“In Living Color” not only entertained but also served as a launchpad for numerous stars, including one actor who eventually commanded record-breaking salaries per film. While some of the show’s alumni have remained in the limelight since its conclusion in 1994, others have either stepped back or shifted away from the public eye. No matter their paths, it’s intriguing to reflect on how these seasoned “In Living Color” cast members appeared during the show’s run compared to how they look today.

Keenen Ivory Wayans, the creative force behind the show, initially supported his extensive family by working at McDonald’s before his breakthrough in entertainment. His journey to sketch comedy wasn’t direct; he first made a mark in films, co-writing the satire “Hollywood Shuffle” and later writing and directing the cult classic blaxploitation parody “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” Although he acted in both films, his passion clearly lay behind the camera, which explained his limited on-screen appearances on “In Living Color,” especially after the first season.

In 1994, Wayans showcased his versatility by writing, directing, and starring in “A Low Down Dirty Shame,” one of the few films where he took a lead role. In subsequent years, he shifted focus to behind-the-scenes work, with the bulk of his credits in the 2000s involving writing and directing projects for his brothers, Shawn and Marlon Wayans.

By Season 4, Wayans had stopped appearing in sketches for “In Living Color” entirely, though it was due to issues with Fox over censorship and other creative differences. He initially still did the introduction for the show and remained a part of the credited writing staff, but midway through Season 4, he had fully exited “In Living Color” on both sides of the camera.

In 1994, Keenan wrote, directed, and starred in the movie “A Low Down Dirty Shame,” one of only a few films in which he played a lead role. Beyond a few minor acting credits here and there, Wayans largely preferred to work behind the scenes in the 2000s and beyond, with most of his screen credits consisting of writing and/or directing films for his brothers Shawn and Marlon.

Not only a member of the original cast, but one of only four performers to stay for all five seasons, “In Living Color” was also the first screen credit for T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh. Even so, she easily held her own among a cast that included several seasoned actors, stealing many sketches with hilarious impersonations of Whoopi Goldberg, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, and Eartha Kitt. But Keymáh was just as gifted at writing and portraying original characters, with early fan-favorite characters like Cryssy, Lashawn, and Shawanda.

Keymáh remained prolific on television for the first few years after “In Living Color” ended, playing series regular roles on the sitcoms “On Our Own” and “Cosby.” She also appeared in the movie “Jackie Brown,” her first credited role in a film. But it was when Keymáh joined the cast of “That’s So Raven” as Raven’s mother that she landed the role with which many people — especially those of a certain age — will always associate her. She later reprised that role in an episode of the “That’s So Raven” sequel series “Raven’s Home.” 

Though she played a small role in the classic 1989 sports film “Field of Dreams” as well as a 1990 made-for-TV holiday movie, “In Living Color” served as Kelly Coffield’s true introduction as an actor and comedic performer. She remained on the sketch comedy series through its first four seasons, often playing raunchy characters that were in hilarious juxtaposition to her innocent, small-town girl appearance.

Coffield clearly made a lot of friends during her time on “In Living Color.” She has frequently popped up in Wayans Bros. films and TV shows, as well as “The Jamie Foxx Show” and Jim Carrey’s Showtime series “Kidding.” She also married “In Living Color” co-star Steve Park in 1999. Coffield seems to have pulled back on film and television as of late, without a single credit in either arena in the 2020s thus far. Her Instagram account suggests that she has shifted her professional focus to live theater, when she’s not spending time and traveling with her husband and their two children.

As mentioned, some of the original cast members of “In Living Color” had already been kicking around as actors for some time before the show premiered. David Alan Grier is one such actor. He had eight films — including “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” — 11 television credits, and even multiple Broadway roles to his name before “In Living Color” debuted. Another O.G. cast member who stuck with the show to the end, Grier was in two of the earliest breakout recurring sketches on “In Living Color”: “Men on Film” and “Funky Finger Productions.”

Grier had already starred in the Eddie Murphy rom-com “Boomerang” before “In Living Color” even ended, and soon added the massive hit “Jumanji” to his filmography. Ironically, he’s among the actors who refused roles in Jim Carrey movies. He claims to have been initially offered the lead role in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” but turned it down because he didn’t find the script funny. Of course, it was the movie that put Carrey on the road to becoming one of the highest-paid actors of the ’90s.

Grier did just fine for himself, though. He has had one of the busiest careers of any “In Living Color” alum, starring in numerous films and television shows across the ensuing 30 years. Grier has also continued working in live theater, winning a Tony Award in 2020 for his work in “A Soldier’s Play.”

Technically, Shawn Wayans wasn’t an actual cast member on “In Living Color” when the show first began. Point of fact, he started out as the show’s DJ — credited as SW-1 and seen only behind turntables as the show’s Fly Girls dance troupe performed during the opening credits and in the transitions between commercial breaks. But he slowly started to appear in sketches here and there, eventually graduating to full-time featured cast member from Season 3 until the Wayans family’s exodus at the end of Season 4.

Shawn Wayans, alongside his brother Marlon, who only briefly joined the “In Living Color” cast in Season 4 before the family’s aforementioned departure, co-created and starred in the sitcom “The Wayans Bros.” between 1995 and 1999. The pair remained close creative partners, co-writing and starring in the films “Scary Movie,” “Scary Movie 2,” “White Chicks,” and “Little Man,” all of which were directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans.

When he’s not writing or acting, Shawn still DJs, performs as a stand-up comedian, and is the co-creator of “The Boo Crew,” which initially ran as an animated special on Nickelodeon in 2006 but continues to have a presence on the internet and through live shows.

We mentioned in the introduction to this feature that this list would prioritize the longest-serving members of the “In Living Color” cast. The exception to that is Kim Coles, who left the show after one season. However, she was part of the show’s original cast, so we felt she deserved recognition and would be worthy of a check-in to see what she’s been up to. Of course, the ’90s television comedy Coles is most well known for is “Living Single,” the pioneering sitcom she starred in alongside Queen Latifah, Kim Fields, Erica Alexander, and T.C. Carson. 

Coles was subsequently a main or recurring cast member on “Days of Our Lives,” “The Geena Davis Show,” “One on One,” “The Soul Man,” “10 Items or Less,” and animated series “Vampirina: Teenage Vampire.” She has also hosted, judged, or served as a panelist on various stand-up comedy showcases and reality shows over the years. Though Coles only has a handful of film credits to her name, she appeared in two movies in 2025: “Hungry” and “Love, Danielle.” Also in 2025, she launched the “ReLiving Single” podcast with her “Living Single” co-star Erika Alexander.

The third of the four “In Living Color” cast members to be with the show through its entire run was Tommy Davidson. When he wasn’t impersonating Michael Jackson, Sugar Ray Leonard, or Sammy Davis Jr., Davidson was the show’s best supporting player. Characters like Homey D. Clown and Fire Marshall Bill wouldn’t have worked without Davidson as the perfect foil to play off of. He was also the other half of the Sticky Fingers Production recurring sketch with David Alan Grier.

Davidson had already been an established stand-up comedian before “In Living Color,” and the fame the show brought him only further catapulted that career. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous films, including “Booty Call,” “CB4,” “Bamboozled,” and “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.” Davidson is also a frequent guest star on sitcoms. In addition to voice roles in “Ren & Stimpy,” “Duckman,” and Adult Swim’s “Black Dynamite,” Davidson has played patriarch Oscar Proud across numerous iterations of the “Proud Family” animated franchise for over 20 years and counting. 

The Wayans family doesn’t consist of only brothers. Kim Wayans has been the most prominent female member of the Wayans clan, initially playing small roles in “Hollywood Shuffle” and “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” before joining the cast of “In Living Color.” But Wayans had also established herself as an actor on her own terms, playing a recurring role in the first season of “Cosby Show” spin-off “A Different World,” as well as appearances on “China Beach” and “Dream On.” 

After “In Living Color,” Kim once again proved that she could land roles just fine without the help of her brothers when she joined the main cast of the LL Cool J sitcom “In the House.” Like Keenen Ivory Wayans, she’s also demonstrated a contentment with working entirely behind the scenes, serving as a writer, producer, and director of the Damon Wayans sitcom “My Wife and Kids” despite never once appearing on the show as an actor. Similarly, other than 2026’s “Scary Movie” and a brief voice cameo in the series “Poppa’s House,” Wayans’ screen credits since 2021 have all been off-camera roles only. 

Though Keenen Wayans was the creator of “In Living Color”, and Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans became the Wayans Bros., it’s tough to argue that Damon Wayans wasn’t initially the family’s biggest breakout member on the show. Characters like Homey D. Clown, Anton Jackson, and Godfrey Hedley were some of the show’s most quotable characters, and the wonderfully ridiculous Head Detective took “In Living Color” into surreal, almost “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”-esque territory. Damon was also the other half of Men on Film, one of the show’s most well-known recurring sketches.

Damon Ways had become such a big star during his tenure on “In Living Color” that he had downgraded himself to just a featured player by Season 4. By then, he was already starring in big Hollywood movies, even before Jim Carrey had made that jump. “The Last Boy Scout,” “Mo’ Money,” “Major Payne,” “Blankman,” and “Bulletproof” are just a few of the movies he’d already knocked out in just the ’90s alone.

In the 2000s and beyond, he mostly returned to television, co-creating and starring in the sitcom “My Wife and Kids,” creating and starring in Showtime sketch comedy series “The Underground,” playing Roger Murtagh in Fox’s television adaptation of “Lethal Weapon,” and most recently, co-creating and starring in CBS’ “Poppa’s House” alongside his son, Damon Wayans, Jr. 

Jamie Foxx has an interesting place in the history of “In Living Color,” not joining the show until Season 3 — and even then, only as a featured player. He wouldn’t become a full cast member until the show’s generally maligned fifth and final season. Even with all that, he is one of the show’s most successful alums. Foxx went on to have many memorable roles, including one that earned him an Oscar nomination and another that netted him an Oscar win — in the same year, to boot. It’s not every day that a sketch comedy alum becomes an Academy Award-winning actor.

On top of the two alluded to roles that earned him Oscar recognition — in “Ray” and “Collateral” — Foxx has racked up an impressive filmography that covers just about every genre. He’s worked with several filmmakers of note, including Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone, Michael Mann, and Edgar Wright. And that’s to say nothing of his hit sitcom “The Jamie Foxx Show,” or his multiple hit singles, best-selling albums, and Grammy Award as a musician. Which, if you’re keeping track, has him halfway to an EGOT.

When it comes to which member of “In Living Color” had the biggest career after the show, there’s no debate — James Carrey (as he was credited on the show) takes that distinction by a mile. He was a breakout star from almost the beginning, dominating the screen with his manic energy, whether he was delivering eerily flawless impersonations or bringing iconic original characters like Fire Marshall Bill or Vera de Milo to life. To his credit, Carrey stuck with “In Living Color” until the end, despite having three films — “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “The Mask,” and “Dumb & Dumber” — all lined up to release the same year that the show ended.

But it’s possible that Carrey was playing it safe and sticking with his steady day job because of what he’d endured in show business up to that point. A sometimes forgotten truth about Jim Carrey is that he’d been kicking around in film and television for a decade before “In Living Color,” always knocking at the door of becoming the next big thing but never quite getting there. However, after the aforementioned trio of ’94 comedies, Carrey’s days of languishing in obscurity were long over. If there is any actor on this list whose post-“In Living Color” career doesn’t need explaining, it’s Jim Carrey.