Damon Wayans Jr. Talks Expanding His Family Dynasty with 'Raid the Cage'
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Damon Wayans in 'Raid the Cage'
There's a lot of new on Raid the Cage, the latest game show in the CBS lineup. Every episode, two teams of two face off to grab-and-go prizes from the Cage before their time runs out and the doors close. Correctly answering trivia questions adds seconds to the clock, giving teammates more time to grab prizes ranging from trips to electronics to even a new car. Stepping up as host is Damon Wayans Jr., who takes on a new role for the series.
"It was a unique opportunity to not only host but also add something to my company Two Shakes," the actor and comedian explains to Parade.com. "That's what excited me about it. And I knew they were going to give me a good amount of control and say, and they delivered on that. And I thought it turned out really well!"
Check out our exclusive interview with Damon Wayans Jr. below, including adding game shows to his famous family's repertoire and which family member he'd want to play with. Raid the Cage premieres on Friday, October 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS as part of “CBS Friday Game Night,” and the show will air following the iconic The Price is Right primetime episodes each week.
How did you end up getting involved in Raid the Cage?
I was presented with it. And I thought it was a unique opportunity to not only host but also add something to my company Two Shakes. That's what excited me about it. And I knew they were going to give me a good amount of control and say, and they delivered on that. And I thought it turned out really well!
What did your involvement on Raid the Cage consist of as an Executive Producer, besides the obvious with hosting?
It definitely was writing my own lines. They sent me the blueprints for the sets and stuff like that. It was very, very collaborative. I felt very involved. They walked me through every step of the way. And I feel like if we were ever to get a second season, I feel like I want even more involvement. It's my first time actually helping to put together a game show. So I was very excited.
What was that process like for you to learn on your feet?
It was fun, man. I mean, you don't get to sit down as much when you're hosting, as opposed to acting. And, also, you have to do a lot of exposition, a lot of walking people through what they need to do, when they need to do it. But still trying to be charismatic and make it seem like it's fun and stuff like that. So that was that was definitely a challenge for me. I'm used to just memorizing lines and then spitting them out how I want to spit them out. That was a fun challenge, though. Because once you get the hang of it, it's like, "Okay, I can do this."
What was it like building a rapport with Jeannie Mai? Had you two met before Raid the Cage?
So I think that just kind of happened naturally. She was raised in L.A., So we kind of swam a little bit in the same circles. We speak the same language a little bit. She has wonderful energy, and she's always ready to laugh and joke. People like that, it's easy for me to get along with. I felt like we just clicked immediately. And then it was just smooth sailing from there. People who are always positive, it's so easy for me to get along with it. You just know what you're gonna get every single day from Jeannie, and it's just positivity, empathy, and jokes.
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Speaking to that positivity and empathy, how difficult was it for you to manage that as a host, in a very high-stakes game with a life-changing amount of money, while also making sure all the balls production-wise stay in the air?
They follow after my lead. So if I feel like there's some angst. I'll joke around with them in between takes and get them really comfortable. Some people came on, they're really nervous. And you just make sure you talk to them, take them out of their shell. And I think that really helps. I think just familiarizing yourself with your contestants is the key to either calming them down or getting them ready getting them revved up.
Raid the Cage has teams of friends and loved ones competing. If you could pick one member of your famous family to play with, who would it be and why?
Wow. I probably would pick my wife, because that's the right answer. [Laughs.] I would pick her because she's just fun to be around. We'd laugh. And even if we lost, we'd still have a good time. And I would do the trivia; she's not great with trivia. My wife knows the fancy stuff. I don't really know the fancy stuff. I would just do the trivia and leave the fancy grabbing stuff to her. And we would win, I think, because she knows all that kind of stuff. There were so many times during the show where I didn't know how to pronounce certain things. I was calling Cartier "carty-er" or something like that. There are so many cool prizes in there. I was just like, "Wait, that's worth how much?"
Your father has obviously done a lot for television as a whole. But I believe you're the first in the family to host a game show. What's it like to break new ground for the Wayans family in that way?
I never thought of that. I mean, if it's successful, I'll think it's awesome. But if it's not, I'll be like, "Well, we tried." I'm happy that they've created a dynasty. I'm allowed to stand on their shoulders and experiment throughout the industry to be able to do a game show, not just have to stay in one in one kind of area of entertainment. I like that, and I'm thankful.
If you could go back and host any game show in the past, what would it be?
It would probably be Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I used to watch that all the time. Just joking with them, asking them personal questions about their life outside of the game show. I think it really eases their mind and calms them down and makes them focus on what they actually need to do.
Which one of your previous characters do you think would do best on Raid the Cage?
That is a good question. It's a toss-up between Coach from New Girl and Brad from Happy Endings. Coach has the athleticism. I don't know how smart he is. But it's giving Three Stooges. Brad knows brands. He knows what he needs to do His wife is very competitive. So I think I'd probably go with Brad as the grabber and Jane as the gabber.
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