The Bold and the Beautiful Star Wayne Brady Launches New Comedy Show

Wayne Brady did more than a mere cameo when he appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful a while back. As Dr. Reese Buckingham, a man who committed a crime of opportunity when he switched Hope’s newborn baby with a stillborn infant, Brady played a key role in the show’s biggest storyline in years.

Catching Up With Wayne Brady

While Reese may have little to laugh about, Brady does. He’s launching a new reality competition comedy series, Wayne Brady’s Comedy IQ, that will pit young comics against each other as they both grow and strive to win the grand prize. Brady will guide competitors as they learn how to flex their comedic muscles and become stronger by handling the show’s challenges.

The show held live auditions to find the contestants, but Brady says the program wasn’t looking for experienced stage performers but rather kids with potential who were hungry to both learn and grow. “You can use what you learn on this show in your life,” Brady says.

The competition will be demanding, which is something Brady can relate to having played the part of Reese on BB.

“The entire experience was hard, and it a good hard,” the Emmy-winner says. “People may have a misconception about soaps. They think, ‘That’s cheesy’ or ‘They can’t act.’ Being on a soap is the closest one can get to being a Broadway star on TV.

“I loved that challenge,” Brady says of playing Reese. “I loved being a part of that big story. Of course, it was fantastical…that’s part of the beautiful…nature of the soap story. You’re watching it because you want escapism. Some people watch Harry Potter — some people watch BB.”

One of the best parts of being on BB was knowing that his grandmother who got him started watching both The Young and the Restless and BB was seeing him on-screen on one of her favorite shows. “I can sum up the experience as a big check in the win column,” Brady says.

Next up for Brady is his guest spot as Grave Digger on Black Lightning on The CW. “I believe my episodes start airing in February,” Brady says. “I think if you constantly keep moving and challenge yourself. So, I can’t even count the jobs because I want more. I always want more. And as long as you can do them well, then do it.”

Wayne Brady’s Comedy IQ debuts on April 6 on BYUTV. The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekday on CBS. Check local listings for air times.