Wayne Brady Reveals His Inner Battles Behind the Curtain

Wayne Brady does not fit neatly into one single talent box. Maybe you loved his improv on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” or his singing and dancing in the Broadway show “Kinky Boots.” Perhaps, you tune in for his game show hosting skills on “Let’s Make a Deal” or his acting abilities on Showtime’s “American Gigolo.” And if that weren’t enough, maybe you cast votes for him on the latest season of “Dancing with the Stars.”  

“I don’t choose any one thing because I’m lucky enough that that’s what my gift is," says Brady. "I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you if I weren’t an actor who also improvised and sang and danced, because they all [create] a whole and it’s always been one lump sum to me, in a good way.”

At 16 years old, he performed in his first school play. “And I was so enamored; I fell in love,” he says. He felt inspired to audition for the professional play, “A Raisin in the Sun,” in which he landed a role.  

“It was absolutely amazing. And so, I thought, ‘oh, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life,’ because I was very naive, and it almost works to your benefit when you don’t know how hard an industry it is,” says Brady. 

Around that time, he lived in Orlando and also started working at Walt Disney World as a character, singer, and dancer.

He also worked at Universal Studios as the Ghostbuster Winston Zeddemore, and as a performer in Beetlejuice’s Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue. 

“[In] Orlando, that was one of the best things about starting off...because of all the theme park work and the theater work. That’s a great way to get experience to dip your toes in, and to get your Equity card, to get your SAG card,” Brady says.

“So, by the time that I moved out to LA, a few years later, I was as prepared as one could be," he adds.

Brady made his rise to fame appear seamless, but like so many of us, he often struggled with his mental health under the surface.

It wasn't until his 42nd birthday in 2014 that he first acknowledged a years-long battle with depression.

Expressing Art During Difficult Times

As much as Brady loves performing, being on all the time is hard. “There are days when it's difficult to be sure. And especially when folks are relying on you to make them feel a certain way. But on the other days, it actually helps knowing that there's an audience that you can perform for, knowing that there's this great TV job that you have to show up for—that is enough to transform and pick you up,” says Brady. 

However, during times when Brady experiences symptoms of depression, it can take a toll. “[And] that I think is why we see a lot of comedians connected to the sad clown trope, but the reality is everybody's dealing with something every day," he says.

"Just because someone makes you laugh doesn’t mean that they can't have an ordinary feeling. They make you laugh because it's their job. Because it’s their calling. It's not a personality trait. So, when someone asks, well, you must be funny at home. Why are you sad? No, because that's my job, and I show up for my job,” he says.

Brady can’t pinpoint a time in his life when he started feeling depressed. He says symptoms have always existed.

In his late 30s, his mental health reached a point where he couldn't ignore it anymore, and by his 40s, he knew it needed to be addressed. “[It] wasn't like, oh, just shake it off. Oh, you're having a bad day. Oh, you're just sad. No, this is the real deal—stick-with-you-24-hours-a-day, you-don't-want-to-get-out-of-bed, you-can't-function type of depression,” says Brady.  

His ex-wife and business partner, Mandie Taketa pushed him to get help.  

“She was the one who truly said, ‘Wayne, I love you and our daughter loves you and our family loves you. And this is the path that you go down when you don't want to live. And we are concerned, and I cannot stand by and watch you ignore this,’” he recalls. 

He credits Taketa for ensuring he went to therapy. “Because I think, like a lot of people in the African American culture, I grew up thinking that therapy was a bad word or therapy’s not for me—therapy’s for White people, therapy’s for crazy people,” he says. 

The death of beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams also forced Brady to acknowledge his depression and seek out treatment. 

“Robin was someone that I respected greatly, [and I] was blessed to work with him. I was touched by him my entire life. And when you see someone who had the mind of Robin Williams, and the kindness of Robin Williams, and the talent of Robin Williams say, ‘I cannot talk to anybody about what is going on with me because it's too great,' I knew that I didn't want that for myself,” says Brady. 

While it took a lot of work, he says over time he realized that asking for help is not a weakness, but rather a strength and “superpower.” 

He manages his depression with a combination of therapy and medication. He also finds comfort and support in attending men’s support groups. Developing habits that enhance his mental well-being are also effective, “because it always isn't just medication or going to therapy.”

For instance, he makes his bed daily. “If I don't do that one task, that can throw off my whole day...because if I make my bed, and I can bounce a quarter off my bed like my dad taught me, then I don't want to get back in that bed. And if I'm out of the bed, and I have no choice, but to go on with the rest of my day,” says Brady. 

He is also conscientious about the people he spends time with, who he gives his energy to, and who he takes energy from. "I think surrounding yourself with people that love you for you; that's definitely something that you learn the older you get versus I just want to hang out with everybody," says Brady.  

He loves spending time with his 19-year-old daughter Maile, his family, and his four dogs "[They're all] kind of my grounding place, so that's where I go to restore myself is with my family," he says. 

Finding Purpose in His Fifth Decade

As Brady enters his 50s, he says engaging in activities that clear the mind like reading and taking care of himself physically are priority. “I think the aha moment is I made it this far, I need to take care of this shell, so I can ride this out,” he says. He views aging in a positive light, noting that 50 is the new 30.  

“We definitely take better care of ourselves than our parents did. So, when you’re a kid, and someone says, ‘Oh, I'm 30.’ ‘I'm 40’ or ‘50,’ You're like, ‘Oh, God; you're so old,’” says Brady.  

As an adult, he knows that’s definitely not true. Finding joy in the things he enjoyed as a kid keeps him young at heart. “I am a gamer. I love video games. I love paintball. I love running around. I love using my imagination to play,” he says. 

Thinking about others and leaning into personal kindness is part of his life plan, too. “[I'm] not a big talker when I'm off camera—like, you don't see me at the club or I don't want to hang out— but I think there really is something to be said for small acts of kindness and really leaning into that—a kind word and act of service,” says Brady. 

He considers himself an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, women’s rights, and kids of color. He is partnering with the improvisational hip-hop comedy musical group Freestyle Love Supreme to establish an academy for kids. “I'll be doing improv and comedy and writing workshops in various neighborhoods where it's told, 'Oh, Black people aren't supposed to do this' or use their minds in a certain way—I'm trying to bust down that door,” says Brady. 

He's also busting down stigma related to mental health. “I'm very open about it because I feel that the only way to get help for some people is to look at someone else,” says Brady. 

Being open also means being honest about the reality of living with depression. “[This] isn't the beautiful end of a story and then I'm fine…it is a work in progress.” Brady says every day is the opportunity to keep working on your mental health. “And there are some days when you feel like, ‘Oh, I've just been to the emotional gym and I feel great,’ and there are other days when you don't want to get out of bed and you isolate, so if I can help inspire by sharing my journey, that's what I'm going to do.” 

He's using the platform on “Dancing with the Stars” to spread this message. He believes the challenge that competing on the show ties in closely to the mental health journey. 

“[It's] a challenge to show up and to learn a new skill set and even as long as I've been a performer, I deal with issues of self-worth. I deal with issues of impostor syndrome. I deal with expectations,” he says.

By participating, he is breaking feelings of inadequacy and using the opportunity to discuss mental health. “[I] can continue the talk of awareness," Brady says. "If I feel this way, and I'm willing to expose myself and my process by showing you what it really feels like off camera—and that can help inspire somebody—then my job is complete.”

He knows that destigmatizing mental health goes beyond sharing his own personal experience, though. He suggests that others consider an empowering approach to addressing mental health stigma. While some people judge others who live with mental health conditions, Brady says to consider the judgment their issue and not yours. 

“[There] are people that look at this as not serious or as a moral failing. You cannot change someone else's mind; you can only change how you react to it. That's something that I had to learn—to not be ashamed. Shame will stop you from getting help and tending to your mental health,” says Brady.

Before seeking treatment, Brady often told himself that going to a therapist would mean that he failed, was broken, and wasn’t perfect. “All of those things are lies that we either tell ourselves or sadly are passed down from generation to generation,” he says. [If] you're older, it's not too late to change and if you're younger, this is the chance for [your] generation to stop the misinformation and pass on healthy habits and understanding to [your] kids.”

He is taking his own advice with his daughter. When Maile was younger, Brady says he didn't prioritize his mental health for fear that he would miss out on caring for Maile. In hindsight, he believes this was the wrong approach. "If you do not get right and get well and get help, you are affecting this child's life, and that sounds harsh, but it's true…so if you can [focus on your mental health], that's the best gift that you can give your child—give them a healthy you." 

By the time Maile was 10 years old, her parents had realized the importance of therapy for themselves and their daughter. "[Kids] have deep inner lives and growing up in a household like hers where she did have a father who grappled with mental health and her mother who worked through her issues of codependency and mental health, all of us needed to be in therapy," says Brady. "And I'm glad that we did it, so now she is a 19-year-old who is well adjusted, and she knows what mental health looks like, so she can carry that on."