MARLON WAYANS EXPLAINS WHY FAMILY LEFT ‘IN LIVING COLOR'
More than 30 years later, Marlon Wayans is reflecting on the show that served as his family’s big break.
The In Living Color alum recently explained why, despite “big checks,” his family walked away from the Fox sketch comedy show, which was created by his brother Keenen Ivory Wayans and ran for five seasons from 1990 to 1994.
“I remember when we left In Living Color because Fox was syndicating the show and it was hurting Keenen’s pockets,” he recalled as he appeared on Club Shay Shay. “Keenen was like, ‘Nah, you ain’t gonna do this to me.’ My family said, ‘F- this money.’ And we all left In Living Color.”
In addition to Keenen and Marlon, the show featured siblings Damon Wayans, Kim Wayans and Shawn Wayans for the first four seasons.
Marlon recounted the 1992 Christmas episode ‘Driving Miss Schott’, during which Jamie Foxx sang ‘This Christmas’ and the family wore black shades, standing in the back. “Because we’re protesting and we’re going, ‘You ain’t gonna f- my brother. We’re a family. You touch one, you touch all,'” he explained.
Following the episode, the Wayans siblings had each left the show by May 1993. In Living Color continued for one more season without them.
Although Fox offered them “big checks” to stay, Wayans said, “I’m still a brother after this. No, I’m gonna support my brother. And we all left the show. And that’s why season five, it got weird. It got Biz Markie. God bless Chris Rock, [but] he came at the wrong time. As brilliant as he is, he couldn’t save it. Because the eyes of the show is gone.”
The show also launched such talents as Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier and Rosie Perez.