Marlon Wayans vividly recalls the tough audition process his older brother Damon Wayans put him through for a role in the 1992 film Mo’ Money, which Damon wrote, starred in, and executive-produced. Despite being brothers, Damon initially doubted Marlon’s chances of landing the part, setting a challenging tone for the audition.
On a recent episode of Big Boy’s Neighborhood, Marlon imitated Damon’s blunt refusal:
“Look, I’m going to be honest. You’re not gonna get the part,”
Marlon said while channeling Damon.
“First of all, I never thought we looked alike.”
Competing for a Brotherly Role Amid Other Candidates
The film’s casting intended for the pair to play brothers alongside other actors, including Stacey Dash, known from Clueless. Damon had a clear preference for Kadeem Hardison for Marlon’s intended role, despite Marlon’s interest.
Marlon continued impersonating Damon’s reservations:
“But to be very honest with you, I think you’re funny, but I want Kadeem Hardison,”
he recalled. However, Hardison declined the part due to his commitment to the television series A Different World, making it financially challenging for Damon’s project to accommodate him.
In addition to Hardison, Damon considered Claude Brooks from Amen and True Colors. Marlon recounted hearing that while Brooks resembled Damon, some features, like the ears, didn’t quite match his image of a brother.
“I don’t think his ears are big enough to be my brother, so you have a shot,”
Marlon was told. He was advised to aim at making Damon laugh during the audition, since others in the room might not grasp his humor.
Marlon’s High-Stakes Audition Strategy
Rising to the challenge, Marlon decided to differentiate himself by going beyond the original script. Instead of reciting Damon’s jokes, he crafted new material to catch his brother off guard and demonstrate his creative value.
“I didn’t do his jokes. I went in there, and I wrote brand new stuff on top of his jokes,”
Marlon explained.
“So I gave him something different that he didn’t write, because he’s already expecting what he wrote. So if I give him something different, and I make him laugh with that, now he knows he has another writer on the set. So I’m not just coming in there as his little brother, just saying the words. No, he knows that, ‘Hey, I can give you the ball and, even if you don’t have that shot, you can create off the dribble.”
Support from Friends and Continued Collaboration
Before his audition, Marlon’s close friend Omar Epps, who also planned to audition, recognized Marlon’s confident preparation. Marlon shared:
“He saw all the squiggly lines and he was like, ‘Oh, I’m not even going to audition,’”
followed by
“I said, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘You got this part. This is yours.’”
That belief proved right, as Marlon secured the role and continued collaborating with Damon and their siblings. Last year, Marlon appeared on Poppa’s House, a CBS sitcom headlined by Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., demonstrating the longevity of their family creative partnership.
Reflecting on the Significance of Marlon’s Audition Experience
Marlon Wayans’ determined approach to winning over his brother’s approval not only earned him the part in Mo’ Money but also established him as a creative force in his own right among his siblings. This experience highlights the lengths he was willing to go to prove his talent beyond familial ties. Their continued work together underscores the enduring impact of those early efforts in shaping their careers.
