Damon Kyle Wayans Jr. was born on November 18, 1982, in Huntington, Vermont, to actor and comedian Damon Wayans and actress Lisa Thorner. He grew up surrounded by the entertainment industry through his father, uncles Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Kim Wayans. He made his acting debut at age 11 in his father’s 1994 film Blankman, and went on to study at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and the New York Film Academy.

Wayans initially pursued a career in stand-up comedy, performing in clubs across New York and Los Angeles. However, in 2011, he landed his breakout television role in 2011 on ABC’s critically acclaimed sitcom Happy Endings. He later appeared in Fox’s New Girl as a series regular from 2014 to 2015. In 2014, he also voiced Wasabi in Disney’s animated film Big Hero 6, expanding his appeal to family audiences.

In October 2023, Wayans made his game show hosting debut on CBS’s Raid the Cage. He co-hosted the series alongside Jeannie Mai Jenkins. Beyond his TV career, Wayans founded Two Shakes Entertainment in 2018, a production company behind several TV and film projects.