Wayne Brady Biography

Wayne Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American comedian and television personality, best known for his role on ABC's television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and for a memorable sketch on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show.

Brady was born in Orlando, Florida. His first job as an entertainer was playing "Tigger" at Walt Disney World. He began to perform the central Florida comedy circuit. He moved from Florida to Las Vegas, Nevada and then eventually on to Los Angeles, California in 1996, where he developed his acting skills. Brady is married to Mandie Taketa; they have one child.
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In Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which featured such memorable castmates as Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, and Colin Mochrie, Brady astounded viewers with his dead-on impressions of various singers and his sense of humor. He went on to start his own ABC variety show in 2001, which failed, and a daytime talk show in 2002 called The Wayne Brady Show, which lasted two seasons and won four Daytime Emmy Awards, two of which went to Brady for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

Having created a likable, family-friendly public image, Brady sent it up in his 2004 sketch on Chappelle's Show, portraying himself as a real-life street thug and pimp. His line from the sketch, "Is Wayne Brady gonna have to choke a bitch?", became one of the most widely quoted sayings of the year. Brady's appearance was spurred on by his mention in Paul Mooney's "Negrodamus" sketch where he said "[White people like Wayne Brady, because] Wayne Brady makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X." Chappelle later called to apologize to Brady and offer him a guest spot on the show.

Also in 2004, Brady joined the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago, playing the role of lawyer Billy Flynn.

WAYNE BRADY PICTURES

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WAYNE BRADY BIOGRAPHY