Kim Wayans
A comedic force from the Wayans dynasty who broke from sketch comedy to deliver a stunning, dramatic performance in a landmark indie film.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American actress, comedian and director·Birthday: October 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kim Wayans emerged as part of the formidable Wayans family talent pool, carving her own space on the groundbreaking sketch show 'In Living Color' with a gallery of memorable characters. She built a solid sitcom career on shows like 'In the House,' but it was a dramatic left turn that revealed new depths. In Dee Rees's indie film 'Pariah,' Wayans shed all comic armor to play Audrey, the rigid, conflicted mother of a young lesbian coming of age. Her performance was a revelation—painfully authentic and layered—earning major award nominations and proving her formidable range. She continues to act, write, and direct, embodying the creative restlessness of her family while forging a distinct path.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kim was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Kim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and performed numerous original characters on the influential Fox sketch series 'In Living Color.'
- Received a Black Reel Award nomination for Outstanding Actress for her dramatic role in the film 'Pariah' (2011).
- Starred as Tonia Harris for four seasons on the NBC/UPN sitcom 'In the House.'
- Co-created and starred in the short-lived but personal sitcom 'In the House' with her husband, Kevin Knotts.
Did You Know?
She is the only sister among the ten Wayans siblings.
She and her husband, Kevin Knotts, wrote and produced the children's book series 'Amy Hodgepodge.'
She made her television debut on 'A Different World,' playing a different character than the one originally planned for her.
“I'm not just the funny sister; I can make you laugh and break your heart.”
