What The Cast Of My Wife And Kids Is Doing Today

Airing on ABC between 2001 and 2005, "My Wife and Kids" successfully merged Damon Wayans with a family-driven sitcom format that placed him at the head of a household in suburban Connecticut. Though Wayans is best known for edgy humor, as seen on shows like "In Living Color," he proves to be an ideal TV dad — equal part caring, chaotic, and clueless — as trucking company owner Michael Kyle, who teams with day trader wife Janet, or "Jay" (Tisha Campbell), to try and corral their three energetic kids. The episodes cover the family's frequent changes, which include a long courtship by son Michael Jr. (George O. Gore II) of girlfriend and eventual wife Vanessa (played by Meagan Good and later Brooklyn Sudano).

An awards magnet throughout its five-season run, "My Wife and Kids" provided a springboard for greater fame and entertainment opportunities for some of the cast members and extended the popularity of others, all of whom have continued their screen careers in various ways. Read on to find out what the cast of "My Wife and Kids" is doing today (spoilers ahead).

Actor, writer, and comedian Damon Wayans not only starred in "My Wife and Kids," but he also co-created the show with Emmy-nominated writer and producer Don Reo ("The Ranch," "Blossom") and even wrote six episodes. Wayans also tapped his talented family to contribute to the show, including son Damon Wayans Jr. who appeared in eight episodes and served as a writer and story editor, while sisters Kim and Elvira and nephews Damien Dante and Craig Wayans also wrote for the series. Kim and Damien also directed several episodes.

A fixture on the comedy club circuit since the early '80s, Damon Wayans rose to national attention for his outrageous characters on brother Keenen Ivory Wayans' groundbreaking sketch comedy series "In Living Color." His work on the Fox show as both actor and writer earned him four Emmy nominations and a movie career, which included notable films such as "The Last Boy Scout," "Major Payne," "The Great White Hype," Spike Lee's "Bamboozled," and "Bulletproof."

In addition to "My Wife and Kids," Wayans also top-billed the short-lived sitcom "Damon" and produced and starred in the Showtime sketch comedy series "The Underground" in 2006. Between 2016 and 2019, he played Roger Murtaugh, a role originated by Danny Glover, in "Lethal Weapon," a TV series based on the popular action franchise. As well as being credited as a best-selling author and an app developer, Wayans still tours as a stand-up comic and, according to Deadline, is developing a new series co-starring his son Damon Jr.

After a lengthy and tumultuous stint on the sitcom "Martin," Tisha Campbell returned to regular TV work in 2001 to play Jay on "My Wife and Kids." The award-winning actress and singer, who also directed the series finale ("The 'V' Story") in 2005, is well-known to audiences thanks to films like "Little Shop of Horrors," "Boomerang," and the "House Party" franchise, as well as appearances on network programs like "A Different World" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Campbell also netted four NAACP Image Award nominations and two BET Comedy Awards, including one win for each laurel, for her performance in "My Wife and Kids."

Campbell has remained exceptionally busy in the years since the show wrapped. She segued directly into two TV series — the sitcom "Rita Rocks" and the crime drama "The Protector," both for Lifetime — before returning to the network for a two-year stint opposite Ken Jeong on "Dr. Ken" and recurring roles on "Empire" and "Last Man Standing." Feature appearances during this period include Kevin Smith's "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," and the 2018 indie "Blindspotting." Campbell also co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom "Outmatched," teamed with JoJo Siwa for the Nickelodeon comedy musical "The J Team," and starred opposite Neil Patrick Harris in the 2022 Netflix series "Uncoupled."

George O. Gore II was already an established actor when he joined the cast of "My Wife and Kids" as Michael Kyle Jr. (Junior). Gore started his acting career in the '90s, appearing in movies like "Juice" and "The Devil's Advocate," as well as a number of series including "New York Undercover" which resulted in three NAACP Image Award nominations between 1994 and 1998. Gore continued earning a number of awards after signing on with "My Wife and Kids," adding another NAACP Image Award nomination, a second Young Artist Award nomination for best ensemble, and a shared BET Award nomination for outstanding directing for a comedy series in 2005 for his work on two episodes in Seasons 4 and 5.

When "My Wife and Kids" ended, Gore acted in various projects overseen by the Wayans family, including the feature "Dance Flick," the BET sitcom "Second Generation Wayans," and the "Boo Crew" Nickelodeon animated specials. He also pursued opportunities behind the camera, including a co-writing credit on the Disney Channel live-action musical "Sneakerella" in 2022.

A trained dancer from a young age, Jazz Raycole also moved into acting early with appearances on "The Parent 'Hood" and "The Jamie Foxx Show" in the late '90s, before landing the role of the Kyle family's eldest daughter Claire on "My Wife and Kids." Raycole remained with the series for 12 episodes in Season 1 before she was replaced by actress Jennifer Nicole Freeman in Season 2. As she told The Christian Post in 2012, "I was 12 years old when I got that job. The producers wanted a different thing, they wanted someone a little bit older."

Raycole's career surged on despite departing "My Wife and Kids," landing recurring roles on shows like "Everybody Hates Chris," "Jericho," and "The Office" as Stanley Hudson's daughter. She returned to regular series work with the TV Land comedy "The Soul Man" before taking on more mature roles on shows such as "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" and the BET series "The Quad." In 2022, she showed her dramatic skills in the Netflix series "The Lincoln Lawyer," which cast her as recovering addict Izzy Letts, who serves as a driver for Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's lawyer on wheels, Mickey Haller.

Jazz Raycole wasn't the only significant casting change on "My Wife and Kids" during its run. Meagan Good played Junior's girlfriend Vanessa Scott in five episodes of Season 3. While the character remained his significant other and eventual wife throughout the remainder of the series, Good did not continue with the role. Brooklyn Sudano stepped in as Vanessa in Season 4 and played her until the series' final episode.

Prior to her time on "My Wife and Kids," Good earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for her first major role in Kasi Lemmons' 1997 feature "Eve's Bayou." After leaving the show, Good took on parts in more mature films including "You Got Served," "Brick," and "Saw V." Good returned to TV in 2013 as the lead in NBC's "Deception" and has continued to maintain a steady presence on both the small and big screen. TV roles include parts in "Code Black" and "Prodigal Son" and the lead in Amazon Prime Video's 2021 series "Harlem," while she appeared in films such as 2018's "Shazam" as the grown-up, superhero version of Marvel Family member Darla. Good is confirmed to reprise the role of Darla in the 2023 "Shazam" sequel, "Shazam! Fury of the Gods."

Actress Brooklyn Sudano stepped into the role of Vanessa in the Season 4 episode "From Dummy to Daddy." As the title suggests, the episode concerns Junior's revelation that Vanessa is pregnant with his child. Sudano remained with the series for 27 additional episodes, during which Vanessa gave birth at the end of Season 4 and married Junior in the series' fifth and final season.

The daughter of singer Donna Summer and songwriter Bruce Sudano, Brooklyn Sudano studied acting but actually made her debut in front of cameras as a model in ad campaigns for various major companies. "My Wife and Kids" marked her first acting role, and she soon followed it with guest spots on "CSI: NY," "Ballers," and "Taken." She also stars in Freeform's thriller drama series "Cruel Summer" as bartender Angela Prescott. In 2021, as reported by Deadline, Sudano will serve as co-director on a feature-length documentary about her mother, who was one of the biggest music artists during the '70s and '80s.

A regular visitor to the Kyle household between Seasons 3 and 5, Franklin Aloysius Mumford III is a child musical prodigy who attended Harvard University before the age of 10. Franklin is also madly in love with Kady, who is frequently the subject of poems and songs he writes. Franklin's advanced intellect often puts him at odds with other kids (and a few adults), and he occasionally turns to Michael for advice on being a kid.

Noah Gray-Cabey is a genuine musical talent in real life. A classical pianist who has performed at major venues in America and Australia, Gray-Cabey revealed that an appearance on Oprah scored him the role of Franklin, saying, "After I was on, the casting director from the show 'My Wife and Kids' called me and wanted me to be on the show for a guest appearance. That's actually how I got into acting." 

A recurring player in Season 3 and series regular by Seasons 4 and 5, Gray-Cabey segued to more prominent roles after the show ran its course, including the super-powered Micah Sanders on "Heroes" and the 2015 continuation "Heroes Reborn." He also starred in "Code Black" and "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists." Since 2021, Gray-Cabey has also enjoyed a recurring role on "All American."

Between Seasons 2 and 4 of "My Wife and Kids," actor Damon Wayans Jr. guested on eight episodes of the series as John, a friend of Junior's and his teammate on the school basketball team. He later moved behind the camera to serve as both staff writer and story editor on more than 50 episodes until the show's conclusion.

Wayans, who is the eldest son of series star and co-creator Damon Wayans, made his screen debut as a youthful version of his father's character in 1994's superhero parody "Blankman," but worked largely as a writer on his father's sketch comedy series "The Underground" before returning to acting in the '00s. His standout showcases included the ABC sitcom "Happy Endings" and "New Girl," which he was initially hired as a lead for and returned following the cancellation of "Happy Endings" in 2013.

Wayans has remained active in recent years with the voice-over role of Arnold on "Bob's Burgers," guest spots on "Sherman's Showcase" and "Kenan." His feature film work includes "Cherry," "Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar," and "The Harder They Fall." Wayans also hosted "Frogger," a live-action game show based on the popular Konami video game.

Ella Joyce, a veteran stage and television actress, played Jasmine Scott, Vanessa's mother, on "My Wife and Kids." Beginning with Season 4's "Meet the Parents," Jasmine and her husband Calvin added chaos to the Kyle household due to Jasmine's competitive, materialistic nature and Calvin's intimidating presence. In total, Joyce appeared in 8 episodes of "My Wife and Kids."

Joyce was a familiar face to TV audiences thanks to her starring role on the Fox sitcom "Roc," which ran from 1991 to 1994, and for supporting turns in feature films like "Reality Bites," "Set It Off," and the cult favorite "Bubba Ho-Tep." 

When "My Wife and Kids" came to a close, she briefly returned to television with the TV One series "Belle's" in 2013 while also acting in features like Tyler Perry's "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor." In 2022, Joyce appeared on the BET series "Haus of Vicious."

Bringing a dose of terror to Michael's existence in 13 episodes of "My Wife and Kids" was Lester Speight as Calvin Scott, Jasmine's husband and father to Junior's partner Vanessa. Calvin's burly frame and energized demeanor frequently reduced Michael to a quivering mass of anxiety, especially in Season 4, Episode 22 ("Calvin Comes to Stay"), which sees Calvin move in with the Kyles after a fight with Jasmine, and Season 4, Episode 23 ("Calvin Goes to Work"), in which he joins Michael's trucking company. 

A former professional football player, Speight found initial fame as a professional wrestler, known as the Rasta the Voodoo Man, and worked with several promotions. He moved into acting in the '90s, playing various tough guys in films like "Any Given Sunday" before gaining national recognition in a series of ads for Reebook that cast him as Terry Tate, a linebacker who settled office faux pas by tackling co-workers. The popularity of the commercials led to more substantial roles; as well as "My Wife and Kids," Speight went on to appear in "Prison Break," "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," and "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." Speight also popped up in a Season 1 episode of "Titans" and has lent his voice to the "Gears of War" video game series as Augustus Cole.

Busy character actor Phil Reeves played a doctor on six different episodes of "My Wife and Kids" between Seasons 1 and 4. It's not clear if his roles — Dr. Klieger, Dr. Parks, and the unnamed doctor in Season 2, Episode 2 ("Mom's Away: Part 2") — were the same medico, but he did handle a wide array of medical issues for the Kyle family. These ranged from Michael's colonoscopy in Season 2, Episode 7 ("Michael's Garden") to treating a flu that threatened to keep Michael from seeing LeBron James play at Madison Square Garden in Season 4, Episode 19 ("Outbreak Monkey").

A dry-witted, no-nonsense presence in dozens of features and on television series since the late '80s, Phil Reeves is best known for collaborations with director Alexander Payne in "Election" and "Sideways." He also had recurring roles on "Parks and Recreation" as ill-fated city manager Paul Iaresco, "Veep" as vengeful vice president Andrew Doyle, and "Black Monday" as Mr. Georgina.

Also credited as a playwright and screenwriter, Reeves has remained exceptionally busy since "My Wife and Kids" and has acted in features like "Downsizing" and "Eat Wheaties!" with "Veep" co-star Tony Hale. In 2021, Reeves landed a recurring role as the patriarch of the Hayworth family on ABC's "Home Economics."

Actress and voice-over artist Liliana Mumy appeared in five episodes of "My Wife and Kids" between Seasons 2 and 4. Mumy played Rachel (also spelled Rachael), Kady's best friend and Michael's sworn nemesis. The two butted heads on several occasions, most notably in the Season 3 episode "Crouching Mother, Hidden Father," when Rachel questions Mike's manhood after he takes over directing duties of the school play.

Mumy followed in the footsteps of her father, former child actor Bill Mumy (who starred in the original TV run of "Lost in Space"), and acted in dozens of features and television series. One of Mumy's earliest live-action roles was, in fact, opposite her father in the 2002 revival of "The Twilight Zone," which cast her as the daughter of his terrifying character in a sequel to "It's a Good Life" – a classic episode from the original run. Mumy's other on-screen appearances include the second and third installments of "The Santa Clause" franchise, "Cheaper By the Dozen," and popular shows like "That '70s Show" and "Fresh Off The Boat."

However, Mumy is probably best known for her voice-over work on dozens of episodic and feature-length animation projects like "Lilo and Stitch: The Series," "Chowder," and the English-language dub of "Howl's Moving Castle." More recently, Mumy has voiced Leni Loud on "The Loud House" and "The Casagrandes," and played Catwoman's sidekick, Holly Robinson," in "Batman: Year One" and "DC: Showcase: Catwoman."

Stand-up comedian DeRay Davis earned one of his first acting credits on "My Wife and Kids." Davis played R.J. — one of Michael's employees at the trucking company — in seven episodes of the series between Seasons 2 and 4, while also appearing in the feature comedies "Barbershop" and his debut feature "Frank McClusky, C.I." Davis also lent his voice to several sketches on Kanye West's "College Dropout" and "Late Registration" albums.

Davis parlayed his popularity on the stand-up circuit into a string of feature film roles in the wake of "My Wife and Kids," including "Scary Movie 4," "21 Jump Street," and "Semi-Pro" with Will Ferrell His previous TV work includes roles on "Reno 911!," "The Boondocks" and "Empire," which cast him as Taraji P. Henson's cousin and occasional hitman, Jermel. A frequent guest star on series like "Wild 'N Out" and "I Can See Your Voice," Davis also hosted MTV's "Joking Off" series and the BET Hip-Hop Awards in 2018. 

His Netflix special, "How to Act Black," was released in 2017, and was soon followed by his recurring roles as family enforcer Peaches on "Snowfall" and also as Marshawn on "The Chi" in 2022.

Arriving to win Claire's heart in the first season of "My Wife and Kids" is Roger, a nice kid who seems to enjoy spending more time playing video games with Michael than spending time with her. Claire earns a second shot at romance in Season 2 with the arrival of Tony Jeffers, a sweet but not terribly bright kid who becomes her boyfriend. Tony's deeply religious background adds a touch of dramatic tension to their relationship, though he remains by her side in the series finale.

Andrew McFarlane played both Roger and Tony on the show after a string of appearances on television series like "7th Heaven," "ER," and "The West Wing." When the series came to its conclusion on network television, McFarlane returned to regular guest work on TV and signed on as Camille Winbush's brother on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" from 2008 to 2011. He also reunited with many of his "My Wife and Kids" co-stars including George Gore II and Damon Wayans Jr. for the 2009 comedy "Dance Flick," which featured many other members of the Wayans family (save Damon) in front of and behind the camera.