Damon Wayans Jr. Almost Took A Different Career Path — Until He Saw His Dad’s Paycheck
“I wanted to be an animator growing up for a long time. I used to draw all the time,” Damon shared, and then one day I accidentally opened one of my dad’s checks and I was like, ‘I want to do that! That’s a lot better.'”
With a father like Damon Wayans Sr. and a family full of comedians, choosing a career in entertainment seemed inevitable. But as Damon Jr. explained, being funny isn’t enough in the Wayans household. “Everybody’s funny in the family… it’s just like, who wants to go on this ride?” he joked, adding, “You ever seen 300 where they look at the babies and then kick them off? That’s kind of what they do in the Wayans family. If they’re not funny, they’re like, ‘Make me laugh!’”
Now, the father-and-son duo have teamed up for Poppa’s House, a CBS sitcom that debuted in October 2024. The show follows a longtime radio host, played by Damon Sr., as he adjusts to changes at work and home — while still trying to parent his son, played by Damon Jr., who moves in next door with his own family.
Damon Jr. revealed that many moments in the show are inspired by real-life family stories. One particular storyline — about his character struggling to be a disciplinarian — hits close to home. “There’s one where he’s trying to teach me how to be a better disciplinarian for my son because my son calls me by my first name. Which he does in real life, my actual son calls me by my first name and it doesn’t bother me but it bothers everybody else,” he stated.
With six kids, Damon Jr. explained that his son prefers calling him by his name instead of “Dad” because, well, everyone else in the house already calls him that!
“He gets my attention every time,” he laughed. But when they’re out in public, he tries to set some boundaries. “I pull him to the side now and I’m like, ‘Dude, when we’re outside, don’t freaking call me Damon, ‘cause people get mad!’” he shared.
