Damon Wayans Jr.'s App Will Keep You Entertained During Coronavirus — and Help Others,Too

If you're one of the millions of people stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, you've likely already made your way through every show and movie on Netflix and are in need of something new.

Luckily, this is where Damon Wayans Jr.'s app comes in.

Special Guest, created by Wayans and a business partner, allows users to hire live entertainers — like comedians, magicians, DJs and artists — for events. Since its launch in 2017, the app has proven to be a great way for local entertainers to get exposure while offering its users a unique experience outside of a typical venue.

But due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, Special Guest has now become important for thousands of entertainers around the country. Musicians, artists, comedians and other entertainers who depend on live events for income have seen their earnings evaporate with the postponement of large gatherings around the country. According to the most recent numbers listed by the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment over the last six weeks.

That's why Special Guest switched gears during the pandemic, allowing users to book entertainers for "virtual events" hosted through live video.

"We can't have a concert, but you can have a get-together," Wayans, 37, tells PEOPLE. "You can participate in a virtual get-together."

Mark Davis/Getty Damon Wayans Jr.

So far, Special Guest is doing two significant things — helping people break the monotony of staying at home while giving entertainers an opportunity to earn some much-needed cash.

"We are having a ton of DJs getting booked, comedians getting booked," Wayans says. "Standup comedy events are essentially more conversational because you're not doing comedy in front of that many strangers, it's maybe a household full of people or maybe one person that's a really big fan of yours. So it's more of a fun FaceTime conversation, essentially."

The entertainers don't even have to be the center of attention — Wayans says people have booked musicians to play songs in the background while hanging with their family.

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"We're really trying to make sure that people are entertained, regardless of being trapped in our circumstances," he explains.

"It's not the actual experience physically, but it's the next best thing," Wayans continues. "You still get that energy, that magnetic energy that you have from hearing your favorite song or hearing your favorite joke from your favorite comedian — or an undiscovered comedian. There's a lot of niche acts out there that are on this app as well that are getting a lot of love."

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Wayans believes the app, available on iOS in the App Store, is also a gateway to a more unique form of entertainment than what people may be binging on streaming services now.

"I think the one major difference between television and Special Guest is that this is interactive. You're experiencing this together as opposed to you watching something on TV that's already prepared for you," he says. "And so I think that's a key difference and I think that's kind of what sets us apart from like a Netflix or watching a show. You get to interact and it feels real."

"It's a great way to escape," Wayans continues. "You're just there and then you can be happy lifting your spirits. I love it. I love being a part of it. I love being kind of a solution to the dread."

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