This wiry, energetic, black actor is from the busiest family in show business. The youngest of the ten Wayans children, Marlon made his feature debut in brother Damon's action comedy showcase "Mo' Money" (1992). As Seymour, the younger brother--and partner-in-crime--of the con man protagonist, Wayans displayed an engagingly manic comic personality. His slender body, expressive features, and triangular face lent a stylized cartoonish quality to his performance.
Wayans had appeared in several national commercials before he spent three years as a regular on the sketch comedy series "In Living Color" (Fox, 1990-93), which also featured brothers Keenen, Damon and Shawn and sister Kim. The actor almost got a major Hollywood break when he was cast as a Robin-like character in the hugely anticipated sequel "Batman Returns" (1992), but his sequences as a modern-day sidekick to the Dark Knight ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor. He and brother Shawn later teamed as co-writers and co-stars of the feature spoof "Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood" (1996) and as co-creators and co-stars of the sitcom "The Wayans Bros." (The WB, 1995-99). The duo truly hit pay dirt, though, with "Scary Movie" (2000), their scatological spoof of teen horror flicks, directed by brother Keenen--the comic later reprised his role as the pot-loving Shorty Meeks for the similarly successful 2001 sequel (he received a share of story and screenplay credit as well). Also in 2000 Wayans demonstrated his dramatic range as a drug addict pal of Jared Leto's in the harrowing "Requiem for a Dream" and took on an action-oriented role for the fantasy film "Dungeons and Dragons."
The Coen brothers cast Wayans in their decidedly loopy remake of the classic British comedy "The Ladykillers" (2004), and, playing a hot-tempered would-be thief, the actor ably held his own on the screen against heavyweight Tom Hanks and a cast of journeyman supporting players. Wayans rejoined with his family for 2004's "White Chicks," directed by elder brother Keenan and co-starring Shawn: the two siblings played a pair of FBI agents forced to masquerade as a pair of spoiled white blonde heiress a la the Hilton Sisters. Marlon also received a share of story and screenplay credit on the film.