A true multi-hyphenate, Dewayne Perkins is a writer, producer, actor and comedian who has emerged as one of the most-watched Black queer creatives in film and television today. Named one of Variety's “Comics to Watch,” Vulture's “Comedians You Should and Will Know,” and one of The New York Times'; “Queer Young Comics Redefining American Humor,” Perkins has steadily built his comedic portfolio over the years and his work has earned him Emmy, WGA, and Image award nominations.

This year Perkins can be seen starring in the highly anticipated Seth Rogen comedy series “The Studio,” opposite Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, and more. Set to follow the newly appointed head of a legacy Hollywood movie studio (Rogen), who is desperate for celebrity approval, he and his executive team must juggle corporate demands with creative ambition as they try to keep movies alive and relevant. “The Studio” premiered on AppleTV+ on March 26, 2025. Perkin’s role in “The Studio” will premiere on the heels of his most recent on-screen appearance opposite Keke Palmer and SZA in Sony’s feature film “One of Them Days,” which has been hailed by critics and earned a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In 2023 Perkins starred in the award-winning feature film "The Blackening" (Lionsgate) which he co-wrote alongside Tracy Oliver. Based on his critically acclaimed Comedy Central digital short of the same name that went viral with over 15 million views, Perkins co-wrote the script, produced the film, and starred opposite Antoinette Robinson, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah. "The Blackening" premiered as a 2022 Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness selection and had its theatrical release in June 2023, with critics saying “’The Blackening’ is hands-down one of the best comedies of the year,” (Deadline), “… screenwriter Perkins delivers a star making performance… your attention never leaves Perkins when he’s onscreen” (Los Angeles Times), “‘The Blackening’ works so triumphantly…” (Wired) and more. “The Blackening” earned nominations from the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, the GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Film, and the Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Ensemble. Alongside film nominations, Perkins was individually nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) category, as well as for a Black Reel Award for his Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. Perkins is currently in development with MRC and Lionsgate on the film’s sequel alongside Tracy Oliver and E. Brian Dobbins.

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Perkins graduated from Curie High School and was the first Black male student to receive an International Baccalaureate Diploma. He went on to attend DePaul University where he continued to hone his craft in writing and comedy. He worked at Second City and performed at iO Theater, and was a member of the improv trio 3Peat, where the sketch "The Blackening" was developed. As the sketch went viral, Perkins quickly became in demand across the entertainment industry. One of his first big breaks was becoming a staff writer on "The Break with Michelle Wolf" for Netflix, before he joined the writing staff for season seven of Fox’s smash-hit comedy series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" as the only Black writer. Additional writing credits for Perkins include "The Amber Ruffin Show" (Peacock), and he holds producing credits on NBC's "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," Peacock's "Saved by the Bell" and Amazon’s “Sausage Party,” to name just a few.

As an actor, Perkins has appeared on Netflix's ";The Upshaws," Peacock's "Saved by the Bell," and IFC's critically acclaimed sketch series "Sherman's Showcase." On the writing front, he has written for the WGA Awards, The Webby Awards, and the White House Correspondents Dinner, where one of his jokes was listed in The New Yorker's "Best Jokes of 2018."

While working in film and television keeps Perkins busy, he has an innate love for stand-up comedy and has been named one of Comedy Centra's "Up Next" comedians, a 2019 “New Face” at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, one of TimeOut New York's "Breakout LGBTQ Comedians to Watch," and was also a finalist on NBC's "Stand Up." He has also performed at Comedy Central's Clusterfest, SF Sketchiest, and NBC's Breakout Festival.

Perkins currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, where he remains hard at work on a multitude of projects currently in development.