From pandemic TikToks to reality TV: Wayne Brady previews his blended family’s journey to the screen

“It’s not always sunshine and roses,” the actor, comedian, and host teases of “Wayne Brady: The Family Remix.”

A very peculiar thing happened while Wayne Brady was filming lighthearted TikTok challenges and dance videos with his blended family amidst the pandemic.

“The videos took off and went viral; and the next thing you know, we're doing talk shows and whatnot because people were genuinely curious about the dynamic,” the actor, comedian, and television host, 52, recalls to Entertainment Weekly. “The reactions ranged from, ‘That can’t be real,’ to ‘Wayne, what do you mean you're best friends with your ex and you guys are living in the same house during the pandemic?’”

For Brady — who considers himself an an otherwise private and “old school” person who doesn’t feel the need to share all aspects of his life with the public — it “was very curious to me that people were interested," he says

The interest culminated in the Freeform reality show Wayne Brady: The Family Remix (premiering Wednesday), set to chronicle Brady’s life with his close-knit family. Just don’t expect the Cleavers. The Brady bunch consists of Brady’s ex-wife and Wayne & Mandie Creative business partner Mandie Taketa; their 21-year-old actress daughter Maile; Taketa’s life partner Jason Fordham (also once a back-up dancer for Brady); and Taketa and Fordham’s young son Sunny, whom Brady co-parents as a duncle (dad/uncle). 

While a few scripts were written for a sitcom pilot, “nothing could ever touch the true funny that happened in our lives or the real heart of what it is,” Brady says of developing the reality show. “People became enamored with 15 to 22 second TikToks, but [they didn’t] know the story of what it takes to get to the point where I can be best friends with my ex-wife and be in the same house with her life partner and our daughter.”

Related: Wayne Brady recalls emotional moment with Robin Williams, shares how his 'hero' helped him step into his truth

So what’s the story? It’s one about lots of love and the concept of found family. “We choose to be together as a family, and hopefully along the way, we help people,” Brady says. “There are people that are in that situation that want to know how they can do that." He never anticipated, however, that it would “take us down the routes of sharing everything,” says Brady, who came out as pansexual last summer. For more with Brady, read on below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Given your private nature, were there any initial reservations to do a reality show, whether from you or your family?

WAYNE BRADY: There would've been reservations, but we created the show. So if we had super reservations, then I would never have done it. Of course, there are the big reservations in [that] I don't mind sharing this, but how's it going to be received? What's the outcome? What are the ramifications of sharing your life? What are the things that'll pop up? Are they worth it? Will it impact business? Because I've always [been] very conscious of never wanting anything to embarrass my family or affect my family in a negative way. So everything that we've done, we did it together. And it's not just my story. My name's on the show, but it's our show. So if all of us weren't comfortable then we couldn't have done it. It’s definitely a team sport.

You’re no stranger to game shows or competition shows, but are you a reality show consumer? What’s your poison?

I don't watch a ton of reality because I think I'd like to support people that are making genuine art, but the reality that I do watch is always either a guilty pleasure or it's talent based. So I love RuPaul's Drag Race because you have to be ridiculously talented and brave to do that show. And my daughter and I watch 90 Day Fiancé. I just cannot believe sometimes that some of these things are happening. So while I'm not a huge reality fan, that definitely is in my wheelhouse of, "What the hell? I've got to watch it."

Your family has been supportive of your coming out, but you had some anxieties over how it would affect your career. What has the reception been like so far in the industry? Have you been feeling supported?

Absolutely. Two things happened. At the end of the day, as much news as someone may make about it for a day or a news cycle, people have got their own shit to worry about. Nobody cares as much as you think they care. And that's great. The world keeps moving and that gives you the freedom to just be you. So that happened. And thing two, so much love and the accomplishment of what I wanted to really happen. I felt that if I could come out and say, "This is my truth," maybe I would inspire someone else because life is too short to live in a shadow. And that did happen. I've had so many people hit me up online, people that are later in life like me and say, "Hey, I want to come out and spread my truth and not hide in a corner" — from younger people [and] young Black men growing up and feeling that they had to lie, and just saying, "I want to be myself as well." And that's what makes it worth it for me. That's my bit of service. If I can speak my truth and it helps someone else, then I win. 

Related: Wayne Brady comes out as pansexual: 'I had to start learning about myself'

What can viewers expect on this season of The Family Remix?

It's important for us to be able to create together and to be able to work together. They're going to see us work together on music, on a music video. It's not always sunshine and roses. Sometimes families get mad at each other. Sometimes we're very petty to each other. We bump heads a lot, but on top of that, they'll see the passion we all have for each other. We have a lot to show.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Wayne Brady: The Family Remix premieres July 24 at 10 p.m. ET on Freeform and the next day on Hulu.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.