Where Is the Cast of ‘My Wife and Kids’ Now?
The cast of My Wife and Kids has taken diverse paths since the show ended in 2005. Damon Wayans starred in Lethal Weapon and recently had a sitcom with his son canceled in 2025.
Tisha Campbell became a prolific actress, voice artist, and stand-up comedian.
George O. Gore II shifted to screenwriting, Jazz Raycole starred in The Lincoln Lawyer, Jennifer Freeman became a wellness author, Parker McKenna Posey launched a swimwear line, and Noah Gray-Cabey graduated from Harvard while continuing to act.
My Wife and Kids ran on ABC from 2001 to 2005, bringing the suburban Kyle family into living rooms across America. The show starred Damon Wayans as Michael Kyle, with Tisha Campbell as his wife Jay and their three kids Junior, Claire, and Kady.
It’s been over 20 years since the show premiered, and the cast members have gone in wildly different directions. Here’s what they’ve all been up to.
Damon Wayans (Michael Kyle)
Damon Wayans created and starred in My Wife and Kids as the patriarch Michael Kyle. The show was his attempt to create a family-friendly sitcom that could match The Cosby Show‘s success while keeping his signature physical comedy style.
After the show was canceled in 2005 despite good ratings, Wayans briefly returned to sketch comedy with The Underground on Showtime in 2006. But his biggest post-My Wife and Kids role was playing Roger Murtaugh in the TV reboot of Lethal Weapon from 2016 to 2019.
The Lethal Weapon experience was difficult. Wayans had a highly publicized feud with co-star Clayne Crawford that got so bad they had to hire security guards to prevent physical fights on set. During one episode, Wayans was hit by shrapnel from a controlled explosion.
The tension eventually led to Crawford being fired in May 2018, and Wayans left the show shortly after.
In 2024, Wayans reunited with his son Damon Wayans Jr. for the CBS sitcom Poppa’s House. The show featured the father-son duo working together, which Wayans said was a profound personal joy.
Despite positive reviews and an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score, CBS canceled the show in April 2025 after one season due to low ratings.
Beyond acting, Wayans is an author who wrote the novel Red Hats, and he continues doing stand-up comedy and developing apps. As of 2026, he’s focused on family and various creative projects.
Tisha Campbell (Jay Kyle)
Tisha Campbell played the energetic, business-minded Janet “Jay” Kyle. She actually crashed the auditions for the role after her agent warned her she was risking her career. She got the script sides from her friend Tichina Arnold and convinced the casting directors she was perfect for Jay.
Since 2005, Campbell has been one of the hardest-working actresses in Hollywood. She’s appeared in sitcoms like Rita Rocks, Dr. Ken, and Outmatched.
She’s also done dramatic roles and appeared in films like Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) and Blindspotting (2018).
Campbell’s voice work has become a major part of her career. She voices Tawny Young in HBO’s Harley Quinn and its spinoff Kite Man: Hell Yeah! She also reprised her role as Peaches for the animated sequel Everybody Still Hates Chris in 2024.
In the 2020s, Campbell starred in the Netflix series Uncoupled (2022) and the BET+ comedy Act Your Age. She’s also released music throughout her career, with an expanded edition of her 1993 debut album coming out in 2022.
In 2025 and early 2026, Campbell made a big career shift by launching the “Dayum Gina! Tour” as a stand-up comedian alongside Finesse Mitchell. She’s said this was a major personal victory over her long-standing fear of stand-up comedy.
Campbell has been very open about her life, including discussing plastic surgery and advocating for social causes.
George O. Gore II (Junior Kyle)
George O. Gore II played the lovable but dim-witted Michael “Junior” Kyle. He was nominated for four NAACP Image Awards for the role, but his real passion turned out to be working behind the camera.
While still on the show, Gore made his directorial debut with the episode “Outbreak Monkey” in 2004, which featured guest star LeBron James. This early experience shifted his career focus toward writing and directing.
After the show ended, Gore continued working with the Wayans family. He starred in the 2009 movie Dance Flick and played himself in the BET series Second Generation Wayans in 2013. But by 2017, he said his main focus was uncredited writing and production work.
The shift paid off. In 2022, Gore co-wrote the screenplay for Sneakerella, a Disney+ musical movie that reimagines Cinderella within New York’s sneaker culture.
As of 2026, he’s known as an “honorary Wayans” who successfully transitioned from child star to respected creator and writer.
The Two Claires: Jazz Raycole and Jennifer Freeman
The role of Claire Kyle is unique because two different actresses played her. Jazz Raycole played Claire for the first 12 episodes of Season 1, then Jennifer Freeman took over from Season 2 until the series finale. Both actresses have had very different career paths.
Jazz Raycole
Jazz Raycole left the show after Season 1. Reports say her mother made the decision because she was concerned about a storyline involving a pregnant friend. Raycole used the opportunity to return to professional dance, training at the Boston Ballet and under choreographer Debbie Allen.
When she came back to acting, Raycole intentionally chose more mature, dramatic roles. She had a recurring role in the post-apocalyptic drama Jericho (2007-2008), led the BET series The Quad (2017-2018), and appeared in the TV Land sitcom The Soul Man.
In 2022, Raycole reached mainstream visibility starring as Izzy Letts in the Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer. She’s been open about the psychological toll of being “the girl who was replaced,” saying the resulting anxiety required years of therapy to manage.
By 2026, Raycole has successfully shed her child-star image and built a respected career in dramatic television. She’s also pursued academics, with aspirations to study pediatrics at Stanford University.
Jennifer Freeman
Jennifer Freeman played Claire from Season 2 through the series finale, making her the face most people associate with the character. While still on the show, she appeared in the movie Johnson Family Vacation (2004).
After My Wife and Kids ended, Freeman continued working in independent films and TV movies, finding a niche in Tubi and BET productions. But she’s also built a second career as a wellness and spiritual advocate.
Freeman authored a book called Journey to Health (sometimes referred to as Heart of the Matter) that encourages readers to focus on clean eating and spiritual truths.
She’s become a prominent voice in the holistic health community.
In 2025, Freeman reunited with Parker McKenna Posey on the What’s Next with J. Ryan podcast. They discussed motherhood and reclaiming their narratives in an industry that often tries to define child actors.
Parker McKenna Posey (Kady Kyle)
Parker McKenna Posey was the youngest member of the Kyle family as Kady. After the show ended, she took a brief break before returning to television with a critically acclaimed guest spot on Snowfall in 2017.
She then landed a lead role as Laila in the BET series Games People Play and had a long-running role in A House Divided. In the 2020s, Posey expanded into reality television, appearing in the second season of College Hill: Celebrity Edition in 2023, where she attended Texas Southern University.
Beyond acting, Posey became a fashion entrepreneur by launching Honey Dip Swimwear. Her 2025 reunion with Jennifer Freeman highlighted her shift toward “protecting her peace” in the industry while focusing on being a mother to her daughter, Harley.
Noah Gray-Cabey (Franklin)
Noah Gray-Cabey played the genius kid Franklin Aloysius Mumford. In real life, Gray-Cabey was also a prodigy. By age four, he was performing classical piano across New England. By age five, he was a soloist at the Sydney Opera House.
What makes Gray-Cabey’s story unique is how he balanced Hollywood with serious academics. He graduated high school in 2011 and was admitted to Harvard University at age 15. He was part of Harvard’s Class of 2016, though he deferred for a year to focus on family and personal growth.
While pursuing his education, Gray-Cabey continued acting. He had recurring and main roles in series like Heroes (as Micah Sanders), Code Black, and Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. From 2021 through 2025, he played Frausto in the CW sports drama All American.
As of 2026, Gray-Cabey is a multi-talented creator working in scriptwriting, music composition, and activism for Black Lives Matter and animal rights. He successfully avoided the typical child star pitfalls by maintaining balance between education and entertainment.
Notable Recurring Cast Members
My Wife and Kids also featured several recurring actors who went on to major success.
Meagan Good
Meagan Good played Vanessa in Season 3. She’s become one of the most prominent actresses of her generation, starring in films like Saw V, Stomp the Yard, and the Shazam! movies where she plays adult Darla. She currently stars in the Amazon Prime series Harlem and has expanded into directing.
Lester Speight
Lester Speight joined the show as Calvin Scott for two seasons. He was already famous for the “Terry Tate: Office Linebacker” commercials.
After the show, his biggest success came from voice work as Augustus “Cole Train” Cole in the Gears of War video game franchise, which has generated over $1 billion in lifetime sales. He also appeared in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Brooklyn Sudano
Brooklyn Sudano took over the role of Vanessa for the final seasons. She’s maintained a steady TV career with roles in CSI: NY, Taken, and Cruel Summer. In the early 2020s, she co-directed a documentary about her mother, the legendary singer Donna Summer.
The Wayans Family Legacy
My Wife and Kids was part of the larger Wayans family empire. The show served as an incubator for writers and directors within the family, including Damon Wayans Jr., Kim Wayans, and Damien Dante Wayans.
This approach of keeping creative control within the family has been a hallmark of the Wayans’ presence in Hollywood for over 30 years.
While traditional sitcoms have struggled in the modern TV landscape, as shown by Poppa’s House getting canceled in 2025, the model taught the cast valuable lessons about diversification.
Why the Show Ended
My Wife and Kids was canceled in 2005 despite having good ratings. The cancellation wasn’t about viewership but about ABC shifting its programming strategy. The network wanted to move away from family sitcoms toward different types of shows.
At the time, the decision was controversial because the show was still popular. But in hindsight, it may have given the cast members the push they needed to diversify their careers rather than being typecast in one role for too long.
The Cast’s Success Formula
What’s remarkable about the My Wife and Kids cast is how many of them successfully avoided the typical child star pitfalls. Nearly two decades after the show ended, most of the main cast is still working and thriving.
The key seems to be diversification. George O. Gore II became a writer. Noah Gray-Cabey went to Harvard. Jennifer Freeman became a wellness author. Parker McKenna Posey launched a swimwear line. Tisha Campbell added stand-up comedy to her resume. They didn’t just try to repeat their sitcom success. They built new skills and new careers.
The cast also benefited from the Wayans family’s approach to collaboration and mentorship. Working on a show where family members wrote, directed, and produced episodes gave them insight into all aspects of production, not just acting.
Where They Are in 2026
As of 2026, the cast of My Wife and Kids represents a success story in navigating the entertainment industry’s evolution. They’ve moved from network television’s peak era into the fragmented world of streaming, social media, and digital content.
Damon Wayans is focused on family and creative projects after Poppa’s House was canceled. Tisha Campbell is touring as a stand-up comedian. George O. Gore II is writing screenplays. Jazz Raycole is building a dramatic acting career.
Jennifer Freeman is promoting holistic health. Parker McKenna Posey is running her swimwear business. Noah Gray-Cabey is balancing acting with music and activism.
The show that brought them together over 20 years ago gave them a foundation, but what they’ve built since shows real resilience and adaptability.
They’re proof that child stars can have long, successful careers if they’re willing to evolve and take risks beyond their original roles.
