Poppa’s House: Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Tee Up New Sitcom’s Big Laughs and Even Bigger Heart
In CBS’ forthcoming comedy Poppa’s House, Damon Wayans Jr. will be front and center with his very own poppa: real-life dad and In Living Color stunner Daman Wayans.
Beginning Monday, Oct. 21 at 8:30/7:30c, Wayans Jr. plays a dreamer trying to pursue his artistic passion in filmmaking and directing, all while trying to financially support his family with a job he hates. His dad, of course, is played by Wayans Sr., a happily divorced and legendary radio host named “Poppa” who constantly finds himself still parenting his adult son. Poppa is a curmudgeon who’s set in his ways, causing him to clash with a new work hire played by Essence Atkins.
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While Wayans and Wayans Jr. have worked together before — they played father and son in the ABC cult classic Happy Endings, plus shared a few episodes in CBS’ short-lived Happy Together and the early-aughts ABC sitcom My Wife & Kids — but it’s the first time the pair has headlined a series together. From its earliest beginnings, the project was conceived as a father-son vehicle that would allow both Damons to share the screen on a more regular basis.
“It really started with that as the basis. [Damon Sr.] wanted to do something with his son,” showrunner and executive producer Dean Lorey tells TVLine. “And I was just very excited to work, not only with Senior again, but also with Junior, who I knew when he was a kid when we were working on Major Payne. [Lorey and Wayans Sr. wrote the film’s screenplay together.] So it was always part of the concept that it be a father-son show, that they would do it together. It’s loosely based on their lives, but the experiences are very real. A lot of the stories revolve around things that happened.”
For Wayans Jr., the experience he’s accumulated in the business has led him to this moment where he can fully unleash his comedic talents side-by-side with his dad.
“I’m just more assured of what I already thought I knew,” he says. “Now it’s confirmed. I’ve done it with my family. I’ve worked away from my family. And so now I’m just bringing everything that I’ve learned back to my dad like, ‘See what I found,’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, let’s use all that.'”
“It brings me great joy,” says Wayans Sr. about seeing his son in action. “Now when he’s in the scene, he’s present. Making other people laugh that [don’t share] the last name ‘Wayans’ builds your confidence. And so, when he comes back now and we work together… It’s like in basketball, it’s LeBron [James] and AD [Anthony Davis]. I’m the vet, but this guy is the future. All I gotta do is throw it up, and he knows how to go out and get it. He’s gonna slam dunk it, and that’s a good feeling.”
The family vibes don’t end with its two leads. Wayans Sr. has daughters, granddaughters and another son on the show’s staff. His nephew Dwayne handles the music for the pilot. Even Lorey’s son is on board as a writer. “It’s not just Wayanses, it’s people contributing,” Wayans Sr. says. “They’re not just there. They’re emotionally and creatively invested in making this thing as good as it can be.”
Adds Wayans Jr.: “There’s a lot of family involved in this. And I think it’s great because we’re bringing real-life stories to these characters, which I think gives a lot more authenticity to the show.”
It’s that authenticity and family bonding that both actors hope transfer to their audience.
“Some of the greatest shows in television are when you sit down [and] you watch it, and then you find yourself smiling,” says Wayans Sr. “They haven’t even said anything. You’re just smiling because you like these characters. If we do our jobs right, people are going to have that feeling.”
“We can hit those heartwarming moments where people sit there and they get a little teary-eyed,” adds Wayans Jr. “Like, ‘That brings me back to something that happened in my life with my family.’ We want you to laugh really hard, but also feel like we’re part of your family.” —With reporting by Keisha Hatchett
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