Thirty years after In Living Color ended, Marlon Wayans is opening up about why his family walked away from the Fox show that launched them into fame.
During a recent interview on the Club Shay Shay podcast, the actor-writer-producer got candid about his family’s exit from the ’90s sketch comedy show, created by his brother Keenen Ivory Wayans, after its fourth season.
“I remember when we left In Living Color because Fox was syndicating the show and it was hurting Keenen’s pockets,” Marlon told host Shannon Sharpe. “Keenen was like, ‘Nah, you ain’t gonna do this to me.’ My family said, ‘Fuck this money.’ And we all left In Living Color.”
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The show, which ran from 1990 to 1994, also featured Marlon’s other siblings, Damon Wayans, Kim Wayans and Shawn Wayans, and helped launch the careers of several other Hollywood notables including Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx.
Later in the podcast, the White Chicks star recalled when he and his siblings protested the show by wearing black sunglasses as Foxx sang “This Christmas” in the 1992 Christmas episode “Driving Miss Schott.”
“Because we’re protesting and we’re going, ‘You ain’t gonna fuck my brother. We’re a family. You touch one, you touch all,’” Marlon explained of their decision.
The comedian said despite Fox offering them “big checks” to stay on the show, they all made the decision to leave before the fifth and final season to “support” their brother, noting, “I’m still a brother after this.”
“And that’s why season five, it got weird,” Marlon continued. “It got Biz Markie. God bless Chris Rock, [but] he came at the wrong time. As brilliant as he is, he couldn’t save it. Because the eyes of the show is gone.”
After departing In Living Color, Marlon admitted he was “broke” and had “$700 in the bank and $900 rent.” However, it pushed him to work on The Wayans Bros., which ran from 1995 to 1999.
Elsewhere during his interview with Sharpe, the comedian said that Harvey Weinstein’s downfall felt like “god’s revenge” after he stole his family’s film ideas, including the Scary Movie franchise.
