LET'S MAKE A HEAL

Emmy Winner, 54, Reveals Career-Threatening Health Problem

The actor and TV personality admitted he was initially “in danger of spiraling into a depression” over the news.

Wayne Brady has announced a break from his current gig due to a painful health issue.

The five-time Emmy winner and Whose Line Is It Anyway? star said that, at his doctor’s direction, he left the production of Ms. Blakk for President after being diagnosed with a vocal polyp.

“I’m sending love to @vineyardtheatre and the cast and crew of Ms. Blakk for President. I’m sitting this one out, but that’s OK,” Brady, 54, captioned a Sept. 29 Instagram video. “It just means that my body is making me take the rest and healing that I wouldn’t take myself.”

He continued, “This is a chance for me to rest up, work out, and hit the stage/screen even better and smarter in ’27!”

A vocal polyp is a blister-like growth on the surface of one or both vocal cords. (Vocal polyps are often confused with vocal cord nodules, which are more akin to callouses.) Long-term vocal strain can trigger their formation, making them prevalent among singers, such as Adele, Steven Tyler, and Björk.

While common, vocal polyps and nodules can be devastating to career musicians, leading them to be out of work for weeks and even months, particularly when requiring surgical intervention or laser treatments.

In the Instagram video, Brady opened up about feeling doubtful about his career amid his diagnosis.

“I was definitely in danger of spiraling into a depression last week because we, as performers, we link our talent and our gifts—like our throats, our face—we link all that to who we are,” he said.

The play also announced the news that day in a statement, adding that Tony Award nominee Alto Blankson-Wood will take his title role as Alan Smith/Joan Jett Blakk.

Ms. Blakk for President is an off-Broadway show inspired by real-life drag queen Joan Jett Blakk and her 1992 presidential run during the AIDS epidemic.

“The run will also shift to accommodate Blankson-Wood’s rehearsals, with performances now beginning a week later, October 22. The new opening night will be November 8,” according to the announcement.

Brady, who has been in the entertainment industry since he was 16, said he had to pause his “catastrophic thinking.”

“I am more than just the guy that is on stage,” he said. “I have to remind myself that I’m a person, I’m a father, I’m a friend. I have a beautiful family and people who love me.”

Wayne has a 23-year-old daughter, Maīle Masako Brady, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa.

Wayne and Taketa were married from 1999 to 2008. They continue living together in a blended family alongside their daughter, Taketa’s life partner, Jason Fordham, and Taketa and Fordham’s son “Sunny” Sundance-Isamu.

In his video, Brady also shared his optimism about a procedure targeting the polyp.

“I’m gonna be fine. Ms. Blakk for President is gonna be an amazing show—you’ve gotta go see it. And in just a little while I’ll be back on your screens laughing and cuttin’ up and singing,” he said.

The lovable singer-actor received support from fans and famous friends on his Instagram post, which had more than 600 comments.

“Brother, we’ve been at this for a long time, said Ginny & Georgia actor Scott Porter. “We all go through it, and it is easy to forget it. Rest up, heal completely, and then lead with talent once again.”

“You are not your singing voice, my brother. Your voice is the amplification of your advocacy and your purpose that impacts humanity,” commented All My Children star Dondré T. Whitfield.

“Amen and Ase!! Be patient and kind to yourself as you heal!! Thanks for sharing,” another fan added.

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HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED...

Emmy Winner, 72, Says He Suffered a ‘Nervous Breakdown’

Roosa Rahkonen

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BRUSH WITH DEATH

Emmy Winner Was ‘Dead for Three Days’ in Medical Emergency

Muskaan Arshad

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Natalie DemareeReporter, The Looker

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