Wayne Brady

Wayne Brady is an Emmy-winning comedian, actor, singer and game show host best known for his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Let’s Make a Deal. Brady was born in Columbus, Georgia, and spent his childhood in Orlando, Florida. During high school, he developed an interest in performing and joined a community theater. After graduating in 1989, he began working at Universal Studios Florida, where he got his start in acting.

Brady’s big break came in the late 1990s when he joined the cast of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, quickly becoming a standout for his musical improv and quick wit. The exposure launched him into mainstream fame and led to his own variety series, The Wayne Brady Show, which ran from 2002 to 2004. He was awarded the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in both 2003 and 2004.

The actor has also ventured into theater and music, starring in Broadway’s Kinky Boots from 2015 to 2016 and earning a Grammy nomination for his rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” in 2009. He has also done extensive voice work for projects such as American Dad!, Sofia the First and Phineas and Ferb.

Brady was married to Diana Lasso from 1993 to 1995. He later married dancer Mandie Taketa in 1999, and they divorced in 2008. Together, the pair share a daughter, Maile Masako Brady (born in 2003). In 2023, he publicly came out as pansexual. The following year, he revealed he welcomed son Val Henry with ex-girlfriend Tina.