Aiming to be the Bill Gates of comedy, Marlon Wayans is dreaming in living color while remaining color blind to his dream.
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When Marlon Wayans was eight years old he made $25 every two weeks molding and delivering pizzas. It was that job it seems, which included the plush benefits of all-you-can eat pizza and “icees,” that taught Marlon the value of hard work and established his go hard or go home mentality.
Currently on a promotional tour of 21 cities in 36 days, taking twenty minute cat naps and jumping back in the grind, Marlon Wayans says he just a “blue collar, project-raised worker” with a mission to make the world laugh. And despite already being a household name, Marlon Wayans wants to be an even bigger brand, a “big, big brand,” in fact he says he wants to “brand comedy like no one’s been able to do.”
With a new film franchise, A Haunted House—which drops its sequel on April 18th—and a new online network aimed at an urban audience of “young, hip white kids, Latinos, gays, blacks and everyone that doesn’t look the guys on the dollar bill,” Marlon Wayans is dreaming in living color while remaining color blind to his dream.
“When I think of my dreams and my goals, I don’t go: man I want to be Eddie Murphy. Naw, I’m like: I want to be the Bill Gates of comedy; it’s beyond color. If I thought about what I could or couldn’t do, or my restrictions in terms of color, then I’m killing my dreams, because it’s so hard to get it done. Now, I’m just like: I dreamed it, I’m rolling up my sleeves, I’m working towards it and I don’t care who says I’m not going to make it, I’ll go show them and everybody else that I know what I’m talking about and I’m going to pursue that dream and make it happen.”
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Marlon’s latest venture, WhattheFunny.com, which he describes as the “In Living Color of the web,” solidifies the leading funny man as a black tech entrepreneur—a content provider, if you will. And given the rising value of digital content across global markets, Marlon, his stellar C-suite and the hand-selected talent, are making the best of a great situation.
“Content production is where it’s going, it’s really important for you to have content—everybody needs content—because the world is ran by brands and brands need eyes to sell their stuff to, they need content to attach their brands to. Brands own the studios, brands are the controller, so you do want to provide content because brands will need your audience to sell their brands to; GE will need to sell their washer and dryers to your audience. Disney Corporation started as content providers, after 40, 60 years then they got into distribution, which became the other arm, but content is king!”
While many perceive content production as a trade that lowers the barrier of entry to the lilly-white tech industry, Marlon says there’s other ways for men and boys of color to integrate the innovation class, and that’s by creating of apps, something his older brother Damon is currently indulging in and producing “interesting stuff.”
Even with all the success and the quarter of a century worth of work under his belt, Marlon Wayans has no time for celebration or “popping bottles,” as he prefers to celebrate when the work is done.
“A lot of people make me look back on the 25 years I’ve been doing it and remind me of all the things I’ve created and how great it is. But I don’t perceive myself as great, I want to be great, but I’m doing the work. I’m going to work as hard as I can to maximize the best of me. I’m going to be the best Marlon Wayans that I can possibly be, because I’m willing to do the work.”
The advice he gives to young people is the advice he follows himself: “get rid of fear and envision yourself living your dream.”
Speaking to his go hard or go home mentality, Marlon Wayans, who’s been trying his hand at stand-up comedy for at least three years now, touts: “I don’t mind failing, but I do mind not trying. And the only way I’m going to fail is if I quit.”
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Great write-up Chris! You really asked dynamic questions and his feedback was really great. Will be very interesting to watch his continued business progression and see his next moves. Continued success to you.