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Wayne Alphonso Brady

Wayne Brady is a five-time Emmy Award-winning American comedian, actor, singer, television host, and Broadway performer who has been one of entertainment’s most versatile talents for over two decades. He rose to fame as a beloved cast member of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and has hosted Let’s Make a Deal on CBS since 2009. Beyond his hosting duties, he is a celebrated advocate for mental health and LGBTQ+ visibility.

Overview

Wayne Alphonso Brady's Profile

Wayne Alphonso Brady was born in Columbus, Georgia, and raised in Orlando, Florida, by his grandmother. He developed an early passion for performing and began acting in community theater as a teenager. After graduating from Dr. Phillips High School, Brady attended the University of Miami before leaving to pursue a full-time career in entertainment and improvisational comedy.

Brady gained national recognition in the late 1990s as a regular performer on the improvisational comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway?. His quick wit, musical improvisation skills, and comedic timing quickly made him one of the show’s most popular cast members. He later expanded his television presence by hosting The Wayne Brady Show, a daytime talk show that earned him multiple Emmy Awards.

Since 2009, Brady has hosted the long-running CBS game show Let’s Make a Deal, becoming one of daytime television’s most recognizable hosts. In addition to hosting, he has appeared in numerous television series, competed on and won Dancing with the Stars, performed on Broadway in productions such as Kinky Boots and Chicago, and released music projects showcasing his vocal abilities.

Quick Facts

  • Full Name: Wayne Alphonso Brady
  • Gender: Male
  • Date of Birth: 1972-06-02
  • Nationality: American
  • Ethnicity: African American, Black
  • Sexual Orientation: Pansexual
  • Marital Status: Divorced
  • Career Start: 1998
  • Current Network:
  • Years Active
  • Estimated Salary: $2,000,000

3
TV Shows

0
Current Hosts

20
Years Active

50
Awards Won

TV Shows​

A list of television shows hosted by this host, including current programs and previous presenting roles.

The Talk
The Talk
The View
The View
Let's Make a Deal
Let’s Make a Deal

Networks

A list of Networks that this host has worked for.

Personal Life

Family, relationships and background

  • Marriage Diana Lasso from 1993 to 1995 (Wayne Brady's first wife, a Colombian-American singer and professional leadership coach.)
  • Marriage Mandie Taketa from 1999 to 2008 (Wayne Brady's second wife, a dancer and actress)
  • Maile Masako Brady , a biological child with Mandie Taketa, born in 2003
  • Val Henry, a biological child with , born in 2022

Education

Educational background and qualifications

  • Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
  • University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida —Did not complete a degree; left to pursue a full-time performing career.

Net Worth & Income

Income sources, net worth, and properties.

  • Primary income stems from his longstanding contract as the host and Executive Producer of CBS’s Let's Make a Deal.
  • Additional revenue is generated through his production company, A Wayne & Mandie Creative, which develops and produces original television and digital content.
  • His financial portfolio also includes music royalties from his 2008 Grammy-nominated debut album and the 2019 single Flirtin' w/ Forever, as well as earnings from the 2024 Freeform reality series Wayne Brady: The Family Remix.

Awards

Awards & recognition

  • Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, Whose Line Is It Anyway?
  • Daytime Emmy Award — Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Wayne Brady Show (2003)
  • Daytime Emmy Award — Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Wayne Brady Show (2004)
  • Daytime Emmy Award — Outstanding Game Show Host, Let's Make a Deal, CBS (2018)
  • Florida Artists Hall of Fame — Inductee, Florida Department of State Division of Arts and Culture (2023)