Damon Wayans Shares Advice Eddie Murphy Gave Him During His Short Stint on ‘SNL’
Damon Wayans Sr. is back in the spotlight promoting “Poppa’s House,” his newest sitcom, alongside his son, Damon Wayans Jr.
The legendary comedian’s latest stop was at CBS Sunday Morning over the weekend, where he spoke with Tracy Smith about his journey from mailroom worker to entertainer, including the very helpful advice given to him by icon Eddie Murphy.
Before starring in the cultural phenomenon “In Living Color” and movies such as “Mo’ Money,” Wayans began his career as a mailroom clerk at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. There, he delivered mail to several notable figures, including Murphy.
During the discussion, Wayans recalled the advice the comedian gave him: “He said write your own sketches,” the actor shared.
“Otherwise you're going to be doing white people stuff, and you're going to hate it. And he was right.”
Wayans would ultimately collaborate with Murphy in the 1984 action-comedy “Beverly Hills Cop” and later took over Murphy's role on “Saturday Night Live.” However, his time on the show lasted just one season. He did eventually take Murphy’s advice and delivered shows like the classic “My Wife and Kids.”
The actor’s latest project, “Poppa’s House,” is a multi-camera father-son comedy series that follows “a legendary talk radio host and happily divorced 'Poppa' (Wayans Sr.) who has to drag his grown son (Damon Wayans Jr.), who has all his charm and none of his drive, kicking and screaming into adulthood before he turns 40.” Viewers can catch the series every Monday at 8:30 pm on CBS.
