Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series
Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show
The Wayne Brady Show. He was the host of
FOX's Don't Forget the Lyrics!, and currently hosts the 2009 revival of
Let's Make a Deal.
A native of Orlando, Florida, Brady was born on June 2, 1972. Raised primarily by his paternal grandmother, Valerie Petersen, Brady had a pronounced stutter and shied away from public interaction. At home, Brady proved to be intelligent and creative. By age three his grandmother had taught him to read, and by age six he began to create his own plays, commercials, songs and interviews, basing them on models drawn from television. As he embraced his theatrical side, young Brady was inspired by 50s- and 60s-era music and television and admired celebrities like Danny Kaye, Sid Caear and Gene Kelly.
Brady attended Dr. Phillips High School, and was an excellent student. At 16, he joined the ROTC, which provided both discipline and self-confidence. He intended to join the military, but after appearing in a high school play (and enjoying the resulting rave reviews), Brady altered his plans. Upon his graduation in 1989, Brady made a deal with his grandmother: If he could earn a living as an actor within six months, he would forgo the military.
Brady was soon cast in a theme park show at Universal Studios, and immersed himself in the local theater scene. He appeared in classics including A Chorus Line, Jesus Christ Superstar, and A Raisin in the Sun. A regular at Orlando's SAK Theater Comedy Lab, a haven for improv and sketch comedy, Brady earned his comedic chops performing in multiple shows a night. By 1992, the SAK honored him as "Rookie of the Year for Theater Sports/Improv
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" That same year, Brady moved to Las Vegas to dance, sing and act in a musical revue. He soon discovered a talent for mimicking musical genres and performing seamless impressions of rock 'n' roll greats including Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.
In 1996, after performing in showcases across the country, Brady was hired to work in a musical revue based in Oahu, Hawaii. It was there that he met Mandie Taketa, a dancer in the show. The two began dating and, after the revue closed, the couple moved to Los Angeles.
In California Brady began earning television parts, including guest-starring roles on In the Heat of the Night and I'll Fly Away. Around the same time, several former compatriots from the SAK relocated to the West Coast. Along with Brady, they formed the critically lauded improv group, "Houseful of Honkeys," which still performs regularly at the Acme Comedy Theatre.
In 1997, Brady auditioned for the established British comedy series, Whose Line Is It Anyway? The improv-based show featured a rotating quartet of comedians performing lightning-speed comedy games and improvised songs in front of a live audience. The content closely mirrored Brady's skill set, and his audition made a huge impact on the producers. He was subsequently cast in several episodes. When the same company, Hat Trick Productions, brought the show stateside in 1998, Brady auditioned once again. After a grueling six-hour tryout, he was cast as a series regular. The following April, he wed Taketa.
As a result of his work on Whose Line, Brady's career skyrocketed. His good looks, easy appeal, and triple-threat virtuosity not only made him an audience favorite and an Emmy winner, but they also gave him the leverage to start his own television show.
In 2001, ABC debuted The Wayne Brady Show, a weekly variety revue featuring a mix of music and comedy. A year later, the network revised the format and added a talk show element to the program. The show thrived for several years, during which time Brady became a father. His daughter, Maile, was born in 2003.
Although The Wayne Brady Show earned two Daytime Emmys, it was canceled in 2004. Brady hit Broadway the same year to star as Billy Flynn in the revival of Chicago. He also appeared in a notable role on Chappelle's Show, hilariously skewering his "nice guy" image.
After touring with his own live show, Brady returned to the small screen to host 2007's FOX network game show Don't Forget The Lyrics. That same year he and Taketa divorced. Brady has since made appearances in multiple television series including 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, and Everybody Hates Chris. In 2008 he released the Grammy-nominated album, A Long Time Coming.
Personal life
In 2007 Wayne became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.
Wayne has been married twice. His first marriage was to Diana Lasso on December 31, 1993. They were officially divorced on 21 September 1995. His second marriage was to dancer Mandie Taketa on 3 April 1999. They had one child together, a daughter named Maile Masako Brady on 3 February 2003. Wayne and Mandie separated on 5 April 2006 and Mandie officially filed for divorce on 2 July 2007. They are now divorced and Wayne is currently reported as being single.
Wayne currently lives in Sherman Oaks, CA.
Filmography
* Kwik Witz (1997–1999) - Himself
* Whose Line is it Anyway? (1998–2006) - Himself , Panelist
* Batman Beyond (2000) - Micron
* Geppetto (2000)
* Clifford's Really Big Movie (2004) - Shackelford
* Going to the Mat (2004) - Mason Wyatt
* Roll Bounce (2005)
* It's Good to Be King (Stargate SG-1) (2005)
* Everybody Hates Chris (2006) - Louis (Julius' brother)
* Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild (2006)
* Crossover (2006)
* How I Met Your Mother (2006, 2007) - James Stinson
* The List (2007)
* 30 Rock (2007) - Steven Black
* Dirt (2007) - Henchman
* Sci vs Fi: Mass Effect (2008) - Himself
* The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon (2008)- Sparx
* Don't Forget the Lyrics! (2007–2009) - Himself, Host
* Let's Make a Deal (2009-) Himself, Host
* Foodfight! (unreleased) - Daredevil Dan (voice)
* WWE Raw May 3, 2010, Guest Host
Singles
"Ordinary" (2008) - Wayne Brady
"Beautiful" (2005) - Wayne Brady, accompanied on piano by songwriter Jim Brickman
"Don't Stop" (2005) - Jamie Jones featuring Wayne Brady and William Carthright
"Unsung Heroes" (2004) - Wayne Brady
"F.W.B." (2009) - Wayne Brady
Perfect People feature on Wayne Brady that includes pics, pictures, biography, video, related news, vital stats, commentary, and cool facts.
