Wayne Brady

Wayne Brady first appeared on national television as a recurring contestant on Kwik Witz from 1996 to 1999, frequently partnered with Frank Maciel. He soon became part of the improvisational ensemble on the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1998, alongside Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, and host Clive Anderson.

Following that run, Brady joined the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, hosted by Drew Carey, where he became a breakout star. In 2003, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his work on the show.

Brady went on to star in his own ABC variety series, The Wayne Brady Show (2001), followed by a daytime talk show of the same name (2002–2004). The latter earned four Daytime Emmy Awards, including two for Brady as Outstanding Talk Show Host.

He made guest appearances on The Drew Carey Show and later appeared in popular series such as How I Met Your Mother, where he played James Stinson, the brother of Barney Stinson (portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris).

Additional television credits include appearances on Chappelle's Show, 30 Rock, Everybody Hates Chris, and Psych. He also hosted the Fox singing competition Don't Forget the Lyrics!.

On stage, Brady joined the Broadway revival of Chicago in 2004, playing Billy Flynn. He later appeared in Kinky Boots (2015–2016), taking over the role of Lola from Billy Porter.

In 2010, he performed as Tom Collins in Rent at the Hollywood Bowl in a production directed by Neil Patrick Harris. In 2017, he took on the role of Aaron Burr in the Chicago production of Hamilton.

Brady released his debut album in 2008, earning a Grammy nomination for his rendition of A Change Is Gonna Come.

In 2009, Brady became host of the CBS revival of Let's Make a Deal, a role originally made famous by Monty Hall. His performance earned him a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host in 2018 after multiple nominations.

He also competed on The Masked Singer in 2019 as “Fox,” ultimately winning the season. In 2022, he placed third on Dancing with the Stars.

Brady has continued to expand his career with roles in series such as Black Lightning and appearances on improv and comedy platforms like Make Some Noise.

In 2025, he launched the podcast Wayne Brady’s What If with longtime collaborator Jonathan Mangum. That same year, he was announced as part of the lineup for the Riyadh Comedy Festival, an event that drew criticism from Human Rights Watch over concerns about human rights issues.