Warning! Spoilers ahead for Poppa’s House.Damon Wayans Jr. stars with his father Damon Wayans Sr. inPoppa’s House, where they play father and son living next door to each other. Best known for his role as Coach onNew Girl, Wayans Jr. shares a reunion with former co-star Lamorne Morris, who guest stars in episode 10. Wayans Jr. reunited withNew Girlcostar Jake Johnson in the cop buddy comedyLet’s Be Cops, this marks his first on-screen appearance with Morris sinceNew Girl’s finale in 2018.
Continuingthe Wayans family history in show business, Wayans Jr.’s character, Junior, is an aspiring movie director who works at his father-in-law’s sales company to support his wife and two children. Morris’s character is Junior’s best friend from film school, Todd, now a rising director who has pretentiously rebranded himself as Prescott Valentine. This character is the antithesis of Morris’s sweet, quirky Winston Bishop fromNew Girl, making it interesting to see Wayans Jr. and Morris portray an almost inverted dynamic from their previous roles.
Winston Bishop Actor Lamorne Morris Reunites With Coach Actor Damon Wayans Jr. In Poppa’s House Episode 4
Prescott Valentine Is A Film School Friend Jealous Of Junior’s Wife
InPoppa’s Houseepisode 10, Wayans Jr.’s character Junior is excited to reconnect over dinner with Morris’s Prescott Valentine, since the latter just wrapped filming his alien invasion movie for Paramount. Junior’s wife Nina hopes Prescott has stopped blaming her for being the “Yoko Ono” that broke up her husband and his friend’s dream team. Prescott arrives with copies of the script for his sequel film, which he eagerly pushes Junior and Nina to act out.
Damon Wayans Jr. & Lamorne Morris Major Filmography Since New Girl
Jake Davis (main cast)
Junior (main cast)
Derrick #2 (recurring)
Daniel (recurring - 4 episodes)
Won an Emmy for his role
Movie
Garrett Morris
Junior’s excitement for Prescott blinds him to the fact that the script is a thinly veiled metaphor about how he would be better off without his family. Prescott offers his former partner a job working on the sequel as his second unit director, but with one condition: Junior needs to be fully focused, which means leaving his family behind.Prescott selfishly tells Junior that Nina has always held him back from achieving his dreams, but he defends his wife and the life they share, saying that his friend has “a nice house but not a home” before kicking him out.
Lamorne Morris’s Character In Poppa’s House Is Nothing Like Winston Bishop In New Girl
Prescott Valentine Is A Possessive, Condescending Friend
Winston Bishop is a proudly eccentric character, but Prescott Valentine has the cocky slickness of a Hollywood director. Coach was the cooler character inNew Girl, so it is interesting to see that dynamic reversed inPoppa’s House. Winston believed that relationships enrich rather than hinder personal growth—an outlook opposite to Prescott’s, who views Junior’s family as an obstacle holding him back. Winston’s friendships were rooted in genuine support, as shown in some ofCoach’s best episodes inNew Girl, whereasPrescott’s friendship with Junior inPoppa’s Houseis toxic and possessive.
Due to a scheduling conflict for Wayans Jr.,Winston replaced Coach after theNew Girlpilot, although Wayans Jr. was able to return in season 4.
Before he found his calling as a police officer, Winston had a variety of odd jobs — from sports radio station intern to nanny to parking lot attendant. Given this, he would never belittle someone for taking a less-than-dream job. Winston is crucial to helping Jessica Day find her way back to teaching when she was floundering inNew Girlseason 2. Conversely, Prescott is condescending about Junior’s job as a foam roller salesman inPoppa’s House. While Winston appreciates the importance of family, Prescott sees it as a burden, highlighting the stark difference in how each character values personal connections.
