Interview: Actor, writer, comedian, producer Marlon Wayans to perform at Helium Comedy Club this weekend

Positivity and driven are words that come to mind when describing the personality of Marlon Wayans.

The youngest of 10 siblings, Wayans has been a fixture in Hollywood for over 30 years, first appearing in ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka’ in 1988. The film was directed by his brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans. Since then, Marlon has appeared in such films as ‘Requiem For a Dream,’ ‘Above the Rim,’ ‘Air,’ and of course several hit comedies ranging from ‘White Chicks,’ to ‘Don’t Be a Menace,’ and many more. The actor keeps himself busy, something that Wayans said is a must for him.

“I think it keeps me sane,” said the 52-year-old actor. “I think I would literally have a mental lapse. I would go crazy if I didn’t work.”

The actor has a new comedy special, ‘Good Grief,’ that just dropped June 4 on Prime, is currently performing new material every weekend, just as he will at Helium on Friday and Saturday, just wrapped production on a new film called “HIM,” produced by Jordan Peele’s company Monkeypaw, and can be seen in season 3 of ‘Bel-Air’ on Peacock. He plays the role of Lou, Will’s father.

If you remember the originial ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ one of the more iconic episodes involved Will and his dead beat father Lou. While the new Bel-Air is more of a dramatic reimagining than a reboot, Wayans said he had no worries about trying to recreate the iconic role of Lou.

“I kind of looked at to know what I was doing, just to refresh myself,” he said. “But, I looked at it like I was doing a whole different interpretation. It was my own thing and I felt like this show is it’s own show outside of Fresh Prince. I feel like it’s truly Bel-Air, so I wanted to give it that identity.”

The one part of the role that was a departure for Wayans, was playing a absentee father to Will in the show.

“It was different for me because he’s a deadbeat dad and I’m not,” Wayans said. “I am a loving and doting father, so that was definitely a stretch for me to play a deadbeat.”

The father of three added that he is excited for viewers to see the third season of the show.

“I can’t wait for y’all to see the next episode this season,” he said. “There’s going to be some good ones.”

Wayans, who comes from one of the most famous and well-respected American show-business families in Hollywood, has been able to successfully step outside of the comedy genre and have success in dramatic roles as well. The actor said that he feels the work he is doing now, may be the finest work of his career.

“I honestly feel like I’m doing some of my best work,” Wayans said. “I’m just in a zone, I think, maybe because I lost my parents and life gave me a lot of pain.”

When asked which he preferred, comedy or drama, the actor surprised me with his answer, especially coming from a family that has thrived on comedy.

“I like the challenge of comedy, but I honestly feel like, and this is going to sound crazy, I feel as though drama is easier,” he said. “I don’t have to think about being funny. All I got to do is be honest. All I got to do is tap in and connect to true emotion.”

With dramatic roles in ‘Requiem For a Dream,’ ‘Above the Rim,’ ‘Air,’ and the upcoming ‘HIM,’ just to name a few, it’s impossible to argue that Marlon doesn’t have what it takes to carry a dramatic role.

One of Wayans’ roles that I had to ask about was Bugaloo from ‘Above the Rim,’ a film that I first saw when I was a teenager and still enjoy to this day. In the film Wayans’ plays Bugaloo, a friend of the main character Kyle. The film centers around Kyle’s dream to play basketball for Georgetown and his struggle over playing in a playground hoops tournament and trying to resist the temptations of gang life. Tupac Shakur plays Birdie, the antagonist in the film. Marlon and Tupac became friends and there is plenty of old footage of the two doing press junkets for the film online. In fact, in my research for the interview, I learned that Marlon is actually in the background of the famous photo of Tupac and Notorious BIG that was taken before the two started beefing with each other.

I had to ask Wayans about Tupac, because I’ve always thought he was misunderstood by a lot of people. Shakur was often labeled as a thug or a troublemaker, something that Wayans said wasn’t necessarily a fair assessment.

“I think all those that knew and loved Pac understood that he was a multi-faceted individual,” Wayans said. “He always had to be the biggest thing in the room. If there was a fight, he had to get the last hit. If there was a joke, he had to take it to the next level. If there was an argument, he was going to win. He was just a special, special kid.”

The pair connected because both went to performing arts high schools. Marlon, along with actor Omar Epps, were friends with Tupac.

“We were really close when we hung out because Pac would put his guard down,” he said. “He didn’t have to be the tough guy. We were all from the hood and went to performing arts high schools and it’s ok for us to lean in, in that part of our lives. He felt comfortable. We had a great time and a great friendship, and you know, I miss him.”

Wayans’ latest comedy special, ‘Good Grief,’ is an hour long therapy session for the comedian. During the hour special, he works through his grief over losing his parents by telling humorous stories that will not only make you laugh out loud, but probably bring you close to tears. The special is one of the best I’ve seen this year, and definitely worth a watch. Marlon said that the material for the special was easy to write, but hard to perform.

“I was still going through my grieving process,” he said. “I’m talking about my parents and the wound is still fresh. So, there’ll be times I’m on stage and I just break down crying. My nephew Craig, who was raised by my parents, often had to leave the shows because he would start crying.”

The youngest of 10 said performing the hour-long set was his therapy.

“So, as the shows went on, I was finally getting closer to doing the special,” he said. “Even though I cried in the special, it took me 57 minutes to get there. And you know what’s funny? Since I did that special, I cry less. I know my parents are with me. So, everything I do now, I just feel them around me.”

With ‘Good Grief’ currently on Prime, having been released June 4, Wayans, never one to rest, is already touring with his new material on the Wild Child Tour. The comedian said to expect the unexpected with his new material.

“Expect me to tell the truth,” Wayans said. “Expect for it to be bitingly hilarious. Some of it is wrong, some of it is very right, but all of it is real. I don’t want to give much away, but it’s a beautiful set. It’s not just a bunch of slinging jokes. I got jokes, but I have something to give you that will enhance your life.”

Wayans will perform at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets for Marlon Wayans at Helium can be purchased through this link, https://st-louis.heliumcomedy.com/events/97404.