best performance in the best movie.

[DJ Envy]

How does that feel when somebody sees something in you that you may not see in yourself?

[Marlon Wayans]

I feel like an old slave. Like, I know you ain't talking about me. Are you sure you ain't talking about Sean? What you need me to do, sir? I couldn't believe it, but it felt. Feels good, you know, Because I'm so busy working that I don't realize how much work I've done. I'm so. I got my head down. Y' all know me. I'd just be on the grind, grind, grind. I don't really know the effect that I've had, right until you have these moments in your life where you look up and you go, wait, I've been doing this for 35 years, and I got this resume, like. And it's crazy because it's like you're one of one. I don't know anybody that has a skill level you got. At this point, there's probably three or four guys that can do this, and either they're dead crazy or they ain't doing it no more. And I was just like, boom. But I think about it, and they go, you get to A point. It's like, I don't want to audition if y' all don't know my work by now. I have played a junkie in Requiem. I have played seven people in Sextuplets. I played a little person. A white woman. I've done it all. A football player, basketball player. I've done it all. What do you do with the guy who do everything? Let him do everything. So these are my years where I just. I just do everything.

[Jesse]

How do you shut down, though? Cause like you said, you do everything. You. You do a special. I feel like every other month. You're always on the road. You always do movies. Like, so how do you shut down and be like, all right, I'm gonna put the effort to doing this movie?

[Marlon Wayans]

Well, you do specials when you are special. God just made me special. No, because I work so much, so it's not like I don't need 20 years to craft a standup special. Right. Because this is what I do. Check my schedule. I'm on the road every weekend. Check marlon wayans.com. i am on the road every weekend. I'm about to do Scary Movie. Guess what? Scary Movie sticks. I'm on the road every weekend because I'm preparing for something great. So I just do the work. So specials to me. I'm ready to film my next one, and I already know my next two after that.

[DJ Envy]

Wow.

[Marlon Wayans]

Because I write scripts. I got a writer in my head at all times. It's just like, you know, pitching me jokes. That and. God. And so I'm always working, and so I don't like to hold on to material. I think you let it go. It's like a blank canvas. I just want to paint, man. Just give me the. I just want to paint. I just love it. I love what I do, man.

[DJ Envy]

I was arguing about you last week because somebody in the room said, I saw Marlon Wayans on Kai and not scream, and he was. He was. He was almost as funny. No. What did you say?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's not first.

[Marlon Wayans]

Why is it always hot in here? Turn the heat up. Y' all just like seeing me sweat.

[DJ Envy]

You lay it, though.

[Marlon Wayans]

This is crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I undershirt this time.

[DJ Envy]

She said, I was shocked. He was funnier than Kai.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's not what I said.

[Marlon Wayans]

Wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That is not. You lied.

[DJ Envy]

What did you say?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We have a clip? I said you got mad at me because I said he was better than Kai. It was his stream. Because people come on that stream and don't know how to, like, interact with the chat. And even if they're great at what they do.

[DJ Envy]

You had 35 years of experience.

[Marlon Wayans]

Too, but. And I get what you're saying.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Streamer space is different than what he does. So even though you're great at what you do, I don't know if you've seen the other streams prior to you. They're great talent, but they don't be knowing how to like. They be so lost in the song.

[Marlon Wayans]

Sit in there.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You ate that up.

[Marlon Wayans]

There's a 15 year old boy that lives inside of me that I will never grow up. If you spent the night at my house and I'm 53 years old and you got your mouth wide open. I'm gonna put some garbage in your mouth. You gonna wake up with makeup on your face. I am always. I'm a fart in your mouth. My son and his friends be like, dad, you gotta chill. Can you stop farting on my friend? You need some.

[DJ Envy]

You need two women.

[Marlon Wayans]

How you walk around with two or neo? I need five. No, but. And I think the key to that show and even though all the streamers was like, bro, like, you, you that dude. They were like, you, you, you. You ain't just movie funny. You ain't just TV funny like you funny funny. I was like, bro, I do this. This is what I do. I love to do this. And they were all surprised, but I was like, they're like, how you get like that? I was like, I live on a stage. I've been writing movies since I was 19. I went to fulminant arts High school. I've been snapping. That's what I do. I grew up in the projects. I roast people until you punch me in the face and I punch you back. That's what I like to do. That's how I make my friends. I make my friends. That's how we create our boundaries. I talk about you. That's how we created a friendship. You know what I'm saying? It's like sometimes you just gotta go at it. I'm a New Yorker negro. I'm never gonna not be the kid on the block ready to snap.

[DJ Envy]

Would you tell Reggie? He said, I'm glad the abortion didn't go.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah, he tried to say something. Some slick stuff with his little chest. You better get out of here. Go get your ass in the incubator. Go finish developing. Bought y' all something.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is it a plan B?

[Marlon Wayans]

I don't like coming in here. What's wrong with you? This morning you said what?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nothing.

[Jesse]

She asked, was it a plan B that you Bought for us?

[Marlon Wayans]

No, I bought that for. What's his name? Reggie's mother, because. So she could finish the job. Okay, so this is simple stuff. First I bought some. Anybody in here? Cigar smokers? Okay. I bought my cigars. My Liga Tridente cigars. These are all good. We roll them in Honduras. I see. I put the fresh pack. You smoke?

[Jesse]

Yes, every once in a while.

[Marlon Wayans]

I got you. Okay. You got everything you want.

[Jesse]

These are celebratory times.

[Marlon Wayans]

Link them in. Every day is a celebration. You woke up today.

[Jesse]

You're right.

[Marlon Wayans]

We celebrate. Let me know. We go sit down on the lounge and smoke. And I bought that for the fellas and ladies. Smoke two. You know, just don't inhale. Cause you may get dizzy. And then I bought you one of these. That's for your little head.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Marlon Wayans]

I want everybody to be official wins. Okay?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Marlon Wayans]

I bought that one for you. Official. And then for the ladies, I. I bought this one for you. A Lope dog. Which one went down? Oh, yeah. Nobody. Y' all don't fight over my face now. And then I bought this for you. You could sleep in this. And you got me on your chest.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

O.

[Marlon Wayans]

All this is available on marlonwilliams.com so you get my cigars and you can get my merch.

[DJ Envy]

You got the Lope Dog show. We had Lope Dog up there. You didn't want Lope Dog last night.

[Marlon Wayans]

I'll bring you. You want this Lope Dog shirt after this interview, I'm gonna leave it to you. I'm A shirt.

[DJ Envy]

Is legendary. That's why we got him up there.

[Marlon Wayans]

But that don't even look like Lope Dog. He ain't that strong.

[Jesse]

So is K going in Scary six, Scary movie six? Because that's.

[Marlon Wayans]

We working on it.

[Jesse]

Okay?

[Marlon Wayans]

We're working on it. I love that little young brother. I love what he's doing. Most of all, I love that he stay out of trouble. I. His whole crew. I. I really think, like, you can't be an old head and not respect the youth. When they coming up, I sit there and go, hey, maybe I should start an old stream for old people, old heads. That would be a lot of fun. And just how we going to figure.

[DJ Envy]

Out how to get on?

[Marlon Wayans]

What do you mean? Oh, I got kids. I got a two and a half year old. She know how to work everything.

[DJ Envy]

How we gonna figure out how to get on?

[Marlon Wayans]

I got you come. Just come to my. I got kids. Your daughter's helping you doing. You got daughters?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, four.

[Marlon Wayans]

You got four daughters?

[DJ Envy]

Four daughters.

[Marlon Wayans]

Oh, you Nick Cannon Jr. You like? No. Same mama. How many mamas?

[DJ Envy]

Same. He had same thing.

[Marlon Wayans]

Look at it, dude. That's good. That's good. He didn't blast them all the way out. That's sharp shooting. I'm proud of you, black man. But yes, that stream was. It was just fun. I had so much fun. I think the key to life is you just have fun. Everything I do, I just have fun. And I put 150% into it. I don't let. No, I don't let nothing go. I'm not too cool. I just want to have fun. And that's always where I'm being.

[DJ Envy]

And it does feel like you're constantly reintroducing yourself to a new audience. Because, like you said, she didn't know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's not true.

[DJ Envy]

And they didn't know, right?

[Marlon Wayans]

So it's like you're kind of my kids. Friends didn't know. They all like, yo, you a goat? I ain't know you was that funny. You didn't see Scary Movie. You didn't see White Chicks. You didn't see Don't Be a Menace. You didn't see Mama Show. You didn't see Skills.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You gotta go watch some of them old heads on. When they come on that stream. They're great, but it's not.

[Jesse]

That's why I get what you're saying.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, like, I. I know, but she.

[DJ Envy]

Was comparing athletes and, like, no celebrities. It's different with comedians.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah, Comedians are different people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Kevin Hart was great as well too.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. But I'm trying. Like, I don't know. I think. Because it made me think, what if we had like, you know, the In Living Color stream? Like, what if those worlds collided today? What will we see? And how would the talent.

[Marlon Wayans]

You're gonna see it. I'm gonna start my stream. We're gonna be twitching soon, people, period. The Wayne's brother actually ain't on these. Oh, I can't get my old brother. Which camera is it then? Get that camera out of my face. My brothers wouldn't do it, but I would. I'm just a troll like that. That's what I love to do, you know? And I. I think eventually that is exactly what I'm gonna do. Here's so much. So when I went on that show, I have a wonderful stylist, Jason and Ron. And these brothers tried to put me in some cool boots and they were slippery. I was like, uh. And they had me dressed with some cool D squared pants and this suede jacket. I said, no. I said, why? This is. You want to step up your level? I said, no, no. I'm going in with these young negroes and they gonna be acting the fool. I wanna be. I don't wanna be sliding around. I don't wanna feel like a unc. Give me put. I'm wearing these. Snap on Rick Owens. I'm wearing some Rick Owens. I'm gonna go in there with the youth and we gonna have fun. So whatever they was doing, I was just like, oh, you wanna dance? Yes.

[Jesse]

They couldn't even keep up with your ass after a while.

[Marlon Wayans]

And then I had drink. Oh, come on now. Don't give me no drink. Drink. And floor bang drinks. My heart was beating. I held two of them bangs. My heart was doing this. What is the bang? The bang? It's like energy drink.

[Jesse]

It's like an energy drink, bro.

[Marlon Wayans]

That's like liquid coke. I was tweaking. You think I sweat here? I was sweating there, my underarms. I looked like a substitute teacher. It was crazy. Thank you.

[Jesse]

That's why they put Kaylani in there, to level it out.

[Marlon Wayans]

But you still was going. She was just like, are you on something? I said, yes. Bang. Energy drink. Four of them.

[DJ Envy]

Damn. Now, when you talk about the movie him, was there something in Isaiah White that challenged you?

[Jesse]

Well, break down what him is for people that. Cause they haven't seen it yet. What is him about?

[Marlon Wayans]

Him is basically it's a psychological horror thriller set in the world of football and basically like never meet your idols. You know, it's like. And what are you willing to sacrifice for success? So a young brother comes to the greatest quarterback whoever played basically like a Tom Brady's camp. I play Isaiah White. He's the greatest quarterback ever. Got eight rings. Eight rings. So he's the goat. So a young man, he's about to retire because he wants to be with his family, have a kid and chill out. He did it. And so this other kid, this new kid comes along and he comes to his camp and. And he reminds him of the great he used to be. And he's like, I don't want to retire. I want to make your life hell. I want to break you. And so he goes about psychologically just dismantling him in a horrific kind of way. And what happens is it's the franchise basically is a representation for signing with, you know, like the devil, but it's not the devil. And it's all about the choice because do you want to be? And he tells him, don't be Me be better than me. So all these spoils are in there for all these athletes, for anybody. Right. There's always a sacrifice. Oh, you want to get on? What are you willing to do to get on? Because at a point, it's not worth your integrity. You never lose your integrity. Don't be a part of this system. If you have to lose your integrity, you buck the system and you become the system. And that's what I've done my whole career. So that's why I really loved about the movie. There's something beautiful and positive for young people in our industry, whether whatever industry or whatever job it is that there's a great message in there for.

[DJ Envy]

So nothing should be taken literally, is what you're saying.

[Marlon Wayans]

No, man. People crazy. That blood in the eye, you know, they doing devil worship. Marlon was sacrificing ghosts. It ain't none of that, man. It's like, look, get off of that. It's a great movie. It's about good versus evil. At the end of the day, good is gonna win, so you gotta watch the movie. And honestly, I think it's probably my favorite movie I've been in. I think just dramatically, just visually, Justin Tipping did his thing. Tyreek with is great in the movie. Julia Fox is great. All the supporting cast is great. The soundtrack is great. When y' all see this movie, it's not a movie you gonna see one time. This movie you're gonna see, like, four, five, six times.

[Jesse]

He was just telling us.

[Marlon Wayans]

You saw us.

[DJ Envy]

They sent me the screen.

[Marlon Wayans]

Wow. What'd you think?

[DJ Envy]

I thought it was really good. But here's the thing.

[Marlon Wayans]

I think I. And for me, I think I gave my best performance.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, you and the dude that played Cameron. Yeah, y' all carried the movie by far. I had to watch it the first time I was like, what did I just watch? And then when I watched it the second time, I understood a lot more of it. Yeah, but then when you said what you said just now, I'm like, oh, so that wasn't supposed to be taken literally?

[Marlon Wayans]

No.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Marlon Wayans]

Not literal, but. But I really feel like this. This movie, you know, I'm just grateful because the director let me off the chain. A lot of times directors try to cage you, and, you know, I'm a lion that I need a safari. I don't like to be caged. And sometimes that's good that you're caged, because then it's about working the intensity. But when you open up the. When you starve me for two weeks, and then you open up that cage, and it's Sunday, and it's full of people and kids, and you just sitting there hungry, and you're going, I'm gonna eat. And he would just let me off the cage, let me off the hinge and just go. Go there. And he would just. We'd do two takes. And he goes, that was great. That was awesome. I said, you need something else? He goes, no, that was great. And he goes, let's do one more. I said, what do you want? What do you need? Do you need something specific? No, I'm good. He goes, just do. And my eyes would light up. He was telling me, throw out the script and do your interpretation of what you feel inside as an artist. This is Miles Davis playing My Funny Valentine. Throw out the sheet music, and you express what you want, given the instrument that you possess. And so a lot of the stuff that we did in it, that's unhinged. I was able to just create on the fly. And I know how to. I know how to improvise as the character. And for a reason. I'm not trying to be funny. I'm trying to break you. Breaking you means I gotta humiliate you. Oh, I'm gonna do that with my jokes. And so there was a lot of just freedom in that role. And I just feel like, you know, I think the world finally gets to see Marlon.

[DJ Envy]

And I don't know why I thought he was stealing people powers. No, I thought that.

[Marlon Wayans]

Well, he wasn't stealing powers. He was. He was taking blood of greats and infusing it. And then he put that blood in him, you know, because he's passing it on. And not until you get to that point where the two people gotta collide. Now we're colliding good versus evil.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Marlon Wayans]

And then, you know, you'll see the movie. But, man, I. I really. It's a powerful movie, man.

[Jesse]

Now, as an actor, right, do you prefer direction? Where tell me how you want this? Or do you prefer, let me be an actor, let me be art?

[Marlon Wayans]

I prefer both, because I know a director as a producer and a writer, and, you know, director. I know a director has a vision of how they see things, right?

[Jesse]

How they see it.

[Marlon Wayans]

They're already in the editing booth. So whatever you're doing, they're already in the editing booth. What do you need? If I do a take, like, more than four times, there's something specific that I'm not giving them. Or the camera is messed up like this, out of focus, you know, the dolly move. So I don't take that personal. I know, but for me, I like a take where you go, do what you want. Do what I want. Now you're gonna get something special. Now you get the comedian. Now you get the writer that's been writing movies since he was 19 years old. Now you get the Marlon that I have worked myself to be. And I can improve and enhance any material.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When you were shooting it, I always wondered when people who work with Jordan Peele, like. Cause you have to watch it so many different times. Like Charlamagne said, when you're actually in it, are you ever in real time realizing that something might be interpreted one way? Like, oh, that's what this means, versus it being different than when you first read the script?

[Marlon Wayans]

No, I mean, I dig in. I do my work, right? So before I get to set, I have a process. Like, I don't go show up and just learn my lines in the trailer. No, no, no, no. You give me a script. Marlon dives in. So I work with my acting coach. I bring Leland Daron Thompson. And, you know, you see my dramatic work. Like right now, when I'm locked. I be locked in right now. So the work I do in standup is the same work I do when it comes to breaking down a script. So before I get to set, not only do I know the lines, but I know the story. I know the obstacles. I know the objective in every scene. There's an intention. What am I trying to get? And then I'm prepared. So when the director goes, all you gotta do is touch me like this and change this and get this and give me this emotion. And I got it all prepared because I worked it the night before, the morning before. I work my body to get my body into a certain way. Like, I put on muscle. I was 25 pounds bigger than I am now. I lost the weight because I'm about to do Shorty and scary movie 6. And I don't want him being buff, son. I think that's weird.

[DJ Envy]

So would Isaiah have taken Magic Johnson's blood?

[Marlon Wayans]

Wow. Wow, wow. Well, now he would. I may take Magic's blood.

[DJ Envy]

This man richer.

[Marlon Wayans]

Richer than he ever been. You better get some blood, too. When he. When he's selling that he on yachts and boats. I want that blood.

[Jesse]

Like the role, with it being such a psychological role. Right. Did it have any effect on your psyche?

[Marlon Wayans]

No. I prayed every day. I prayed every day before I got to set. I prayed every day at the set. I prayed every day before I went to sleep. I really tethered myself to God on this dark journey. Because, you know, I know that spiritually, I wanted to be protected. Right. So that's first and foremost. Secondly, I had gone through a lot.

[Jesse]

Yeah.

[Marlon Wayans]

I had gone through, like, it was the devastation that you wouldn't even believe. It was, like, of biblical proportions. I lost 65 people I love. I lost my mother. I lost my father. I had lost so much. And I was so broken. And God gave me this thing. I needed this movie. This movie helped. And my standup helped heal me. I was Tyrese Gibson. Cry on your show. What do you want? More for me to do? Hurt. I get what Tyrese was saying. I wanted to come hug him. Cause I know what he went through when he lost his mama. I was texting him. That's a very hard thing for you to get through. And then to lose your daddy two years later, and Rome was crumbling, and I was just like. So when I got the movie him, I saw this dark pool. I jumped in this dark pool to find Isaiah. Cause as a character, I started reading books. Tim Groven's Relentless started reading Kobe Bryant's Mamba Mentality. I went in mentally, and I dove in that pool to catch Isaiah. And I found Isaiah. And then I looked up, and I saw Marlon face down like Iron man at the end of when he fought Thanos, just like static. And I saw a broken Marlon, and I was like, yo, I need to go get him. I need to put Isaiah's blood into that Marlon, because there's so much more for him to do. These are his best years. So I went and I brought the two of them together. And now I'm him.

[DJ Envy]

So listen, when you see Isaiah pushing Cameron to sacrifice everything, what moments in filming made you question what sacrifice looks like to you? Like, what boundaries are you willing to push? What are you willing to give up?

[Marlon Wayans]

It wasn't even during filming. Listen, I've been raised in a great culture. I feel bad for people that came up in the toxic culture where people had to use you to get something for you from you to get on. My brothers didn't raise me that way. My brothers raised me like, yo, if you want to work, you better write it. You want to work, you better produce it. You want to work, then you better create it. I didn't get raised going, hey, what you going to do? You want this part? Well, suck on this meat. I didn't. I didn't have that. I didn't have that. I had, yo, you want this part, you better write it from When I was on In Living Color, ain't nobody was writing for me. I had to write my own sketches. Snuffing Rome. Me and Sean wrote that. What's the name? The Def Jam sketch. Me and Sean wrote that. Mr. Ugly Man. I wrote that. I had. If I wanted to eat, I had to kill. And so all my movies, me and Sean wrote those movies. My TV show, we created my TV show. Everything we did, we learned how to. And that was the beauty of Kenan. Kenan always. Anybody that was around Kenan learned that you gotta work for it. Jim Carrey, J. Lo, Jada Pinkett, anybody. Kenan, Sally. But there's so many people that was in that man's circle, they would go, you want it, Then you gotta work for it. And so he said to me, as a kid, you gotta be an undeniable to make it as a black man in this business, you have to be an unstoppable, undeniable force of nature, because they will write you off. That's why I'm surviving like a roach 35 years later. You don't think these niggas wanted me gone after white chicks. I should have been dead. I should have been. I should have been gone after more money. You get a window to be hot. It's hard to stay relevant and keep getting hotter for 35 years. And my best years are ahead of me. That's because I do the work. It's all about the work. All about the instrument, all about refining your art. I want to be like Prince. I want to play every instrument I have. I want to. I just work it. You just work it. That man started out just being a dancer and a singer and guitar. And over the years, look what that man did with his lifespan. That's what I'm gonna do with mine.

[Jesse]

White chicks, I. I gotta ask. White chicks, right? Hilarious, right? I think it's one of those movies I don't think people caught at first, but then when they caught it, they like, this is one of the funniest. Would you ever do a sequel to it?

[Marlon Wayans]

I would. I'm waiting for technology. I'm waiting for AI. I don't want to sit and make up seven hours again for 60 days sitting in seven hours of makeup and then working 14 hours after that. Which means I'm sleeping two hours every day to do this movie. Nah, AI is coming. So I gotta get in makeup two times, and then the AI will do the work. I'm down for that. But other than that, I wanna do Black man, the movie where I come In, I do five minutes of makeup and I get out at a 12 hour day.

[Jesse]

After white chicks, they wanted you gone. What were some of the like? Did you ever face any hardships or any challenges after that?

[Marlon Wayans]

Nobody's supposed to be famous this long. They especially if you black ain't no nobody that it's unheard of.

[Jesse]

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[Hunter]

Hunting for on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered Black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting Black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson as she drove toward Galvez. She was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One Podcast, one Mission. Save Our Girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Marlon Wayans]

Hi, my name is Enya Umandor and.

[Drew Phillips]

I'm Drew Phillips and we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie, and you love crimes. We're not the podcast for you, but if you have unmedicated adhd.

[Marlon Wayans]

Oh, my God. Perfect. Perfect.

[Drew Phillips]

And want to hear people with mental illness psycho babble.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes. Yes.

[Drew Phillips]

Then Emergency Intercom's the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartradio app. Search emergency Intercom and listen now.

[Gia Giudice]

Hey, it's your favorite Jersey girl, Gia Giudice. Welcome to Casual Chaos, where I share my story. This week, I'm sitting down with Vanderpump Rules star Sheena Shay.

[Sheena Shay]

I don't really talk to either of them, if I'm being honest. There will be an occasional text one way or the other from me to Ariana. Maybe a happy birthday from Ariana to me. I think the last time I talked to Tom, it was like, congrats on America's Got Talent.

[Gia Giudice]

This is a convo you don't want to miss. Listen to Casual chaos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Marlon Wayans]

To stay around that long, it's because you work, right? I will say this. Hollywood's a great place, but they don't know what to do with you, right? So the opportunities you get, there's only a small margin that you're gonna get those opportunities, right? Because before it gets to me, Will Smith got that script. Eddie Murphy got that script. Jamie Foxx got that script. So you gotta wait for all these people to turn it down. And I feel bad for regular, regular actors because then you gotta wait for after me. Then after me, you gotta wait for Nick Cannon. Then you gotta. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's. That's a long time to wait to act, maybe get a role. But if you create the role and you put yourself as the star, now I can cast other people in my vision. So these are my best years. And I started out as a farmer and agriculture. My brothers taught me farming and agricultural to be an agriculturalist. Now I'm like industry, industry, industry. Philanthropy and education is the three things that I'm gonna work on in terms of building this brand for you personally.

[DJ Envy]

What was more frightening, I guess harder to portray, like, the supernatural psychological aspect or the human fears, like failure and insecurity. Aging, legacy.

[Marlon Wayans]

I think the human. It wasn't harder. I think that stuck with me more because as a. As an aging star, you're right. You start thinking about those things. Luckily, like I said, I'm not insecure, like, because I create my own way. So I don't care who. Coming up next, I applaud the next man. Cause I'm writing the movies so I could put you in my movie. Cause I know what I'm doing. And then when I'm getting too old and I start getting them Morgan Freeman moles on my face, I ain't gon. I ain't gonna be trying to be the sexy man. I ain't pulling this dick out with gray hairs all over it. We gonna be behind the scenes. But these are my best years. And I preserve myself physically so that at 53, I can play 35. So now these are my, my star years, right? And everything else was just practice and knowing and learning. And I'm very grateful to God to be on this journey and continue to love it. I love this. I love it.

[Jesse]

How long did it. Well, how long did it take to shoot him fully him?

[Marlon Wayans]

Took about two and a half months. Two to three months. And we was in New Mexico. But you know, preparation started it six months before that. You know, I'm going on walks every morning. I'm sitting in red light therapy. I'm working out two times a day. You know, preparation starts way before you actually get to set. When you get to set. Now it's time to have fun.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I was going to ask you, you said you prayed a lot throughout this. What did the movie teach you personally about your spirituality? Go ahead, go ahead.

[Marlon Wayans]

How. How good God is and how you should. How everybody needs the wind of God to really get to where you're going. And if you don't humble yourself and just know that there's a higher power, that one day you will lose yourself, you will lose yourself and you will think you are God. And that happens to a lot of us, you know, And I love Will. When Will hit Chris, I got concerned not because of the mental aspect, but because of the spiritual aspect. When he did his speech and he didn't thank God first, that's when I was concerned for him. And then when he. When he lost. When he lost his stuff. And then that's why he tethered to God afterward. And I go, okay, now you're going on a journey. Now. The you that you were, you needed to go through this. You needed that breaking to understand that there's something bigger than you, which is God. And through that journey and through the hard work, Will going to be all right. He going to be a better world than he was before. But sometimes you need that moment and you can't. Thank you, God. There's only one God. And I was raised with God. And you can never take that from.

[Jesse]

Me to what Lauren said. You know, a lot of older people, especially old people, they'd be like, don't.

[Marlon Wayans]

Don't y' all celebrate Halloween.

[Jesse]

Halloween's for the devil. Don't y' all do them scary.

[Marlon Wayans]

My daddy was that my daddy was turning in his grave, like, now. He shouldn't have done this devil movie. My daddy turned. He was Joe Witness.

[DJ Envy]

I wrote Joe Witness.

[Marlon Wayans]

No Halloween. So how does that say when you.

[Jesse]

Do those type of movies?

[Marlon Wayans]

Hey, man, he dad.

[DJ Envy]

Listen, man, cut it out, man. Oh, my God. Mar.

[Marlon Wayans]

I, I, I be having Halloween parties. Christmas. Oh, we have a hell of a Christmas. I go sometime I go to his casket and I just, I adorn it with Christmas, play Christmas carols right next to him. My mom and I know he in there. Like, I hate this little Negro, you know, so. But my uncles. But my father knows when my father passed, you know, I watched him say a prayer before he died. And he didn't ask God for anything. Asked God. All he said was, thank yous. So grateful. Thank you for letting me see my children and my grandchildren be born to be raised this family that you gave me. And it was so powerful that. And when he left, he said, you know, if you ever wanted to find me, I need you to open that book. So the one thing I got from my father is his Bible. And I keep my daddy's Bible by my bed. And whenever I think about my father, I get, I wake up and I read my Bible, just like my father said for me to do. And so he said, if you know my father, then you'll know your father. So I'm on a journey to really embrace more of God in my life. I've been very settled and very chill. I don't be going to clubs. That's why I smoke my cigars and have me a little whiskey, and I just chill out with my friends, and we just laugh and hang out and, you know, you find a good life outside the noise. And my mama, before she died, she said, yeah, well, this is a contrast of my family. See that? Yeah. Well, I'm in every book, so whatever. Whenever you read anything, Mama is in that book. So now when I'm reading Green Eggs In Hand to my daughter, I'm like, hm, Ham spelled backwards. Ma.

[Jesse]

Look, going back to what you said being the preparation takes longer than, than the actual filming of the movie. What was your training regimen? Cause you play a legendary quarterback.

[Marlon Wayans]

Well, here's the thing. I physically got into this part. See, Tyreek, he 25. Them 25 year olds, they look at weights and they get buffed. You know what I'm saying? I had titties before I went to shoot. It was after Covid. I had titties, I had a belly. I was shaped like little Rick Ross. And no, it was bad. And so I really was doing pushups, sit ups, pull ups. I was doing everything. And my trainer, Adam Quinter. Shout out to Adam Quinter. You can find him on Instagram. QT training. And then CJ Fit in New Mexico. So it was a hell of a regiment. So when we did football training, Tyreek was throwing the ball because he used to play for Florida State. Now he was off the bench, but he. He was the water boy. But he was around all those great players. And he got a ring from the Orange Bowl. Didn't play, didn't. Didn't run a yard. Well, you know, hey, but he drank a lot of Gatorade that game. Like he did something. And he got a ring. So he got a ring. And when he started throwing the ball because he was a wide receiver, he was gunning it like God. And Jordan Palmer was teaching us how to throw and everything. So I went to camp, and he had done camp like maybe, maybe six times before I went. So I go there with my old arm and I start. I go to throw, and then, you know, I'm pigeon toed. He said, stop. I said, what? I said, you needed something different. I need to throw, whip more. He goes, no, we need to teach you how to walk again. I said, what? He said, yeah, you're pigeon toe, and I need you to walk one foot in front of the other. I looked at that man. I said, yeah, this last time I'm coming to this camp. And I left. I never went back. Yeah, you ain't gonna do that to me. Teach me to walk while this nigga's throwing 80 yards. So I started having. Having quarterback coaches come to my backyard in my house to train me or I go to fields and I would train. And as soon as I got to set, I went to go throw a ball. And my director said, what are you doing? Put that down. I said, I gotta throw. He said, no, you don't. He said, you 53. He said, you see that young man right there with that funny hair dude like yours? I said, yeah, watch him throw this ball. And he threw it like 80 yards. I said, that's dope. He goes, yeah, that's what he's gonna do. He said, we didn't hire you for that, you know what we hired you for? For your acting and your abilities. So go eat the hell out of this role. And I just. I ate. So you did all that and you.

[Jesse]

Had to throw football one time?

[Marlon Wayans]

I do. I threw it. Maybe There was about three scenes where I had to throw, but I didn't have to worry about throwing. Tyreek was walking around. He had ice packs and shoulder packs, and I was just like, yeah, Young buck, welcome to the big leagues. Young bu.

[Jesse]

Where you have attempted to add comic relief in the. In the movie.

[Marlon Wayans]

I always gotta. There's some funny stuff in there, but it's not like I'm trying to be funny. It's just funny because of the situation and because he twisted. It's like the Joker. It's like Denzel in Training Day. To me, the bad guy has to have fun. Your hero is only as good as the bad guy. So the better the bad guy is, the better the hero can be. So I made sure I just gave it different complexions and textures. It's a performance. It's untethered, tethered. It's different. It's just. Honestly, we all watched it. My agents watched it. It's like, I. I haven't seen many performances.

[Jesse]

Did your brothers watch it?

[Marlon Wayans]

Not yet. Damon's gonna blow up. It's too dark. Keenan. Keenan may go see it.

[Jesse]

Yeah.

[Marlon Wayans]

Sean. I don't know. That's stupid. Sean. Everything I do, that's stupid. Why you want to do that? One time. One time, I was going up for the Richard Pryor movie. Sean said, why are you going that? I said, cause I want to win an Oscar. He goes for what? That's stupid. I was like, because that's my dream.

[DJ Envy]

It's Richard Pryor.

[Marlon Wayans]

But we. Me and Sean were different, but Sean was saying was, you do comedy and you do us. And I was like, I do do y', all, but I also do me. And I got my. My dreams outside of us that I want to accomplish, and I'm gonna own that. I'm just not gonna. I'm gonna follow the footprints up to a point, and then I gotta agree. I'm gonna go this way because I gotta be a trailblazer for the next generation, for my kids and my brother's kids who may not want to do comedy. It's hard.

[DJ Envy]

That's interesting. Does taking a role like Isaiah feel like a turning point, then, like, maybe changing what people expect? To hear from Marlon Wayne's.

[Marlon Wayans]

Oh, it's a game changer. This is. It's a game Changer. When comedians start doing drama. Yeah. That's when you really blow up. That's when you become legendary. When Robin Williams started doing dramatic stuff, when Jim Carrey started doing dramatic stuff, Will Smith started doing dramatic stuff. When Jamie Foxx started doing dramatic. That's the game changer. Because the comedy is hard, but it's the vulnerability that comedians have that make us so special in dramas. Because when you see the funny guy hurting, you hurt. When people see me hurt or messed up, they feel bad. Oh, no, don't let that happen to Marlon. Not the goofy one.

[Jesse]

You know, they make us laugh and smile all the time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you got your game changer role. I saw a Hypebeast article say you're in your go era. I watch your CBS this Morning.

[Marlon Wayans]

I. I didn't say that. I'm not gonna say that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hypebeast said you're in your goat era.

[Marlon Wayans]

Well, that I. I would never call myself. I don't self proclaim. Right. I think that's false idolhood. I don't. I want. I don't do that. I don't. Because to me, goat is how good am I in my body with the tools that I work that God has blessed me with? How much work am I doing? I want to be the greatest mark that has ever existed in terms of myself. And that's not about competition. I love all my brothers. I respect all my brothers. I respect Will Smith. I respect Dave Chappelle. I respect Kevin Hart. I don't be bashing nobody, but they're them and they're being their best them. And I'm trying to be my best me, and that's all that's important. So goat era. And you know, that conversation, that's for everybody to talk about. For me, I just want to be the best Marlin. Let the best marlin.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I just feel when I've been watching your interviews, getting ready for this, that there's a. You have like a feeling of like, there's like happiness, but there's like an arrival even though you've already been here. You said it took 53 years to feel special on CBS.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah. To get confident.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But that's to me, listening to you say that, it's crazy because, like, you've always been Marlon Wayans.

[Marlon Wayans]

I have, but there was missing pieces. Don't do that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You run the tape. That is.

[Marlon Wayans]

I'm gonna run the tape.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, we gonna run the tape. I know what I say.

[Marlon Wayans]

Okay. And you know what? I trust you, cuz you be on.

[Hunter]

Thank you.

[Marlon Wayans]

Okay. Thank You. What I'm trying to say to you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is when I watch your interviews, I feel. I don't know, it just feels different. Like, you feel like you've arrived now.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why? What is the feeling with this role?

[Marlon Wayans]

I've done the work, and life has. Life breaks you and rips you apart, and you survive through that, and you just go, oh, I get it. I'm here. And I. And, you know, like I said, I was always a happy go, lucky dude. Once I survived the trauma and the pain that I went through, I'm a better actor. I'm a better actor because I've been through more. And now my comedy. I don't write about pop culture. I write about what hurts me. I write from blood. So when you see my standup, it's not just, oh, he's telling silly jokes. Oh, he got a story. Yo. There's something that I learned when I watch that it's coming from a special place. And when you can make your pain funny, that's when you start getting great. Richard Pryor took his pain. He had a heart attack, and he's like, you know what's funny about having a heart attack? And he did the most brilliant bit on having a heart attack. That's where you. For me, that's when I got confident, when I started doing standup and really looking at myself as an artist and going, I want to be better. Writing scripts ain't enough. Acting ain't enough. Producing is not enough. And then when I said, I want to be a superstar. Stand up, stand up. So now I can do it all. Put me anywhere. Let's go, let's rock. Let's get it.

[Jesse]

That's crazy that she's talking about the I've arrived moment. Right. But we look at you from that. From a long time ago.

Yeah.

Just look at the history that you've done. You know, every time they said you couldn't, you did it over. They try to take your, you know, what you've done, and you said, all right, F you. I don't need y'.

[Marlon Wayans]

All.

[Jesse]

I'm gonna do it my own way.

[DJ Envy]

It's classic. You had to write down, like, top five and living color sketches. I guarantee you, Mr. Ugly Man.

[Marlon Wayans]

Well, thank you. I had good instincts.

[Jesse]

It's weird that you're saying, this is my, you know, I've arrived moment where we looked at it so long. Do you feel like you don't get the necessary. I don't want to say respect, but the kudos that you deserve because you are the Funny guy. You are the cool guy. You are the guy.

[Marlon Wayans]

I mean, it's a lot, right? It's beyond being the funny guy, the cool guy. I think, you know, it's also. I'm the baby of legends. It's hard when you're the baby of legend. You got all these legendary dudes doing legendary things, and you were part of that tribe. Oh, that's Keenan Damon, lil brother. And not to say that I want to stand out. It takes time to know Marlon, right? It took Michael Jackson a long time before he became Michael. You know, he was tore up with his brothers till he was like, 35, 40 years old, and he was like, okay. Then he bad and, you know, off the wall, he's done little things. And then Thriller hits, and you go, oh, he's Michael. It takes time for you to stand apart when you come from such a legacy. And I never wanted to stand apart. Cause I love Wayans. I die Wayans. I breathe Wayans. I live Wayans. And for the past 15 years, I've just been working on Marlon so that when I come back to weighans, I could be a better, stronger finger in that big. In that fist and do our best work. That's why it's Scary Movie six. This is big. This is bringing us all back together. And now I got a completely different skill set than I had when I did the first one. So I can't wait till next summer. June 12th in theaters. Scary Movie 6. We come with these laughs. Everybody needs these laughs. And I just feel like that's why I said I. I feel like I've arrived because everything's moving in slow motion. I get it. It's the Matrix.

[DJ Envy]

I also wonder the expectation of being a Wayans. It's kind of like they just expect greatness from y', all. So it's just like, whatever.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah, but that. That. That goes with it. But you gotta think about this. Things that I haven't gotten yet that I don't yearn for. Don't. I didn't. It's not that I. That makes my identity, but I want them statues. I want that in me. I want that Oscar. I want that Grammy for my comedy album. I want that Tony for a Broadway play. I want those things, and I'm gonna get those things. And if I fall short and I don't get an egot, if I got a got, I'm happy. If I got an ah, I'm happy. But I know that I'm putting in the work. And even after I get that, to me, I still never made it. Cause you stay hungry as an artist. Look at guys like Kobe. Kobe, 60 points on his last game. He kept doing the work. It's about doing the work. The Kobe that was in the league when he was 19, he was dope then. But you see the Kobe at 35 when he starting to win those rings consecutively, That's a different Kobe Bryant. Then after he left, him and Shaq had their dismantling of that team for him to go get another ring or two more rings after that without Shaq. That's because that man was an animal. You gotta be. I'm an animal. I'm in that gym. I'm working out. I' my instrument. I'm on a stage. I am not going to fail my moments period. Clock it, clock it, clock it.

[Jesse]

Speaking of scary. Hold up, Charlamagne. Speaking of Scary Movie six.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes.

[Jesse]

Have y' all start filming?

[Marlon Wayans]

No, we start filming. I'm going to London to promote him. And then I got a gig in San Jose. And then October 1st, we on the setup in living color. So, I mean, of scary movie 6. No scary movie. Scary movie 6. Scary movie 6. No scary movie 6. Scary movie six. So we start that. We got Anna. Anna is back. Anna Faris, Regina Hall. We bringing everybody back. And, man, I'm telling you, this movie script is funny. And we. We gonna knock this out the park.

[DJ Envy]

Y' all doing a living coat.

[Marlon Wayans]

No, no, I would.

[DJ Envy]

You said y' all was doing something with the Wayans brothers.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I remember it was supposed to be like a show.

[Marlon Wayans]

I ain't announcing it yet, but, you know, but we. We're investigating doing all this stuff.

[Jesse]

He said that last time he was up here.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, but watch.

[Marlon Wayans]

And. And then we did SC Movie 6. I ain't lying.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Y' all held us down because I remember your publicist, she was like, I'll make sure that she made sure we have all the information.

[Marlon Wayans]

See?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So whatever you're working on with your brothers.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We would love to also be the home where the world finds.

[Marlon Wayans]

I will let y' all know. I'm gonna come here second after Kasana. Here's the thing, guys. I love the old heads, but, man, somebody you. I'm joking. Of course. I come here first. Man ahead. Jess. I was.

[Jesse]

I wanted to know if I could audition for scary movie 6.

[Marlon Wayans]

Girl, we done cast it. I would love to have had you in there, cuz. Okay, well, let me think of. Man, she could die of. Everybody asked me to be in. I'm killing them. Everybody dying. Everybody Dying. But if not, when we do scary movie 7. Boom, I got you. Okay, then I could write something funny and be like, hey, what's something that you could do? I would like. I like Taylor making suits. So what do you like to do? You know what I mean? It's like Kai was like, yo, put me in. I was like, all right, give me a second. And I'm, you know, I'm creating it. It's. It's going to happen. We. We doing it.

[DJ Envy]

See? Should have been here last time he was here.

[Marlon Wayans]

Oh, sorry. She was having a baby. Stitches. You know what I mean? Can she breastfeed her baby off camera. Baby need milk. You know what I mean? Yes.

[DJ Envy]

Listen, I got two more questions. What's the line?

[Marlon Wayans]

And you do be acting.

[Jesse]

Yeah.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, yeah.

[Marlon Wayans]

Cuz I thought it was a only fan thing I saw, but I was like, oh, that's a part.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, it's a part.

[Marlon Wayans]

Y. You was doing it too. I'm like, okay, okay. Go on, throw that. That's how I see how he got that baby.

[DJ Envy]

Thank you. What's the line between being a hero and a villain? From Isaiah's perspective.

[Marlon Wayans]

I think in his eyes, he is the hero. From an ego perspective, he's not the villain. He's the hero. And he ain't gonna let nobody in his eyes, guys, Cam is the villain. He's trying to take my spot, and I'm not going to let it happen. I. I sacrifice everything to get here. You don't deserve what I got. And so I. It was dark thinking. A lot of Isaiah is dark thinking. Very negative, very arrogant, you know, full of himself. And so that's just the way I approached it, you know.

[DJ Envy]

What about from your perspective?

[Marlon Wayans]

I like to live a humble life, but I think you got to be humble as a person and a shark when it comes to your business. When it comes to your dying thirst to get things done, I don't sit there and wait on things to get done. I'm a do it. I'mma do it. I'm a killer. I read the book by Tim Grove and relentless. There's coolers, closers and cleaners. Tim Groven Grover, he was Michael Jordan's trainer, Kobe Bryant's trainer, Dwyane Wade's trainer. I want to be a cleaner. I want. Give me the ball. I know what to do it just give me the ball. If this. I practice enough that I own the right. Give me the ball. I'll know what to do with it. It may be a pass, it may be a Three pointer. I may drive and get fouled and go to that free throw line. And I'm an 85% shooter and I'm gonna make it happen. If I'm double teamed, I know to dish it off, off there. Give me the ball. That's where I'm at in this, in my career right now. These I, I'm waiting on parts. I know my next seven movies that I have that I want to develop. Two that I have written. One that's almost being set up. I want to, you know, do a romantic buddy comedy. I got, I'm set up right now for me and Kiki Palmer. Like I, I, I see it, I see it in ways that I don't know if anybody else has had like a lot of my peers, I love them to and they're brilliant. I think I'm the only one that's like been writing movies since I was 19 years old and producing movies. And now as a star, I get to write and produce movies for myself and then look at scripts in a different way. Like, oh, here's how we can make that better. I'm just in a zone. Everything moves in slow motion. I see air. What the hell?

[DJ Envy]

What now you posed to say, hey, can I be in those movies that you're in?

[Marlon Wayans]

That was a good cue. But you know what I would tell you? You fucking funny. You should be writing and developing movies on your off time. That's what you should be doing. You gotta cause you on stage, right? You doing, you still doing your stand up? Yes. Don't you feel the growth when you do stand up? Like, oh, I'm that dude. Because ain't nothing better than bombing when you feel that cold air of a bomb. Like you throw a joke out there and it just hang there and you get a oh yeah. And you feel that desperate energy. Like I'm a double down now I gotta double down. And that's how you get the better joke. You keep digging. You can't be afraid of the silence. But you should be writing, producing, studying, because after this, what do you do? Or you could do it both. See, nowadays you can do it all. Look at you writing books and you know, you selling houses and doing all kinds of stuff and everybody, we all are all an industry. We have learned that we are not just a part of the industry, we are industry. That's right.

[DJ Envy]

My last question.

[Marlon Wayans]

Boom. You don't know closing line. I know, I was thinking about it, right? He don't know what's more. That was the close not break the.

[Hunter]

Movie.

[DJ Envy]

I like that, but I just.

[Marlon Wayans]

Almost took my draws off and threw them at the crowd. When.

[DJ Envy]

When it comes to your personal life, how close to the role of Isaiah was it? Balancing showing somebody at the top of their game but also being at a breaking point.

[Marlon Wayans]

Being what?

[DJ Envy]

Being at a breaking point. What do you mean, somebody? Isaiah was at the top of his game, but he was also at a breaking point.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Have you ever felt. Felt like that in your own life?

[Marlon Wayans]

No, I.

[DJ Envy]

Even with all the grief and everything.

[Marlon Wayans]

There'S a synapse, right, that these. All these things that happen, I think a breaking point. Physically, mentally, emotionally, all of it. Oh, man. I think three years ago, I was at a breaking point. And that's why I stress mental health. Right. I wear this mental health awareness thing to remind myself, you know, as a black man, man, you have to take care of your mental health. Because I got there, I seen myself tossing myself off of a building. That happened to me twice, because that was. Everything was hitting me at one time and so much pain. When my mama died and my daddy died and then my daughter transitioning. At that point, there was just so much devastation happening that I just felt like I. I can't take it. And that's when I called my two therapists. And that's the thing about therapists. I have two therapists. I have a female and a male. And because I want to make sure that I govern both sides of myself, my masculine self, my feminine self, that I can listen to women when they have, you know, and sometimes you need a woman's voice, and it's funny. My female therapist protects my masculinity more than my male therapist and supports it. So I think it's important to have therapy and to have God. Those three things. And a great sense of humor. Those three things have gotten me through. And, you know, God is so real. You ain't found God until you heard. Never would have made it. And you crying in the car. And you crying in the car with the snot bubble in your nose, shaking, going, yes, I never would have made it without God. I never would have made it. God is good. There you go.

[Jesse]

Marlon Wayans, ladies and gentlemen.

[DJ Envy]

Absolutely, man. Make sure y' all see him this Friday. This Friday, September 19th. Scary Movie 6 next summer.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes, sir. Scary Movie 6 next summer. Make sure you. Marlon Wayans.com get your merch and go get these wonderful Liga Tridente cigars. I'm telling you right now, they're a hit. I love y', all, man. And I. I want to thank you guys for always supporting me and making this home and that. You know, y' all know me a long time and you know, y' all see me do the work and I see y' all do the work and just know that I root for y' all every, every step of the way. And, you know, we ain't done. We all just beginning.

[Jesse]

And I just want to say one last thing. We appreciate you. Marlon is the one for people out there listening that if you're going through something or if there's a problem, he'll text you to check on you. Not too many people in the industry do that. We see so many people come and go all the time. But he will check on you and appreciate it.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes, I appreciate you, Marlon Wayans. It's the Breakfast Club. In the morning every day, I wake up.

[DJ Envy]

Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

[Marlon Wayans]

Y' all finished or y' all done?

[Hunter]

I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of YouTube, missing and murdered black women and girls in America. Stories like Erica Hunt, a young mother vanished without a trace after a family gathering on 4th of July weekend 2016. No goodbyes, no clues, just gone. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Marlon Wayans]

Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor.

[Drew Phillips]

And I'm Drew Phillips.

[Marlon Wayans]

And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.

[Drew Phillips]

If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated adhd.

[Marlon Wayans]

Oh, my God, perfect.

[Drew Phillips]

And want to hear people with mental illness psychobabble.

[Marlon Wayans]

Yes. Yes.

[Drew Phillips]

Then a Emergency Intercom's the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartradio app, search emergency Intercom and listen now.

[Gia Giudice]

Hey, it's your favorite Jersey girl, Gia Giudice. Welcome to Casual Chaos, where I share my story. This week I'm sitting down with Vanderpump Rules star Sheena Shay.

[Sheena Shay]

I don't really talk to either of them, if I'm being honest. There will be an occasional text one way or the other from me to Ariana. Maybe a happy birthday from Ariana to me. I think the last time I talked to Tom, it was like, congrats on America's Got Talent.

[Gia Giudice]

This is a convo you don't want to miss. Listen to Casual chaos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sarah Spain]

Get fired up, y'.

[Marlon Wayans]

All.

[Sarah Spain]

Season 2 of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people, an incomparable soccer icon Megan Rapinoe, to the show, and we have a blast. Take a listen. Sue and I were like, riding the lime bikes the other day, and we're like, wee. Like, this is people ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests like Megan in store, plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This is an iHeart podcast.