Illia Wayans: Shawn Wayans’ Daughter and a Filmmaker in Her Own Right

Illia Wayans (credited as Ilia Wayans) is an American filmmaker and the daughter of actor and comedian Shawn Wayans. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and studied film and television at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She wrote and directed the short film Me (and You), which won a directing award at NYU’s First Run Film Festival in 2025. In 2026 she also appeared in a small role in the revived Scary Movie, the franchise her father co-created.

Most pages that rank for her name describe her only as “Shawn Wayans’ private daughter.” That undersells her. The record shows someone building a career behind the camera.

Quick Facts

Detail	What is verified
Name	Ilia Wayans (searched often as “Illia”)
Father	Shawn Wayans
Mother	Ursula Alberto, per Wikipedia (described as Shawn’s former partner)
Siblings	Laila Wayans (b. 1999), Marlon “Mar” Wayans (b. 2004)
Born / raised	Los Angeles, California
Birth year	2002 per Wikipedia; some sites say 2003 (see below)
Profession	Film director and writer
Education	BFA in Film & TV, NYU Tisch
Known work	Short film Me (and You); small role in Scary Movie (2026)

Why So Many “Illia Wayans” Profiles Are Unreliable

Most results come from auto-generated sites, and they contradict each other and the primary sources. Common errors include:

• She is not Damon Wayans’ daughter. One page makes that claim. Shawn Wayans is her father.
• She is not a “rising comedian.” Sites call her an actress, comedian and “rising star,” but her documented work is directing.
• Her brother is not “Marlon Wayans Jr.” Several sites say this. Wikipedia lists her brother as Marlon “Mar” Wayans, born 2004. Marlon Wayans, her uncle, has different children.
• Her exact birth date is unconfirmed. Wikipedia gives 2002. Several unsourced sites say August 10, 2003 or March 1995. None cites a primary source.
• Net worth and “salary” figures have no basis. No reliable source reports them.

Growing Up Inside the Wayans Family

The Wayans family is one of the most influential in American comedy. Her father Shawn and uncle Marlon co-created Scary Movie and starred in The Wayans Bros., and her uncle Keenen Ivory Wayans created In Living Color. The family was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in 2025.

Illia is part of the second generation, which includes cousins Damon Wayans Jr., Craig Wayans, Gregg Wayans and Shawn Howell Wayans, who is Marlon’s son and was also born in 2002. Her older sister Laila is a musician and former member of the band Been Stellar.

Film Training at NYU Tisch

NYU’s festival biography describes Illia as a biracial filmmaker raised in Los Angeles. It says she is drawn to coming-of-age stories about flawed people and relationships, and that she wants to broaden how Blackness is represented across genres. It also notes that she earned a BFA in Film and Television from Tisch and is dedicated to telling female-driven stories.

That is a different path from many celebrity children. She built credentials through formal training, and the family name is not the headline of her own bio.

Me (and You): Her Best-Documented Work

Me (and You) is a 15-minute short that Illia wrote and directed. NYU’s logline describes a fourteen-year-old girl, Odella, trying to stop her single mother from returning to an abusive ex-boyfriend as they leave town. The credited team includes producers Jasiah Washington and Jhanai Scott, editor Amanda Rodriguez and cinematographer Ethan Wen.

The film was an undergraduate finalist at NYU’s First Run Film Festival, with a screening on April 4, 2025. NYU’s awards page lists Illia as a 2025 Jagat Murari Directing Award recipient, with a $5,000 prize for undergraduate film and TV. The festival is NYU’s long-running showcase for student filmmakers.

A Role in Scary Movie (2026)

The new Scary Movie premiered in Los Angeles on June 3, 2026 and opened in the United States on June 5. It reunited the Wayans brothers as writers and producers for the first time in years, as Wikipedia’s film entry notes. Cast databases credit Illia as “Hostess,” and her siblings Mar and cousins also appear in small roles. It is a supporting, family-affair credit, not a leading part.

What Remains Unknown

• Exact birth date: Only a birth year (2002, per Wikipedia) is cited in a reputable reference. Other sites contradict it.
• Current projects: I found no confirmed announcements of a new directing project as of October 2026.
• Her relationships and private life: Nothing credible is public, and none of the “boyfriend” pages cite sources.
• Her mother’s profession: Some sites call Ursula Alberto a fitness trainer.

Why Her Story Matters

Illia Wayans represents a quieter route for a famous family’s next generation. She trained at a top film school, made a personal short, won a directing prize, and appeared in a family project only after doing her own work. If she releases more films, the public record will have far more to say about her than it does today.

For more profiles of the people behind famous names, browse our Celebrities section, including our look at Idris Elba’s wife, Sabrina Dhowre Elba.

FAQ

Who is Illia Wayans?

A Los Angeles-born filmmaker and the daughter of actor Shawn Wayans.

Is “Illia” or “Ilia” the correct spelling?

NYU and Wikipedia use “Ilia.” Searches usually use “Illia.”

Is Illia Wayans an actress?

Her documented work is directing. She also has a small credited role in Scary Movie (2026).

Who are her siblings?

Laila Wayans (b. 1999) and Marlon “Mar” Wayans (b. 2004).

How old is she?

Wikipedia lists a 2002 birth year. Her exact birth date is not confirmed by a reliable source.