John Witherspoon Biography
John Witherspoon was an American comedian and actor who has performed in many films and television shows. Witherspoon well known for his role as Willie Jones for the Friday series, In 1987, Witherspoon also starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle, in 1992, Boomerang and Vampire In Brooklyn in 1995.
He has featured on television shows such as The Wayans Bros. between 1995 and 1999, The Tracy Morgan Show in 2003, Barnaby Jones in 1973, The Boondocks in 2005, The Five Heartbeats in 1991 and Black Jesus in 2014. He wrote a film, From the Old School, in which he played an elderly working man who tries to prevent a neighborhood convenience store from being developed into a strip club.
John Witherspoon Dead | John Witherspoon Cause of Death
Witherspoon died today at his home in Sherman Oaks. He died on October 30th, 2019. It was confirmed on Twitter by his son J.D. Witherspoon. “It is with the deepest sorrow that we can confirm our beloved husband and father, John Witherspoon, one of the hardest working men in show business, died today at his home in Sherman Oaks at the age of 77,” Witherspoon’s family said in a statement to Deadline. “He is survived by his wife Angela, and his sons JD, Alexander, and a large family.
We are all in shock, please give us a minute for a moment in privacy and we will celebrate his life and his work together. John used to say ‘I’m no big deal’, but he was a huge deal to us.” Details of the cause of his death have not yet been shared. This information is currently under review.
John Witherspoon Age
Born on January 27, 1942. Witherspoon is 77 years of age as of 2019.
John Witherspoon Net Worth
Witherspoon has an estimated net worth of $8 million as of 2018.
John Witherspoon Wife
Witherspoon married Angela Robinson in 1988. Angela Robinson Witherspoon is an American actress, producer, and director famously known as the wife of actor and comedian John Witherspoon. As an actress, Witherspoon has portrayed caretaker Cassie Campbell in the Season Twelve episodes “Surface Tension”, “A Good Husband”, and “Green Light”.
John Witherspoon Children
The happy couple has blessed two children, John David (“J.D.”) and Alexander. J.D. makes skits and gameplay videos on YouTube and currently hosts the mobile game show Confetti on Facebook Watch. His son’s godfather is David Letterman. Their son J.D. is known for making skits and gameplay videos on YouTube. He also currently hosts the mobile game show Confetti on Facebook Watch.
John Witherspoon Early Life
Born in Detroit, Michigan. John Weatherspoon changed his surname to “Witherspoon”. John is one of 11 siblings. An elder brother, William, became a songwriter in Detroit for Motown, who may be best known for the single “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”, which became a hit for Jimmy Ruffin.
Among the siblings, is Cato, who was a longtime director of the PBS-TV Network/CH56 in Detroit for almost four decades. The evangelist and the pastor of a Pentecostal church in Detroit Dr. Gertrude Stacks is their sister. Lamont Dozier a songwriter and record producer is also related to them.
However, John continued his passion for music and learned to play the trumpet and French horn.
John Witherspoon Movies | John Witherspoon TV Shows
While still working as a model, Witherspoon began to take a liking towards comedy in the 1960s and 1970s. He started his stand-up comedy career and as a result, he had many friends in the business, including Tim Reid, Robin Williams, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.
Witherspoon has performed in many comedy films, including Friday as well as Hollywood Shuffle, I’m Gonna Get You Sucka, Bird, House Party, and The Meteor Man.
Television
In the 1970s he made his first television appearance on the CBS television show Barnaby Jones, playing a camp counselor for drug-addicted youth, one of whom was played by Sean Penn in his first acting job. Subsequent performances were on Good Times, What’s Happening!! and The Incredible Hulk. Witherspoon became a regular on the series The Richard Pryor Show in 1977, an NBC American comedy series. It led to his appearance in the WKRP year 1978, In Cincinnati in the fourth season, episode 84. Witherspoon played Detective Davies.
Witherspoon appeared in Hill Street Blues in 1981, an NBC police drama, as a businessman who tries to buy a hotdog from an undercover Detective Belker. He had an appearance on L.A. Law, an NBC legal drama, in the episode “On Your Honor” as Mark Steadman in 1981. Did he feature in television series including You Again? as Osborne, which was an NBC comedy about women who lived in a majority-black apartment complex, and What’s Happening Now!!, the sequel to What’s Happening!!.
More
In 1988, a year later John Witherspoon was in Amen, an American television sitcom that ran on NBC, featuring as the bailiff. The show was known for being one of the shows during the 1980s that featured an almost entirely black cast.
In the House Party, Witherspoon played an irritated neighbor who is repeatedly woken up by the party and became known for his over-the-top characters. In the film, Boomerang Witherspoon plays Mr. Jackson, the ill-mannered father of Murphy’s best friend with Eddie Murphy. He tells Murphy’s “Marcus” to take the upper hand in his relationship with Robin Givens’s character “Jacqueline” simulating aggressive sex pumping his hips under the dinner table yelling “Bang bang…bang bang bang”
during a hilarious dinner scene. During his stand-up routines, the line has become a signature for Witherspoon and is often heard. In 1993, came spots on Townsend Television, Cosmic Slop in 1994, and Murder Was The Case later in 1994 as a drunk.
More
In 1997, he appeared in Fox’s Living Single episode “Three Men and a Buckeye” as Smoke Eye Howard. In the Wayans Bros. in 1995–1999, he did his largest role in a television series which aired on The WB and starred Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, who played brothers, Shawn and Marlon Williams. Witherspoon played their father, John “Pops” Williams.
The Kids’ WB animation series Waynehead, which was about a young boy growing up poor in the Harlem, New York City also featured Witherspoon. The show based on creator Damon Wayans’ life was aired on Saturday mornings.
John Witherspoon made a showing on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2003, a reality television show that selected the comedian out of a group and gave him a contract, in the Las Vegas finals. He performed in The Proud Family, an animated series that aired on Disney Channel in 2003, as Oran Jones in the episode “Adventures in Bebe Sitting.” He also performed in Kim Possible, an episode of another Disney Channel’s animated series.
Comedy
The Tracy Morgan Show the comedy series featured him as Spoon in all 18 episodes of the show. John Witherspoon was in Pryor Offenses, a television movie and played Willie the Wino in 2004. He was seen in the Comedy Central talk show Weekends at the D.L. in 2005, where he played the character of Michael Johnson. Moreover, He starred in Aaron McGruder’s animated series The Boondocks as “Robert Jebediah ‘Granddad’ Freeman”; In the same year.
The Cartoon Network series ran for four seasons. He performed in a television movie, Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc’s Street, in 2006, which was a story about a group of kids who find the true meaning of Christmas. Witherspoon plays Real Santa, a Christmas singer on the radio. John made an appearance on The Super Rumble Mixshow in 2008. He also appeared in Black Jesus, portraying Lloyd, a homeless man.
John Witherspoon starred in a Final Destination spoof with Shane Dawson on YouTube in 2011. Witherspoon featured on “Saturday (skit)”, from rapper Logic on his latest mixtape Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever in May 2013.
John Witherspoon Facebook
John Witherspoon Twitter
John Witherspoon Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Starting my new career as a painter. I call this piece “Bitch knocked the Shit out of Me!”
About InformationCradle Editorial Staff
This Article is produced by InformationCradle Editorial Staff which is a team of expert writers and editors led by Josphat Gachie and trusted by millions of readers worldwide.
We endeavor to keep our content True, Accurate, Correct, Original and Up to Date. For complain, correction or an update, please send us an email to informationcradle@gmail.com. We promise to take corrective measures to the best of our abilities.
