Damon Wayans’ return: Comic-actor remembers ‘beautiful’ Spokane during filming of ‘Roxanne’

That familiar face whizzing through the trails of Mt. Spokane this weekend just might be the mug of Damon Wayans. The veteran comic-actor, who will perform Thursday through Sunday at the Spokane Comedy Club, might return to the highest point in Spokane County.

When Wayans was working on the film “Roxanne” a generation ago, he and some of his actor pals drove to Mt. Spokane for biking and fishing.

“I used to go for rides with Matt Lattanzi,” Wayans recalls while calling from his Los Angeles home. “Matt was compelled to go to the mountains. What struck me about Spokane was how beautiful it is there. And then there is the air. It smells better in Spokane than it does in Los Angeles.”

Wayans, 59, will entertain fans with anecdotes in six shows at the Spokane Comedy Club. The star of films such as “The Last Boy Scout” and “Major Payne” and the TV series “My Wife and Kids” and “Lethal Weapon” reveals why he quit comedy in 2015, what his pal Michael Jordan is really like and if his old show “In Living Color” can be resuscitated.

Not many entertainers are up at 7 a.m. doing interviews. Why start so soon?

That’s when the grind begins.

Your brother Marlon revealed that your father used to wake him up every day at 5 a.m. to get him coffee. He stated that your father is behind the Wayans’ work ethic. Is that so?

Absolutely. Marlon and Shawn would get up crazy early because the youngest in our family was always the slave. My dad was always about hard work. So I worked hard to be an entertainer. All I want to do is comedy.

But you retired from comedy in 2015. Why did you retire?

I had a brain tumor. I was having massive headaches, and I was tired. I just thought I was getting too old for this (the rigors of standup). But they operated on me, and I’m fine now. I’m all about doing comedy, which doesn’t feel like work to me.

A few years ago, I asked Drew Carey if he would return to standup, and he said it was too much heavy lifting.

I get what Drew was talking about. When you do standup, you set a standard. You have to work to get to that point. You can be rejected by the audience no matter who you are. It’s a lot easier to host a game show, collect a big check and get a lot of love from a studio audience. It’s another thing to go out and take a risk night after night doing comedy.

What are some of the things you’ll talk about when you return to Spokane?

I’ll be playing back my life with personal stories. I’ll tell stories about me being a kid with a club foot who was insecure. I’ll talk about my dad being tough on us, about (his brother) Keenan being the good one and how no good deed goes unpunished as a parent. You’ll understand why I am the way I am.

What did your dad do to help shape you and your siblings?

My dad had principals. If you would steal stuff, my dad would make you take it back. My dad was like the doorman at Best Buy. He would check the receipt.

Did your dad ever catch you stealing?

Yes (laughs)! I stole stereo equipment, and he made me take it back and apologize. Each of us was raised with a moral compass.

What part did you read for that you thought you were going to get but failed to land?

I thought I was going to get a part in “Jerry Maguire.” I read with Tom Cruise. I was killing it with Cruise. We had great chemistry. I thought that I was going to get the part, but midway through my read with Cruise, I noticed that he was making hand gestures toward someone that I was too tall. The part went to Cuba Gooding Jr., who is about the same size as Cruise.

Gooding won the Oscar playing the part of a football player. Do you ever wonder if you could have won an Academy Award playing that part?

I can’t say that I would have won an Oscar. All I can say is that Cuba was great in “Jerry Maguire.” He owned that part.

You missed out on playing a football player in “Jerry Maguire,” but you did play a football star in “The Last Boy Scout.” What was it like since that was your first major role?

I was told they wanted me for the part in “Boy Scout.” They flew me into New York, and I was excited since I was about to star with Bruce Willis, who was the biggest thing in Hollywood at the time. I get to New York, and the greeter at the airport had a sign that said “Keenan Ivory Wayans.”

I arrived at the Four Seasons, and the room was booked for Keenan Ivory Wayans. I thought that they wanted my brother, and they made this big mistake flying me out to New York. I thought, “I’ll see Bruce Willis, and we’ll all laugh about the mistake that was made.” But they wanted me, and it worked out.

During a recent interview with your brother Marlon, he told me that he hopes that he and his family will work together again. Will that happen?

Yes. My best work is done with my family. We’re five people with a similar sense of humor but different sensibilities. The best notes I’ve ever received are from my siblings. When we’re in sync, we’re unstoppable.

What would the family project be?

Maybe a film. Maybe it’ll be an “In Living Color” film.

If you reprise your seminal television show, will you bring back your pal and “In Living Color” alum Jim Carrey?

Yes. Jim is as much a part of “In Living Color” as we were. I brought Jim to Keenan, who birthed that show. Jim and I used to hang out in comedy clubs and challenge each other. Jim came up with the character Fire Marshall Bill. We used to make each other laugh. Jim is probably the most gifted comedic performer I ever worked with. He tries to win every scene.

Is Carrey as competitive as your friend Michael Jordan?

Michael Jordan is as competitive as it gets. What’s most important is that Michael is one of the greatest human beings I ever met. Michael is a true leader who makes everyone feel better.

What’s your most vivid memory of Spokane when you worked on “Roxanne”?

We performed at a place I think was called the Gaslamp. Since almost everybody in “Roxanne” was a standup, we did a set there. Steve Martin (who starred in “Roxanne”) hosted and did a little bit of material. I remember he would say, “Entertain me, guys!” I had an incredible time in Spokane then, and I’m sure I’ll have a lot of fun this time out, too.