Chaunte Wayans

Chaunte Wayans

San Jose Improv

Wed Feb 19
08:00PM
Special Event

Chaunte Wayans 's Bio

Chaunté Wayans is a proud member of the legendary Wayans family, a multi-hyphenate actress, comedian, writer, producer, and advocate for LGBTQ rights, mental health, and addiction. Growing up in New York City she was surrounded by multi-talented, creative uncles like Keenen, Damon, Marlon, and Shawn who served as role models while she pursued standup comedy and carried on the family legacy. Wayans is constantly creating and staying on top of her game, as well as headlining a national comedy tour, A Different Generation, that takes her to major cities. Recently, Wayans appeared on HBO Max Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners as the only LGBTQ performer in the hour-long, no- holds-barred stand-up comedy special. This comes on the heels of her widely praised performance in the Wanda Sykes produced Netflix Is A Joke: Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready. The actress and comedian’s passion for performance has recently led her to the big screen, landing the supporting role of ‘Bronco,’ opposite Tom Arnold in the upcoming Indie film, Alask’car, a comedy series written, produced, and directed by Ron Carlson with Larry Hummel as executive producer. Wayans has been featured in the press and media including but not limited to UPROXX People’s Party with Talib Kweli, Breakfast Club, SiriusXM Sway in the Morning, TheGrio, Essence, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune. Curating her own stand-up shows in Los Angeles, as well as hosting her own live stream comedy shows and starring in several unscripted viral hits on YouTube, such as Drive By Jokes and No Sound Charades. Chaunté Wayans captivates audiences with her uncanny ability to draw them into her unconventional life while remaining very relatable. During the height of the pandemic in 2021, she was the headlining act on the USO's 80th Anniversary National Guard Senior Leadership Thanksgiving Tour, which traveled through multiple countries including Southwest Asia, Eastern Africa, and Europe. Wayans spent the holiday performing to a standing ovation in front of an estimated 500,000 camouflaged servicemen and women stationed overseas. Wayans worked her way from the ground up before becoming a famous actress and stand-up comedian. She moved to Los Angeles and studied film and editing at UCLA Extension. She was introduced to the world of filmmaking while working as a production assistant on the film Scary Movie 2. She also served as a production assistant on Soul Train and earned her way up to assistant editor on ABC’s comedy, My Wife and Kids over the course of five seasons, where she was later invited to an open mic night, the success of which inspired her to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. Wayans returned to New York City to refine her stand-up skills, opening for notable comics such as Damon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Charlie Murphy and more. In 2012, she performed at Madison Square Garden for the Hot 97 April Fools' Day Comedy Show, hosted by the legendary Marlon and Shawn Wayans. Her affinity for the stage has grown into a career as a stand-up comedian, sharing the stage alongside Tiffany Haddish, Katt Williams, Russell Peters, and others. In 2018, she made an impressive off-Broadway debut as 'Betty,' the lead character in the critically acclaimed Collective Rage, star-opposite Lea DeLaria, and Dana Delaney earning rave reviews ffrom Variety, The New York Times, and The Hollywood Reporter all gave Wayans glowing praise for this performance. She continued her successful stand-up career and has appeared in several television shows including, Kevin Hart's LOL Network's Just for Laughs 2020, Tru TV's Tournament of Laughs, Netflix's AJ and The Queen, Laff Tracks, and as a cast member on MTV's improv comedy show, Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out. She has been on several shows, including WTF with Marc Maron, The Lez Factor, Riffin with Eric Griffin, Girl Talk, and Season 2 of This Fool on Hulu. Wayans is in production for a dark LGBTQ comedy series titled, Unconventional, which centers on two eccentric, queer siblings and their significant others trying to start an unconventional family while navigating their 30s. Wayans now resides in Los Angeles.
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