Wayne Brady TOPICS: Comedian Celebrity Arts / Music / Drama FEE CATEGORY:* Above 75.0k TRAVELS FROM: California Profile Request This Speaker

Wayne Brady: Profile

Comedian / Talk Show Host
Wayne Brady is perhaps one of the funniest comedic actors on TV. His hilarious improvisational antics, paired with his ability to impersonate just about anyone, have won the laughs of many Americans on ABC's hit comedy series "Whose Line is it Anyway?" 

By the age of 16, Orlando native Wayne Brady had no plans of pursuing a career in entertainment. Little did he know that his chance performance in a high school play would garner rave reviews and permanently alter his long-range plans.

While in Florida, Brady immersed himself in the central Florida theater community, performing in numerous stage productions, including "A Chorus Line," "Fences," "A Raisin in the Sun," "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "I'm Not Rappaport." He then moved to Los Angeles and performed at the prestigious Mark Taper Forum in its production of "Blade to the Heat," and made television guest appearances on series such as "I'll Fly Away," "Home Court" and "In the Heat of the Night."  

Wayne also starred in and produced "The Wayne Brady Show," a primetime variety show for ABC in 2001. He was also series regular on the syndicated sketch comedy show "Kwik Witz" for two seasons, and hosted the VH-1 comedy series, "Vinyl Justice," KABC's "Countdown to the American Music Awards," and was seen opposite Drew Carey in ABC's "Gepetto." Wayne also brought the house down in an appearance at the 2nd Annual TV Guide Awards.  

In fact, the actor was so well received by the industry, that the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences invited Wayne to perform solo at the 52nd Annual Emmy Awards in September 2000. The musical medley, which spoofed many of the seasons' top shows, including "The Sopranos" and "Survivor," was a hit, and as one critic said of the performance, "Brady Out-Crystaled Billy Crystal."  

Wayne scored a second Emmy Award nomination in 2002 for his work on "Whose Line is it Anyway" in the category of Best Individual Performance in a Variety or Musical.

He has received several other accolades for his work in theater, including nominations for Best Actor in a Musical for "Cotton Patch Gospel" at the distinguished Edyth Bush Theatre. Wayne was also named Sak Theatre's 1992 Rookie of the Year for Theatre Sports/Improv.  

In 2004, Brady joined the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago, playing the role of lawyer Billy Flynn. He also appeared briefly in the final episode of the 2004 season of the comedy Reno 911!. Additionally, Wayne guest starred on the Sci Fi Channel's hit series show Stargate SG-1 as the first-prime of the Goa'uld system lord Ares.

Brady wrote and sang the theme song for Disney's popular animated series The Weekenders. In 2005, he sang and recorded Jim Brickman's original Disney song "Beautiful" (a cover of All-4-One's 2002 hit "Beautiful As U") and its Christmas version. In 2006, Brady became the host of TV Land's That's What I'm Talking About, a talk show discussing the role of African-Americans in the entertainment industry. From August 29 to September 29, 2006, Brady hosted the FOX show Celebrity Duets.

On November 27, 2006, Brady made a guest appearance on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, playing James, the homosexual brother of Neil Patrick Harris's character Barney. His character conflicts with Barney due to his choice to marry and adopt a baby. He had also appeared as a guest star for the MTV show Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out. He also helps with Adult Swim TV show Robot Chicken.

Wayne also appeared on the episode "You Don't Know Jack" on the television show Dirt and also guest starred on the show 30 Rock, where he played the role of Steven Black, Liz Lemon's date for the The Source Awards. Steven and Liz's relationship quickly ended when they discovered they had nothing in common and Liz accidentally shot him in the butt.

Brady was also the co-host of the short-lived VH1 show "Vinyl Justice" in 1998. Also in 2007, ABC Family premiered the movie called The List staring Wayne Brady. The List is about a man who proposes to his girlfriend. When she says no, he begins to make a list of qualities he believes his "Perfect Woman" should have.

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