Wayne Brady, pansexual: improv legend comes out

Improv legend and gameshow host Wayne Brady has opened up about his sexuality in an interview with PEOPLE "I am pansexual... I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place," he said.

"To me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual or non-binary. Being able to be attracted across the board," he continued, describing what he means by the term found within the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Brady is a multi-talented performer beloved for his comedic timing, improvisational skills, and smooth singing voice. He’s hosted and appeared on several TV shows and even won Emmys. But behind his happy exterior is a fascinating bio that will surprise you. Read on to find out more...

Brady was born in Columbus, Georgia in 1972. His mother was 17, and his father was in the military. Since they couldn’t raise him, his grandma took him in and brought him up n a tough neighborhood in Orlando, Florida.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

On the Marc Maron podcast, Brady explained that he developed a severe stutter when he was advanced from kindergarten to grade 2. He said the stutter was anxiety and fear based, and it felt like he couldn’t breathe. He worked to get the tools to overcome it, but he said it still haunts him to this day, emerging when he gets very emotional.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

His grandma, from the U.S. Virgin Islands, was incredibly strict, which he credits with keeping him out of trouble and turning him into a performer. He wasn’t even allowed to trick-or-treat at Halloween. Alone in his bedroom, he watched classic comedies and practiced performing.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

For his stutter, for talking in his grandma’s accent, for “not being black enough” and for dressing like “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” Brady was bullied at school. He said it was terrible but helped him develop his quick wit. He said at the time, everyone accepted it, but today he’s a strong advocate against bullying.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

Seeing how Brady was getting beat up, his bus driver told him he needed to stand up for himself. She gave him “black market” comedy and rap tapes so he could freelance with the kids on the bus and join in on the “yo-mama” jokes. Clearly, Brady ended up being the best at both.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

Brady recounted that upon graduating from high school in 1989, he gave himself six months to start making money as a performer. If he didn’t succeed by then, his plan was to join the military like his father or go to university.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

Within six months, he landed a job at Disney World, conveniently located in Orlando. He was Goofy during the day and Tigger at night and acted out made-up scenes with his colleagues. He was also cast in different plays, and his career started progressing well.

Although he said he’d been doing improv alone in his bedroom his whole life, he didn’t realize it was actually a thing until he met a woman while shooting an industrial film when he was 18. She thought he was funny and invited him to her improv class, and from there, he joined the troop.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

His first time on ‘Whose Line?’ was on the British version of the improv show, in its tenth and final season. The American version kicked off later the same year on ABC, propelling Brady and his castmates to become household names. The show is still running, with the 20th season about to premiere.

Image: 'Whose Line is it Anyway' Season 10, Episode 4, Channel 4

The same year Brady was cast to star on ‘Whose Line is It Anyway?,’ he attended his high school reunion alongside Joey Fatone of NSYNC fame, who also studied at the Orlando school. Cameras were there filming, and he said it was “amazing” especially since the other students had made fun of him when he was in high school.

While it’s little surprise he won an Emmy for his work on ‘Whose Line’ in 2003; he was also nominated for a Grammy for his R&B track ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ from his 2008 album ‘A Long Time Coming.’

Brady said that when he started his career, he didn’t have much of a plan, and his agent guided him through the world of variety shows and hosting. His real dream, he told Marc Maron, is to play the lead on a serious TV show. He also regrets not having focused more on his music.

It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that Brady went public with his decades of struggles with clinical depression. He told Entertainment Tonight that he was inspired to speak publicly about his disease after Robin Williams committed suicide. “I’m always smiling because if I didn’t, I probably would burst out in tears or hit someone,” he told Marc Maron.

He also told Entertainment Tonight that he had a complete mental breakdown on his 42nd birthday. “When I say breakdown, go ahead and imagine for yourself. Just a brother in his underwear, in his room crying. On that birthday was the beginning of ‘OK, I’ve got to make a change,” he said.

Brady was married in 1993 to singer Diana Lasso but got divorced two years later. In 1999, he married dancer Mandie Taketa, with whom he had a daughter (both pictured with the rest of her family). They separated in 2006, but he says she’s still his best friend.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

Subverting his nerdy, happy brand on TV, Brady appeared as himself in a legendary sketch on ‘Chappelle’s Show’ where he was killing people and pimping in the style of the movie ‘Training Day.’

Image: Chappelle's Show - The Wayne Brady Show, Comedy Central

Brady has lived out his dreams on Broadway, performing in ‘Hair’ in 2004, ‘Kinky Boots’ in 2013 and 2018 (pictured) and performed in a Chicago version of Hamilton in 2017.

Brady told Maron in 2023 that he’s really working on his mental health and working out his relationship with his career. But he says he loves hosting ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ because it’s not about him; it's about making people happy. As a bonus, the role snagged him another Emmy.

Brady joined ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in 2022 and took home bronze out of 16 celebs. His dancing partner was Witney Carson. He also won season 2 of the American 'Masked Singer' in 2019.

Photo: mrbradybaby / Instagram

The beloved game show films a staggering three episodes a day, but only for three to four months per year. That gives Brady time to appear on other shows like the dark crime show ‘American G i g o l o.'