Damon Wayans Jr. Realized He Wanted to Be an Actor After 'Accidentally' Opening Something of His Dad's

Mar. 15, 2025

Comedy might be inDamon Wayans Jr.’s blood, but he almost pursued a totally different career path.

During an appearance onThe Late Show with Stephen Colberton Feb. 6, theNew Girlalum, 42, looked back at the moment he knew he wanted to follow in his famous family’s footsteps and become an actor.

“I wanted to be an animator growing up for a long time,” he explained. “I used to draw all the time 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.'”

(L) Damon Wayans Jr. and Damon Wayans.Momodu Mansaray/Getty

Momodu Mansaray/Getty

When hostStephen Colbertasked the moment his loved ones realized he was funny, Wayans said, “Everybody’s funny in the family… it’s just like, who wants to go on this ride?”

“You ever seen [the movie]300,where they look at the babies and then kick them off? That’s kind of what they do in the Wayans family,” he joked. “If they’re not funny, they’re like, ‘Make me laugh!'”

Wayans and his fatherDamon Wayans Sr.star inPoppa’s House, which debuted on CBS in October 2024. The sitcom follows on longtime radio host Poppa [Wayans Sr.] as he navigates changes at work, challenges at home and continues to parent Junior [Wayans Jr.], who is learning to raise a family after he moves next door.

(L) Damon Wayans, Jr. as Junior and Damon Wayans as Poppa in the CBS Original series ‘Poppa’s House’.Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty

Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty

OnLate Night, Wayans Jr. revealed that there was “DNA from our [family] stories” in every episode ofPoppa’s House.

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The actor joked, “I pull him to the side now, I’m like ‘Dude, when we’re outside, don’t freaking call me Damon cause people get mad!'”

source: people.com