Wayne Brady is a multi-talented American entertainer who is known for his roles as a television host, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a frequent guest on the American edition of the unscripted comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
He has also served as the host of The Wayne Brady Show, the former host of Fox’s Don’t Forget the Lyrics!, and the current host of Let’s Make a Deal since its return in 2009.
Early Life
Wayne Alphonso Brady was born on June 2, 1972, in Columbus, Georgia to parents Linda and Wayne. His mother was employed at a hospital while his father, who was serving as a drill sergeant in the Army, was stationed overseas. At the time of his birth, his mother was only 17 years old.
Valerie, Wayne’s paternal grandmother who he calls “Mom,” welcomed him to Orlando, Florida, where he was sent to live. Despite being bullied in his younger years, Wayne’s anxiety led to the development of a stutter.
He graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in 1989 and formed a strong friendship with Joey Fatone, who would later become a member of *NSYNC.
Despite his intention to enlist in the military, Wayne discovered a passion for performing in local plays at the young age of 16 and further developed his improvisation abilities at SAK Comedy Lab. In 1990, he enrolled at the University of Miami before relocating to Los Angeles in 1996.
Wayne Brady TV Shows & Movies
In 1990, Wayne Brady made his TV debut on “Superboy.” Three years later, he appeared in “I’ll Fly Away” and “In the Heat of the Night.” From 1996 to 1999, he was on “Kwik Witz.” In 1998, he was on the original British version of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
In 2003, Wayne Brady joined the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? hosted by Drew Carey. He won an Emmy for his performance in 2003. He stayed on the show until 2007, then returned for the 2013 revival hosted by Aisha Tyler on The CW.
Wayne was featured in several films while he was on the first run of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” including “Going to the Mat” (2004), “Roll Bounce” (2005), and “Crossover” (2006). He also provided his voice for animated movies such as “Clifford’s Really Big Movie” (2004), “Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild” (2005), and “The Adventures of Brer Rabbit” (2006).
Wayne Brady had guest appearances in improvised episodes of “The Drew Carey Show” and played Lazardo V in “Geppetto”. He hosted the Miss America pageant in 2002.
He began hosting “The Wayne Brady Show” in August 2001. After its cancellation in March 2002, it relaunched as a talk show six months later. The show won him two Daytime Emmys, including one for Outstanding Talk Show in 2003.
Brady’s Broadway career includes playing the role of Billy Flynn in “Chicago” in 2004, returning to the stage in “Kinky Boots” (2015-2016, 2018) and “Freestyle Love Supreme” (2019-2020). He has also portrayed Tom Collins in “Rent” (2010) at the Hollywood Bowl and took on the role of Aaron Burr in a production of “Hamilton” in Chicago (2017).
Wayne Brady began hosting “Let’s Make a Deal” in 2009, garnering over a dozen Daytime Emmy nominations. He also co-hosted the NAACP Image Awards alongside Holly Robinson Peete in 2011.
The following year, he made an appearance on the improvisational comedy show “Trust Us with Your Life,” and lent his voice to the character of Clover the Rabbit on Disney’s “Sofia the First” from 2013 until 2018.
Brady joined the cast of “Colony” in 2018. That year, he started playing Dr. Reese Buckingham on “The Bold and the Beautiful.” He won “The Masked Singer” in 2019.
In 2020, he appeared as Tyson Sykes / Gravedigger on “Black Lightning.” In November 2020, it was announced that Wayne will host and produce the Fox variety show “Game Of Talents.”
Wayne Brady will be sharing a peek into his personal life with his fans in 2024 as he invites them to follow his blended family, consisting of his ex-wife and business partner Mandie Taketa, their daughter Maile Brady, and Taketa’s partner Jason Fordham, in the upcoming reality show, Wayne Brady: The Family Remix.
Personal Life
From December 31, 1993, to September 21, 1995, Wayne was married to Diana Lasso. He later married dancer Mandie Taketa on April 3, 1999, and their daughter Maile Masako was born on February 3, 2003. However, Brady and Taketa ended their marriage in April 2008.
Net Worth
With a net worth of $12 million, Wayne Brady is a well-known American actor, comedian, singer, and television personality. He rose to fame as a regular on the improvised comedy show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (1998-2007, 2013-present), which he also produces.
