Damon Wayans Jr. followed right in his father’s footsteps in the entertainment industry, having done a few direct collaborations in Happy Endings and Happy Together, and Wayans Jr. writing for My Wife and Kids. They are now featured in the cast of Poppa’s House, the CBS sitcom that premiered a few weeks ago.
Father and son discussed the inspiration behind the series, which intends to portray contrasting perspectives between the old-school generation and younger folk. They also have other family members on board including Damon’s grandchildren and extended family.
Generations and family legacy through ‘Poppa’s House’
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Damon the Big Poppa plays divorced radio DJ Poppa, while Wayans Jr. plays his filmmaker son, who hates his job and would rather his father evolve at his way of doing things. According to Junior, it simply shows the lessons the new generation can learn from the older, and vice versa.
He added that the characters had friction initially, but eased up to each other as they worked through challenges. Other faces in Poppa’s House include Tetona Jackson, Essence Atkins, and Ayla Rae Neal. Damon and Wayans Jr are not strict with their script as they sometimes improvise and create natural moments.
The Damon Wayans make their own comedy
Wayans Jr. explained that the writers know to allow them to create comedic moments rather than write for them. The script simply needs to put them in the right spot and situation for a joke, and more often than not, they always find the humor. He joked that one cannot place Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton in a pie factory reading books and expect much.
Aside from contributions to Damon and Wayans Jr., the writers of Poppa’s House ls include his siblings Kim Wayans, Michael Wayans, and Shawn Wayans. They have co-created comedic genius in the past such as In Living Color, White Chicks and Bamboozled. Subsequent episodes will explore why Damon is divorced, and Wayans Jr. attempting to leave his dead-end salesman job.