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American Morning

Damon Wayans Show Wins Wednesday Prime-Time TV Slot

Aired April 18, 2001 - 11:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LAURIN SYDNEY, CNN ANCHOR: Damon Wayans is "out-Foxing" his TV competition. His new ABC sitcom, "My Wife and Kids," just won its Wednesday night time-slot for the third week in a row. Our Michael Okwu caught up with Wayans backstage at the Conan O'Brien show recently, where he talked about the success of the family comedy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're new series is called "My Wife and Kids," which is not a very original title for a series. What were you thinking?

DAMON WAYANS, ACTOR: "My Wife and Kids" is what made me the man I am. In the show, that's what constantly challenges the character; his wife and his kids, that's the title. Plus, I blew "Damon" on another network.

My character is Michael Kyle, who's a very traditional man, in terms of what family should be, and what a wife does and what children does and what the husband does. And he's in a situation where nothing goes the way he wants it.

OKWU: They're going to compare you to the "Cosby Show."

Obviously, you have a whole core of very successful siblings, very successful brothers in particular. I understand that they might have influenced you to do this series. Is right that?

WAYANS: Yes, my brothers told me that I needed to do what I know and my stand-up is -- a lot of it has been about my family and being a young father and being a husband. And I felt it was too "Cosby." You know, that's why I didn't do it, because I felt like people expect something a little more edgy from me. So, the show that I -- I wanted to do, killed the kids in the first show.

(LAUGHTER)

They told me, that won't work in prime time. A lot of the shows will be -- either the germ of the idea will be from something real or it will be something real.

OKWU: It's got therapy, actually.

WAYANS: It's good for me. My kids -- you have to explain to them that no one knows this is about you. My daughter, she shaved her eyebrows off and she was like -- she called me up and said, dad you can't put this on. I said, baby, it's on. Look at the TV guide. I will be in there. I had to reassure her that -- well, now, everybody knows.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I wanted my eyebrows to look really skinny like Jennifer Lopez. Now I look like a thump.

WAYANS: Well, look on the bright side. It'll be easy for you to hitch a ride. All you have to do is like this.

OKWU: We last saw you in Spike Lee's "Bamboozled;" was that a tough decision for you, switching at least for now, from the big screen to the small one?

WAYANS: No, I want to be on television, you know, because I need to reinvent myself to myself and to the audience.

OKWU: You grew up in a family of 10 kids in a Manhattan housing project. Do you ever pinch yourself and think you've come a pretty long way?

WAYANS: No.

OKWU: Oh, come on!

WAYANS: No, really. I appreciate everything I have. I don't take anything for granted, but, in terms of what I want to do -- you know, I want so have everlasting life, so it's like, until I achieve that, I can't sit back go, wow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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