Marlon Wayans To Debut NBC’s ‘Marlon’, A New Sitcom Based On His Life

Marlon Wayans is a person who doesn’t wait for acting opportunities to come knocking on his door. Instead, he creates them. Wayans has had a very successful career, with his “Scary Movie” franchise and the recent Netflix rom-com “Naked.” His latest work, however, comes in the form of a new NBC show called “Marlon,” a sitcom based on Wayans’ own life.

“Marlon” follows the story of Marlon Williams, a divorced dad of two who slowly learns to co-parent and manages to maintain a friendly relationship with his ex-wife, played by Essence Atkins.

Marlon: Living The Dad Life

In an interview with CNN, Wayans shares how the show was entirely influenced by his experiences as a dad and his life. He says the “Marlon” is “eighty-seven percent” based on it too. “I always wanted to be a show where I could be me,” Wayans said. “I think it’s a different kind of TV dad, and it’s a different kind of TV family and [the character] has kind of a different approach to things. ”

Marlon Wayans and Essence Atkins in Marlon (2017). Photo by Tyler Golden/NBC

Wayans also hopes that his new show does what “Cosby” did for his generation. In another interview with The Wrap, Wayans shares, “This era, my generation, there’s a lot of broken families. It’s something to address. It shows you can be broken but still together — you’re not broken, just a little shattered.”

Marlon Wayans’ TV Show Production Beginnings

Back in the late 90’s, Wayan’s made a show together with his brother Shawn called “The Wayans Bros.” They both starred in the show for five seasons until it was canceled in 1999. Since then, Wayans has learned how to write, produce and direct a show on his own. He says, “I write most of my movies. I write and produce out of necessity, which is a gift. If I didn’t, I would be waiting in a long line with other actors.”

It turns out that when he and his brother Shawn were doing the show, they were also learning along the way. And when it comes to “Marlon,” Wayans said that he respects the story more than he used to before.

“Marlon” premieres Wednesday, August 16, at 9 PM on NBC.