Marlon Wayans is stepping into unfamiliar territory with his first serious horror role in the film Him, produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Justin Tipping. Known for his comedic work alongside his brothers and in horror spoofs, Wayans plays Isaiah White, a fictional football quarterback heralded as the greatest of all time, marking a dramatic pivot in his career.
The film, now in theaters, showcases Wayans in a dark, intense role that contrasts sharply with his previous comedic persona. His portrayal of Isaiah White—who guides a rising college quarterback through a grim psychological and physical ordeal—reveals a side of Wayans’ artistry rarely seen.
A Rigorous Routine to Embody Isaiah White
To prepare for this demanding role, Wayans developed a strict daily regimen involving physical fitness and mental focus. His mornings begin with a half-hour walk, followed by consuming nutrient-packed green juice and beet shots, gym workouts, and an açaí bowl. This disciplined routine supports the physical transformation required of the eight-time championship-winning athlete he embodies on screen.
During an interview conducted via Zoom while walking home from the gym in Encino, California, Wayans reflected on the intersection of horror and comedy, noting how iconic characters such as Freddy Krueger seamlessly combined scares with sardonic humor. His casual interactions—exchanging friendly banter with gym acquaintances—reveal a personable side that contrasts his intense film role.
Wayans described himself warmly in the interview:
“I’m the mayor of everywhere I go. I’m just like my dad. My dad was a very friendly man, always said hi, bye to everybody. ‘How’s your day?’ He was just light, you know? I inherited that.”
—Marlon Wayans, actor, writer, and producer
Breaking Stereotypes: From Comedy to Serious Drama
Wayans’ latest work shatters the public’s expectations, transitioning from the lighthearted and humorous roles to delivering a haunting and complex performance. Isaiah White is no straightforward hero; beneath his charismatic exterior lies a deeply disturbed mind, especially as he mentors Tyriq Withers’ character, Cameron Cade. Cameron suffers a traumatic brain injury that blurs the line between reality and hallucination, intensifying the psychological horror of the film.
Director Justin Tipping identified Wayans early on as the perfect fit for Isaiah White, recognizing that the actor had never before been offered a leading dramatic role. Tipping expressed,
“I just don’t think he had ever really had the opportunity to be in a leading, dramatic role.”
—Justin Tipping, director
Wayans acknowledged the industry’s tendency to typecast him, stating,
“The offers never came through. People see you a certain way, right? And it’s hard for them to break that. I wanna be known as a guy that could do it all. I don’t wanna just do comedies. I wanna do comedies and horror and drama and action and great character pieces. That’s what I’m trained for. I’ve been working my craft for fortysomething years, and now it’s just time to execute and show myself and the world and producers and everybody what I can do.”
—Marlon Wayans
Isaiah White: A Complex Character Fueled by Mental and Physical Discipline
Wayans invested deeply in crafting Isaiah White, channeling a careful and methodical mindset that belongs to a champion quarterback. He approached the role with precision, considering every move as a calculated effort to embody greatness. Of his process, Wayans explained,
“It was about the qualities of every attempt, the math that goes into being a real great.”
—Marlon Wayans
This preparation extended beyond physical training to mental immersion, as Wayans faced the challenges of portraying Isaiah’s unraveling psychological state, moving from charming confidence to unsettling menace as the story unfolded.
Isaiah’s Dark Influence: Mentorship with an Ominous Twist
In the screenplay crafted by Justin Tipping, Zack Akers, and Skip Bronkie, Cameron Cade is a promising quarterback whose future is jeopardized by a brutal assault. Seeking recovery and revival, Cameron retreats to Isaiah White’s isolated compound, where the former football legend begins a rigorous and eerie boot camp.
As training progresses, Isaiah’s deteriorating mental health creates doubt about what is genuine and what is a hallucination, deepening the film’s psychological horror. Wayans delivers some of his most nuanced dramatic moments, balancing quiet calculation, public charm, and intense madness.
Reflecting on his character’s dark mentorship, Wayans recalled his own childhood experiences with his siblings, saying,
“I didn’t have one mentor. I had four. And some of them weren’t as kind as the other ones. There was a lot of hazing to be done.”
—Marlon Wayans
Wayans likened director Justin Tipping to an animal handler who unleashed his full potential when the time came. He described,
“He wouldn’t feed me for a week and then he’d just be like, ‘Go!’”
and added,
“My eyes would light up because he was uncaging all that I am. When I’m on a movie set and you let me off the hook, now I can bring all of me through all my training and give Isaiah a sense of humor so that he can further the agenda of the subtext of what I’m trying to do.”
—Marlon Wayans
The Symbolism Behind Casting Wayans as Isaiah White
Tipping explained a thematic reason for casting Wayans in this role, describing the film’s focus on athletes confronting their mortality and the desire to extend greatness. He said,
“I really felt like, thematically, all these athlete stories, and the character in this story, are essentially looking for the Fountain of Youth. They’re trying to be Father Time. Every professional athlete goes through it where you have to face the reality of your mortality. I wanted somebody older and kind of had already been through it — and [Wayans] himself is a GOAT He comes from a GOAT family. He’s a GOAT in what he does, and already had this legacy.”
—Justin Tipping
Wayans committed to a rigorous physical transformation to believably embody a professional athlete, earning praise from Tipping for the change:
“Like a caterpillar went into primordial goo and came out this butterfly.”
—Justin Tipping
Recounting casting conversations with Tipping and Peele, Wayans said,
“No one has your skillset. Everybody who could do what you do is either dead or crazy. I didn’t wanna fail it, so I just did the work.”
—Marlon Wayans
After gaining muscle for the role, Wayans is already shedding the weight as he prepares to return to his comedic roots as Shorty in the upcoming sixth installment of the Scary Movie franchise. He explained his attention to physicality, stating,
“When I’m doing any movie, I’m always going, What is the body type for this character? What does he look like? Because then every time I look in the mirror, I see the work that I did on my body. That simultaneously happens with the work that you’re doing on the spirit of the character. Physically, I like to endure some kind of crazy regimen.”
—Marlon Wayans
Personal Trauma Fuels a Deep Connection to the Role
Wayans has “tethered” himself to Isaiah White on a personal and emotional level, a term that resonates given the film’s subtle nod to Jordan Peele’s earlier work about doppelgängers called the Tethered. This connection grew from recent hardships, including profound losses in his family.
Wayans shared how his parents’ passing deeply affected him, saying,
“I jumped in this murky pool to go find Isaiah White, and I looked up and I saw Marlon Wayans after a long journey in this industry, I went through a lot of personal trauma in the last three to five years, like losing my parents.”
—Marlon Wayans
His mother, Elvira Alethia, died in 2020, and his father passed away a few years later, events that left him emotionally shattered. He explained,
“I lost a lot of people to death and strokes and aneurysms, and it was a lot on me. And I just was there for everybody. It was after COVID, and I just looked up from when I grabbed Isaiah’s hand, and I saw Marlon Wayans face down, like Iron Man in Avengers[: Endgame], just like his body. He is not completely dead; he’s just broken. And I was like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna breathe the life of Isaiah into Marlon, and I’m gonna tether these two together into this performance, and I’m gonna do my best work.”
—Marlon Wayans
Wayans’s Broader Vision for His Career and Craft
This deeply personal experience is reflected in Wayans’ evolving approach to his career. Rather than simply emulating others’ success, he aims to be the best version of himself, honoring his parents’ legacy through his work. He said,
“I just want to be the best Marlon that my mom and dad created.”
—Marlon Wayans
This commitment underlies both his physical preparation and artistic growth, symbolized by his daily rituals, including his green juices and beet shots, which support his demanding schedule and transformation.
Marlon Wayans’ transition into a genuine horror role represents a significant moment in his career, broadening his range beyond comedy to include complex, dark, and dramatic characters. His performance in Him offers fans a fresh perspective on his talents and sets the stage for future roles that stretch across genres.
