Shannon Sharpe had comedian, actor, producer and standup comedian Marlon Wayans on Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast for another insightful and uninhibited show that produced more pearls than jam.
Shannon asked Marlon how he and his brother Shawn got the “Wayan Bros” show picked up by WB TV networks back in the ’90s. The answer gives fans tremendous insight into the business of Hollywood. It can be a dirty game, but loyalty, integrity and gut instinct in relationships have led to longevity for the entire Wayans family.
Marlon Wayans Tells Shannon Sharpe The Story of John Witherspoon and Wayan Bros Show On WB
“Shawn did a showcase for Warner Bros. and all these different companies at the Laugh Factory and Warner Bros. wanted to sign him to a deal,” Marlon said. “And I had just had (the movie) “Mo’ Money” come out.
Marlon says Warner Bros. execs asked Shawn what he wanted to do, and he told them he always wanted to do a show with his brother. They were high on the idea, and that’s when the formation of the “Wayans Bros” show began, prepping it for a national audience.
Marlon went on to talk about the talent they added to the show, and one incredible talent in particular named John Witherspoon, who eventually rose to fame in the show as the brothers’ crazy father, “Pops.”
Wayans Brothers Tell NBC No John Witherspoon, No Deal
Marlon says when they initially took the show to NBC for a table read, the executives liked the show but didn’t want John Witherspoon to be in it.
“They thought he was too ghetto,” Marlon told Sharpe. “They thought John was too country. They thought he was too Detroit. John has a very distinct personality. John is ghetto. They didn’t want him as our father.”
Marlon says he and his brother refused to budge on having John in the show, which led to an ultimatum from NBC. The brothers stood with John and lost the show. Until another opportunity came around, because you can’t stop talent and a unified base.
“Then we were nowhere,” Marlon said. “WB is being created and they need a flagship show and we did this pilot called ‘Wayans Bros,’ and they were like, “We’ll take it.”
From there, the rest is history.
“The Wayans Bros.” ran from Jan. 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999, exploding into one of the groundbreaking programs that captivated Black audiences and launched fledgling WB to a new level of viewership, solidifying it as a major network in the market. The show remained in syndication until 2023.
John Witherspoon Completed Wayans Bros. Show Triangle Offense: Pops Never Missed
Sharpe praised the brothers for making that decision and also pointed out that most people would have changed the character faster than you can say “John Witherspoon” out loud rather than miss an opportunity to be on major network TV
“We have loyalty, and we have instincts, and you have to trust your instincts,” Marlon said. “Me and Shawn are always going to be funny, but without John Witherspoon … You need that triangle offense. That triangle offense. Every time we threw John the ball, we knew it was good. He’s Steph … or Klay. We knew it. And we had the time of our lives We laughed so much.”
Witherspoon was a genius at his craft and sadly passed away at the age of 77 in 2019. In addition to his successful run on “The Wayans Bros.,” he starred in classic films forever embedded in the culture of Black America, such as “Friday,” “Hollywood Shuffle,” “Boomerang,” “The Five Heartbeats,” “Vampire in Brooklyn” and numerous television shows.
Witherspoon was also the person, says Marlon, that inspired him to expand his horizons and overcome his fear of doing stand-up comedy.
