It’s been 30 years since In Living Color first premiered, but the show remains one of the most iconic sketch comedy series of our time. A staple of the ’90s during its run from 1990 to 1994, it bolstered several Hollywood icons’ careers, including Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, and Jennifer Lopez.
Created and written by Keenan Ivory Wayans, the series and its predominantly Black cast also gave us some iconic characters, including Fire Marshall Bill and Homey the Clown. In the three decades since the show premiered, most of the cast have only soared higher. Let’s take a deep dive into what the cast of In Living Color is up to today.
David Alan Grier
Seen most recently on OWN’s drama series, Queen Sugar, Grier starred in a slew of sitcoms and films during and after In Living Color — including the 1992 Eddie Murphy film, Boomerang. He’s continued to show his versatility today, starring in the high-rated, The Wiz Live!, The Carmichael Show, and opposite Taraji P. Henson in Netflix’s Coffee & Kareem
Tommy Davidson
Known for his spot-on impressions of Sammy Davis, Jr. and Michael Jackson while on In Living Color, Davidson has appeared on the reality TV series, Wife Swap and the long-running series, Black Dynamite. He will reprise his role as Oscar Proud In the upcoming Disney+ series, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
Jennifer Lopez
While she appeared on In Living Color, as a Fly Girl, Lopez has exploded in the industry as a singer and actor. In 1997, she became the first Latina to garner a $1 million paycheck for the lead role in Selena. She’s starred in a slew of dramas and romantic comedies since then, and earned critical acclaim for her 2019 film, Hustlers. Her upcoming movie opposite Owen Wilson is 2021’s Marry Me.
Damon Wayans
With some of the most iconic characters on In Living Color including, Antione Merriweather and Homey the Clown, Wayans went on to star in the long-running sitcom, My Wife and Kids, and more recently on the Fox Drama series, Lethal Weapon. He also starred in classics like Bamboozled and Major Payne.
Jamie Foxx
Academy-Award winner Jamie Foxx is a mega-talent, and we’d only just begun to see his talent on In Living Color. He’s a musician, had his sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show, starred in his Oscar-winning role as Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film Ray, and more recently in Just Mercy. He will appear in the upcoming Disney/ Pixar venture, Soul. He is currently in production for the forthcoming Mike Tyson biopic.
Kim Coles
Though she only starred in one season of In Living Color, Coles, skyrocketed to fame shortly thereafter with her role as Sinclair on Living Single. Since then she has starred in One on One, Mann and Wife, and The Soul Man with Cederic the Entertainer and Nicey Nash.
Keenan Ivory Wayans
As the creator of the series, Wayans has gone on to be one of the highest-grossing Black directors of our time, helming everything from White Chicks to Scary Movie. Wayans created a legacy for his family in the entertainment industry, and he hasn’t slowed one bit. At present, he is a lead writer on TBS’ The Last OG.
Kim Wayans
Criminally underrated, Waynes is one of the most talented comedians in the industry. While on In Living Color, she was known for her impressions of everyone from Oprah Winfrey to the late Whitney Houston. She directed and wrote several episodes of My Wife & Kids and has appeared most recently on BET’s Boomerang and the sitcom, Marlon. Wayans was praised for her dramatic turn in the 2011 critically acclaimed film, Pariah.
Marlon Wayans
Wayans has not stopped working since In Living Color. He went on to star in Above the Rim, The Wayans Bros. opposite his brother, Shawn Wayans, and the Scary Movie franchise. Most recently starred in his sitcom, Marlon, Apple TV+’s On the Rocks, and the Netflix films Sextuplets and Naked. In 2021, he will appear opposite Jennifer Hudson in the Aretha Franklin film, Respect.
Shawn Wayans
The actor, producer, writer, the comedian began his stint on In Living Color as the series DJ before becoming a performer on the show. From there, he went on to star in The Wayans Bros., Dance Flick, and White Chicks. Presently, he has his own YouTube channel called The Boo Crew TV with his sister Kim Waynes where they create and post animated short videos.
Photo: Fox Archive/Getty
