Kim Wayans on Joining Scary Movie 6, the Next Generation of Wayans Talent, and Why Comedy Still Matters

The Wayans Family Reunion Comes Full Circle

For decades, Kim Wayans has been one of the most versatile performers in comedy. Whether audiences know her as Benita Butrell, Cousin Elsee, Lil Magic, or from her unforgettable sketches alongside David Alan Grier on In Living Color, Wayans has built a career defined by fearless character work and impeccable comedic timing. Now, she is finally joining one of the family’s most recognizable franchises: Scary Movie.

As Scary Movie 6 arrives in theaters, Wayans is stepping into a universe her brothers helped create more than two decades ago. During our conversation, she reflected on finally joining the franchise, working alongside a new generation of Wayans talent, and why comedy remains one of society’s most important forms of service.

Creating a New Character for Scary Movie 6

The first footage from Scary Movie 6 has already generated laughs, thanks in part to Wayans’ newest character. Unlike some of her most memorable creations, however, this character wasn’t inspired by anyone she knew.

“She’s an original creation,” Wayans told Taji Mag. “I just go inside, and these women live inside me. I go inside, figure it out, and then do it.”

For an actress known for transforming herself into unforgettable personalities, the process remains largely instinctive. While some characters throughout her career have been inspired by real-life people, this latest addition emerged entirely from her imagination.

Why Wasn’t Kim Wayans in the Original Scary Movie Films?

It’s a question some longtime fans have asked over the years: if the Wayans family created Scary Movie, why wasn’t Kim in the original films?

Wayans laughed at the question.

“That’s a good question for the brothers,” she said. “When you get Keenen and Marlon and Shawn up in this seat, ask them that. Make that your first question.”

Her response was playful but fitting for a family that has spent decades turning humor into a business. Still, she isn’t dwelling on what might have been.

“I say better late than never,” she added.

After all, she’s arriving at a franchise she helped influence indirectly through years of collaboration with the very people who built it.

Working With the Next Generation of Wayans Talent

One of the most meaningful aspects of Scary Movie 6 for Wayans was seeing multiple generations of her family working together.

The film features family members, including Damon Wayans Jr., Gregg Wayans, and writer-producer Craig Wayans, alongside veterans of the original creative team.

For Wayans, one of the most rewarding parts of the experience was watching the next generation of Wayans talent contribute to a creative legacy that continues to leave its mark on comedy.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “Such a blessing.”

Looking around the set, she saw not only her siblings but younger relatives carrying the family tradition forward.

“To see my little nephews and nieces, the next generation coming up and doing this thing, carrying on the Wayans tradition—it’s just beautiful.”

That shared history creates an atmosphere that few productions can replicate.

“We understand each other comedically,” she explained. “We vibe off each other. It makes working together so fun and so free. We play with each other so well because we grew up together.”

Can Scary Movie Still Work in Modern Comedy?

Comedy exists in a very different landscape today than it did a decade ago. Thanks to social media, jokes are often judged in real time, with audiences reacting instantly and sometimes turning a controversial moment into a larger conversation about accountability and cancel culture.

Yet Wayans believes audiences know exactly what they’re signing up for when they buy a ticket to a Scary Movie film.

While she wasn’t involved in writing the screenplay, she acknowledged the challenge of making parody comedy in today’s environment.

At the same time, she believes the franchise succeeds because it remains true to its identity.

“Scary Movie is what it is,” she said. “You can’t abandon what this is and come up with a whole new type of comedy because you’re trying to make everybody happy.”

Her philosophy is simple.

“You get what you get.”

For audiences looking for a night of laughs and outrageous parody, that’s precisely the point.

Why Comedy Matters More Than Ever

After decades in entertainment, Wayans’ perspective on comedy has evolved. Rather than viewing it solely as entertainment, she now sees it as a responsibility.

“As I get older and more mature, I realize more and more how important the job of the comedian is,” she said.

For Wayans, comedy offers something increasingly valuable in modern life: relief.

“It’s important to lift people up. To make people laugh. To make people laugh at themselves and at the world around them.”

She paused before emphasizing the point.

“It’s a very, very important job.”

In an era defined by anxiety, division, and endless online discourse, her comments feel especially relevant. Great comedians understand that laughter is only part of the job. The other part is helping people make sense of themselves and the world they’re living in.

Meet Izzi Fabulous

While Scary Movie 6 marks a major return for Wayans, it isn’t her only creative project.

These days, she’s also introducing audiences to Izzi Fabulous, the larger-than-life star of her YouTube series Still Got It.

The wellness comedy series, available through her YouTube channel @TheKimWayans, centers on women of a certain age while embracing the kind of character-driven humor that made her famous.

“I’m having so much fun,” she said.

Wayans describes Izzi as “a legend in her own mind,” a character that allows her to play multiple personalities while revisiting the broad, sketch-comedy sensibilities that helped define the 1990s.

“It’s so throwback ’90s in terms of the kind of comedy that I’m doing.”

For longtime fans of In Living Color, that’s likely welcome news.

Izzi Fabulous’s Perfect Date Night for Scary Movie 6

Before ending our conversation, I asked Wayans to answer one final question in character as Izzi Fabulous.

If someone were planning the perfect date to see Scary Movie 6, what would Izzi recommend?

Her answer was exactly what you’d expect.

“First of all, I would tell you to dress fabulously.”

Not just nicely. Fabulously.

“You wanna steal the show,” Wayans said in character. “You wanna come wrapped in aluminum foil with a big, tall hat about three feet high so that everybody sees you when you walk in the door.”

But beneath the outrageous fashion advice was a surprisingly practical tip.

“And the second advice would be to bring your own snacks because food is just too expensive at the movie theaters.”

The Last Laugh

More than twenty years after the original Scary Movie helped redefine parody filmmaking, Kim Wayans is finally joining the franchise that bears her family’s creative fingerprints.

For Wayans, the film offered something bigger than a return to a familiar franchise. It gave her a chance to work alongside family members from different generations and watch the next wave of Wayans talent find its place in comedy.

And if Wayans has her way, audiences will leave the theater with exactly what comedy has always been meant to provide: a reason to laugh and have a good time.