Marlon Wayans traded in protein shakes for punchlines as he slimmed down to revive his iconic role in Scary Movie 6.
After bulking up to play a pro footballer in the upcoming horror film Him, the actor, 53, did the reverse to bring back his fan-favorite character Shorty Meeks.
“Physically, I like to endure some kind of crazy regimen,” Wayans shared in an interview with Entertainment Weekly published on Thursday, September 11, first referring to his preparation for the role of Isaiah White in the Jordan Peele-produced film Him, which hits theatres on September 19.
“Even right now, it’s Scary Movie. I just lost 20 lbs busting my behind every day ’cause I didn’t wanna show up to set as Shorty buff at 225. That’d be lazy of me,” the comedian added, noting that viewers can expect to see him back in form when he blurts out his famed line “Wassup?”
“I wanna do the work, I wanna look like Shorty. So when I’m able to [in his Shorty voice] have fun and s***, people are able to laugh at me, son,” he continued.
Wayans played Shorty in the original Scary Movie and its 2001 sequel, both of which were massive box office hits.
The sixth installment was announced in April 2024, marking the first time the Wayans brothers — Marlon, Shawn and Keenan Ivory — are reuniting in 18 years to write an original script.
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“When we did White Chicks, we made fun of everybody,” Marlon pointed out. “We made fun of Black people, we made fun of white people, we made fun of Hispanic people. That’s just what we do. We make fun of the world, make light of the world. It’s not to harm, it’s to bring humor.”
Original stars Regina Hall and Anna Faris are among those slated for a return in Scary Movie 6.
“We can’t wait to bring Brenda and Cindy back to life and be reunited with our great friends Keenen, Shawn, and Marlon — three men we’d literally die for (in Brenda’s case, again),” Hall, 54, and Faris, 48, told the outlet.
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And it looks like no horror movie is safe. Peele’s films Get Out and Nope may be spoofed, as well as I Know What You Did Last Summer, the Scream franchise, Heretic and Sinners, according to Marlon.
The star told Comicbook.com on Tuesday, September 9, there is plenty of source material to work with so they plan on having a “field day.”
Scary Movie 6 will be making its theatrical debut on June 12, 2026.
