The Black father-and-son relationship has been captured on television throughout the decades, from James Evans, Sr. with sons Michael and J.J. on Good Times to Andre Anderson with sons Junior And Jack on Black-ish, and all the devoted Black TV fathers in between. We’re drawn to these series because they buck the stereotype of the absent Black patriarch, showcasing that Black men are an integral part of their sons’ lives. Poppa’s House, a new sitcom premiering on CBS, takes this relationship further. Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., who play father and son onscreen, are obviously father and son in real life.
EBONY sat down with the Wayans at the CBS Press tour in Pasadena earlier this year to learn more about this familial collaboration and their lessons from Dad. With the one-liners flying back and forth, it was clear that this is, indeed, a happy family affair.
EBONY: Watching the show, I felt like I was watching my own family. How important was it for you to have a show about family that everyone can relate to?
Damon Wayans: Besides Cedric the Entertainer’s show [The Neighborhood], no show on television right now represents us in a dignified way where we can sit back and laugh. You neutralize race, and you just do a show about people who happen to be Black. They love each other. The father is a strong father figure, and the son and his wife love each other and the kids. It’s just as American as American pie.
It took ten years to get this project to the screen. How has it evolved?
Damon Wayans Jr.: My dad is always coming up with story ideas; he writes constantly. There have been iterations and variations of this show that he’s passed by me. He even came up with this idea because he felt a little lonely, right? He’s on the other side of the city, and I live in this gated community. There was a house for sale across the street from me. And he was like, “Oh, I think I’ll just move in next door to you guys.” My wife said, “Yeah, whenever we get peeved with the kids, we’ll just send them to Poppa’s house.” Dad got anxious. He was like, “Nope, I’m not doing that.” So, he didn’t move in next door, but we got a really good show idea.
How much are we seeing of your dad authentically; things that he does at home that he’s bringing to the screen?
Damon Jr.: I feel like he’s just playing a heightened version of himself when he would be grumpy at home. But my dad is funnier and bubblier than his Pop character. He’s taking pieces of himself and exaggerating. Same with me. I’m taking little pieces of me and pieces of my brother and just exaggerating for comedic effect.
Damon Sr., what parts of life are you still helping your son through today?
Damon: He’s pretty much a man, but there are little things I have to bring to his attention, like “Put your phone away.” (Laughs) I have other kids in their thirties where there’s a little more hands-on parenting and being a support system.
Tell me about your adventures in grandfatherhood!
Damon: I get stretched three days a week just so I can get down on the floor with my grandkids. (Laughs) I love it. And I got a great-grand, too. I loved my grandfather. He was the original Poppa. He used to smoke a pipe, and he would let me fill his pipe with cherry tobacco. To this day, that smell gives me so many wonderful memories. But all he did was sit. He never taught me how to play basketball. Damon’s son comes over and wants me to teach him. Somehow, he thinks I’m good.
How did your fathers help you become a better man?
Damon Jr.: This guy gives me great advice all the time. Watching him, seeing how dedicated he is to his family, how hardworking he is and how consistent he is, has helped me become the man I am. These things shaped who I am.
Damon: And my dad was a great example to me. The greatest gift he gave my family, his boys especially, was that he came home. There were nights when he couldn’t afford to feed us, but he still came home. And you can imagine the shame he felt walking in and gotta tell 10 kids there ain’t no food. My mother wasn’t super supportive; she’d cuss him out. But he’s come back home because a man does what he has to do until he can do what he wants to do. I say that in the first episode.
You created a family dynasty in showbiz, an industry that hasn’t always been kind to Black people.
Damon: The funny thing is, my dad was an excellent dancer and had aspirations, but then he had 10 kids. My mother used to sing at the Apollo with her sisters, the Green Sisters. She wanted to be in show business. But sometimes, God has a different plan. Seeing five of your children and all the young Wayans succeed had to have felt good to them over the sacrifice they made.
Speaking of the family dynasty, how is the rest of your family involved in the series?
Damon Jr.: Aunt Kim is in the writer’s room. She’ll be directing as well. Of course, she’s an amazing comedian and actress. She could write herself into the show if she wanted,
Damon: [My brother] Marlon has already said he’d do it. He said, “You write it, make it all about me, and I’ll do it.”
Most of your children work in your family’s entertainment business. What if one comes to you and says they want to be a dentist?
Damon Jr.: Maybe a celebrity dentist?
Damon: That’s fine. There’s no pressure to be involved, but I can guarantee you, you’re gonna have a lot more fun here than being a dentist.
Poppa’s House premieres on October 21 on CBS.
