As the head and founding member of the multi-talented Wayans comedy empire, Keenen Ivory Wayans blazed a trail as a comedic actor and stand-up performer in the early 1980s. Though he made strides with guest-starring roles on several popular television shows, Wayans quickly became frustrated with the dearth of meaty comedic roles for African-American actors. He partnered with comedian Robert Townsend to channel his frustrations by co-writing the scathing and hilarious satire, “Hollywood Shuffle” (1987), which parodied the real-life challenges he faced trying to make it in show business. From
