Sketch comedy series In Living Color was staple viewing for anyone who grew up in the ‘90s. Running from 1990-1994, it catapulted the careers of comedic talents like Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, and Jim Carrey, and even a few professional dancers (hello, J-Lo!).
The series also served as home to some recurring characters we still quote and reference today, like Fire Marshall Bill and Homey the Clown.
With a predominantly black cast, and a heavy focus on black humour, the show crossed racial boundaries and appealed to anyone and everyone who could enjoy a good laugh. Created and written by Keenan Ivory Wayans, he also starred in the show along with many of his siblings.
So where are they all now? Most of the cast went on to even bigger and better things once the show ended, proving that In Living Color had one of the best comedy casts of any sketch comedy series to date.
Jim Carrey
Following his time on In Living Color, where he created some of the most memorable characters like Fire Marshall Bill (“Lemme show ya something!”) and the bikini-clad, pigtailed steroid-using female bodybuilder Vera de Milo (who had a signature horse-like laugh), Carrey’s slapstick humour translated big time to the big screen. He starred in some of the biggest comedic films of the ‘90s, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and its sequel, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, Liar Liar, and The Truman Show. He also portrayed the Riddler in 1995’s Batman Forever. He continued in films through the ‘00s, starring as the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, My, Myself & Irene, and Bruce Almighty, then took a more dramatic turn for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. His list of movie credits is about as long as his face could stretch in The Mask. He most recently reprised his role as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber To (2014), 20 years after the original movie was released, and now stars in Showtime series Kidding. In 2020, he’ll portray Dr. Robotnik in the live action Sonic the Hedgehog film.
David Alan Grier
Best known for characters like flamboyant and effeminate “Men on Film” talk show co-host Blaine Edwards, Grier actually got his start in theatre. After In Living Color ended, he starred in a number of sitcoms, and did stand-up, after which he returned to Broadway. He also notably played the Cowardly Lion in The Wiz Live! TV movie in 2015. He’s been active on screen since, with small roles in a number of movies and series, along with a starring role on The Carmichael Show from 2015-2017, and The Cool Kids from 2018-2019. He’s currently filming a comedy called Coffee & Kareem that will also star Betty Gilpin and Taraji P. Henson. Photo: UPI.com
Tommy Davidson
Getting his start as a stand-up comedian, Davidson’s most memorable performances on In Living Color involved his spot-on impressions of Sammy Davis, Jr., Michael Jackson, and Sugar Ray Leonard. He continued his stand-up career and has had minor appearances in a number of TV series.
In 2015, he and his fiancée Amanda appeared on the reality series Celebrity Wife Swap, switching with Corey Feldman and his then girlfriend Courtney. His biggest role of late was in the series Black Dynamite (2011-2015). He was also in one episode of I’m Dying Up Here.
Kim Wayans
Sister to Keenan Ivory, Wayans did numerous impressions of everyone from La Toya Jackson to Oprah Winfrey and Whitney Houston on the show, as well as created memorable characters like the neighbourhouod gossip Benita Butrell and Laquita from I Love Laquita. Wayans has also appeared in movies like I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, and had recurring roles on series like A Different World, In the House, and My Wife and Kids, the latter of which she also served as a writer. In 2011, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2012 Black Reel Awards for her dramatic role in Pariah.
Shawn Wayans
His most notable roles since In Living Color include starring in the hilarious movie White Chicks alongside his brother Marlon, comic satire film Scary Movie and its sequel, and The Wayans Bros., which he also created. The actor, producer, writer, comedian, and DJ started off on In Living Color as the show’s DJ and later became a featured performer. According to his Twitter page, he is currently doing a stand-on comedy tour. He also has his own YouTube channel called The Boo Crew TV with his sister Kim where they post animated video shorts and other humorous content.
Marlon Wayans
The actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer has appeared in many film and TV series, often alongside his brother Shawn. He has shown a dramatic side as well, appearing in Requiem for a Dream. His most notable ventures have been writing, producing, and starring in the parody film Fifty Shades of Black, and creating online urban comedy destination What the Funny with Funny or Die co-founder Randy Adams.
He had his own sitcom Marlon in 2017, and though it was eventually cancelled, it ran for two seasons, both of which are available on Netflix. He has several new projects in the works, so you’ll be seeing more of him soon. (Photo: Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal Media)
Keenan Ivory Wayans
The eldest Wayans brother, and creator of the show, Wayans went on to play a hand in many more projects through his career, including Scary Movie, which he directed to become the highest-grossing movie ever directed by an African American (Fantastic Four eventually took that title in 2005). He had his own talk show for one year in the late ‘90s, and most recently served as a judge for Last Comic Standing. Some of his most memorable characters on In Living Color include the Jheri-curled Frenchie and Death Row Comic from the fictional Prison Cable Access network. He was also known for impressions of celebrities like Arsenio Hall, Mike Tyson, and Steve Harvey.
Jamie Foxx
If you don’t know where Foxx is now, you’ve been living under a rock for the last few decades. Enjoying arguably the biggest career of all main cast members since the series ended, the actor, singer/songwriter, record producer, and comedian won an Academy Award for playing Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film Ray and was nominated again in 2017 for Collateral. He’s had a long career in a diverse selection of films, ranging from Django Unchained to Horrible Bosses 2, and is a Grammy Award-winning musician. Today, he hosts the game show Beat Shazam, and has several film projects in various stages of production. He most recently appeared in the TV special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.’ On In Living Color, one of his best roles was the cross-eyed, ugliest woman in the world Wanda Wayne (“I’m gon’ rock yo world”).
Damon Wayans
The Head Detective (who was literally just a head); the overly articulate prison inmate Oswald Bates; the effeminate “Men On Film” co-host Antione Merriweather who loved super-tiny hats and coined phrases “two snaps up” and “hated it” with co-host Blaine (Grier); surly ex-convict clown Homey the Clown who would often bonk the kids in the head and shout “Homey Don’t Play Dat.” Wayans was the originator of all of these iconic characters, so it’s no surprise that his star rose as the show came to an end. Starring in sitcoms like My Wife and Kids (2001-2005), which he also co-created, he most recently starred as Roger Murtaugh in the TV series Lethal Weapon. He also continued to do stand-up right through to 2015.
Carrie Ann Inaba
You know her name as a judge on Dancing with the Stars and CBS daytime talk show The Talk. But did you know that Inaba was also a Fly Girl on In Living Color? From 1990-1992, she was one of the gals gyrating and dancing to the beat during the opening and closing segments of each episode, and between commercial breaks. She also starred as Fook Yu in Austin Powers in Goldmember. She continues to judge on DWTS and was announced the official replacement of Julie Chen on The Talk at the beginning of 2019.
Jennifer Lopez
From Fly Girl to the A-list: after appearing as a dancer on the sketch comedy series from 1991 to 1993, she left to pursue an acting career. And boy, did she ever. First becoming a household name as a singer, Lopez continues to enjoy a fruitful music career with $80 million in record sales to date. But she also made it big in acting as well, first with her breakout role in the Selena biopic, then in movies like The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, and Monster-in-Law. She also starred in the small screen crime drama Shades of Blue and held a residency in Las Vegas from 2016-2018. Today, in addition to continuing with her music, with a concert tour starting June 2019, and acting – she’ll next star and executive produce a film called Hustlers that’s set to debut in September 2019 - she also serves as a judge on reality competition series World of Dance.