Profile Text
Wayans in 2016, photo by kathclick /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Keenen Ivory Desuma Wayans
Place of Birth: Harlem, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: June 8, 1958
Ethnicity: African-American
Keenan Ivory Wayans is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, filmmaker, and film producer. He created, wrote for, and starred on the show In Living Color , and wrote for the show The Last O.G. He has directed the films I’m Gonna Git You Sucka , A Low Down Dirty Shame , Scary Movie , Scary Movie 2 , White Chicks , and Little Man (2006). He also wrote, and starred in, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and A Low Down Dirty Shame , and co-wrote White Chicks and Little Man . He co-wrote the films Hollywood Shuffle , Eddie Murphy Raw , The Five Heartbeats , and Dance Flick , as well as appeared in the first and fourth of the aforementioned; and starred in the films The Glimmer Man and Most Wanted , the latter of which he also wrote. He was the host of The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show from 1997 to 1998, and was a judge on Last Comic Standing . Early in his career, he often worked with Robert Townsend.
He is the son of Elvira Alethia (Green), a social worker, and Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager. He is one of ten siblings, including entertainers Dwayne Wayans, Damon Wayans , Kim Wayans , Shawn Wayans , and Marlon Wayans , all of whom he has collaborated with. He has five children with his former wife Daphne. He is the uncle of actors, comedians, and writers Craig Wayans, who is also a producer; Damien Dante Wayans, who is also a producer and director; Chaunté Wayans, and Damon Wayans, Jr. He was raised in Fulton, Chelsea, Manhattan. His household were Jehovah’s Witnesses.
He has five children with his former wife, television personality Daphne Wayans.
Keenen’s paternal grandfather was Paul Otto Wayans (the son of Stouton Wayans and Della Johnson). Paul was born in Connecticut. Stouton was the son of Peter Waynes/Wayans.
Keenen’s paternal grandmother was Lillian Victoria Howell (the daughter of Isaiah Howell and Ethel J. Grant). Lillian was born in Florida. Isaiah was the son of Moses Howell and Anna Smith.
Keenen’s maternal grandfather was Ivory Garrett Green (the son of Edward Powell Green and Mary Magdalene Brock). Ivory was born in South Carolina. Edward was the son of James Green and Dorcas Nelson. Mary Magdalene was the daughter of Marion Brock, who was born into slavery, and of Catherine Rhame.
Keenen’s maternal grandmother was Elvira Brown (the daughter of Hooper Robert Brown and Emma J. Pleasant). Elvira was born in South Carolina. Hooper was the son of Alex Brown and Elvira. Emma was the daughter of Abraham Pleasant and Polly Coad.
A DNA test of Keenen on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2016) indicated that he has genetic ancestry from the Malagasy people, of Madagascar.
Sources: Genealogy of Keenen Ivory Wayans – http://www.pbs.org
Genealogy of Keenen Ivory Wayans – http://www.geni.com
Keenen’s maternal great-grandmother, Mary Magdalene Brock, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org