You know that feeling when you're watching a 90s classic and you suddenly spot a face that makes you do a double-take? That happened to me recently while revisiting Major Payne. There’s a specific cadet, the one who tries to play it cool but gets absolutely dismantled by Damon Wayans’ high-pitched drill sergeant bark. That’s Damien Dante Wayans.
Most people forget he was even in the movie. Honestly, it’s understandable. When your uncle is literally the star, the co-writer, and the guy sucking all the oxygen out of the room with a gold tooth and a "one-tub-two-tub" cadence, it’s hard to stand out. But Damien’s turn as Cadet Dwight "D." Williams wasn't just a family favor. It was basically his "grad school" in the Wayans family business of comedy.
The Wayans Family Dynasty on Set
It’s kinda wild to think about the set of Major Payne. You had Damon Wayans Sr. at the absolute peak of his In Living Color fame, basically running the show. Then you have his nephew, a teenaged Damien, right there in the trenches. Literally.
Damien wasn't just an extra. He played one of the core cadets in the misfit JROTC squad at Madison Preparatory School. If you look closely at the dynamics, there’s this weirdly meta energy. In one of the most famous scenes, Major Payne tells a cadet, "I am not yo damn brotha!" The punchline? That cadet was Damien.
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It was a total inside joke that flew over the heads of most audiences in 1995. You’ve got the uncle screaming at the nephew, asserting military dominance while the kid just has to take it. That sort of "tough love" was actually a theme in the family. Damon Wayans Jr. has even joked in interviews about how his dad stayed in character at home, making the kids do push-ups like they were at the academy. Damien was right in the middle of that intensity.
Why Cadet Dwight "D." Williams Was a Turning Point
Before Major Payne, Damien Dante Wayans was mostly doing tiny bit parts. We're talking "Child Running in House" in Eddie Murphy Raw (1987). Small stuff. Major Payne gave him actual lines, a character arc, and a front-row seat to how a big-budget comedy is built from the ground up.
Dwight "D." Williams wasn't the "lead" kid—that was usually Steven Martini’s Alex Stone—but D. was the glue. He was the one who felt like a real teenager. While some of the other kids felt like 1950s tropes (the fat kid, the nerd), Damien brought a specific 90s urban energy that balanced out the movie’s more cartoonish moments.
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- The Discipline: He had to endure the actual "boot camp" training the cast went through.
- The Timing: Acting against Damon Sr. requires a specific rhythm. If you're too slow, he'll steamroll you.
- The Pivot: This role proved Damien could handle the "straight man" duties, which is the hardest job in a Wayans production.
Behind the Scenes at Madison Academy
The movie was filmed primarily at the Miller School of Albemarle in Virginia. It’s a beautiful, gothic-looking place, but the vibe on set was reportedly a mix of grueling work and constant riffing.
Director Nick Castle (who, fun fact, was the original Michael Myers in Halloween) had his hands full. He was trying to manage a pack of child actors and a superstar who wanted to improvise every single take. For Damien, this was an apprenticeship. You can see the influence of this era in his later work. He didn't just stay an actor; he moved into writing and directing, eventually helming episodes of My Wife and Kids and directing the family spoof Dance Flick in 2009.
The Legacy of a "Bargain Bin" Classic
Critics in 1995 weren't exactly kind to the film. Some called it "tasteless" or "sub-moronic." They hated the bathroom humor and the way Payne treated the kids. But the audience didn't care. The movie made about $30 million—which wasn't a blockbuster even then—but it became an absolute titan on VHS and cable.
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For Damien Dante Wayans, Major Payne is the bridge between being "the nephew" and becoming a creator in his own right. It’s the film that established his face before he went on to cult hits like Malibu's Most Wanted.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a fan of the Wayans era, don't just stop at the nostalgia. You should check out Damien’s directorial work to see how he took those lessons from his uncle and applied them to a new generation.
Specifically, look at Dance Flick. It’s messy, sure, but it has that same "anything for a laugh" DNA that was forged on the Virginia set of Major Payne. You can also find him on social media or in newer projects like A Hip Hop Story, where he’s still keeping that family comedy flame alive.
Go back and watch the "I am not yo damn brotha" scene one more time. Now that you know they’re actually family, the look of pure "I can't believe I have to do this" on Damien's face is ten times funnier.