John Witherspoon (born John Weatherspoon; January 27, 1942) is an American actor and comedian who has performed in many television shows and films.^[1]

Best known for his role as Willie Jones for the Friday series,^[1] Witherspoon has also starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Boomerang (1992) and Vampire In Brooklyn (1995).^[1] He has also made appearances on television shows such as The Wayans Bros. (1995–99), The Tracy Morgan Show (2003), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Boondocks (2005–present), The Five Heartbeats (1991) and Black Jesus (2014).^[1] 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 Weatherspoon was born in Detroit, Michigan.^[2] He later 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. Another sibling, Cato, was a longtime director of the PBS-TV Network/CH56 in Detroit for almost four decades. Their sister, Dr. Gertrude Stacks, is a evangelist and the pastor of a Pentecostal church in Detroit. The family is also related to songwriter and record producer Lamont Dozier.

John continued his passion for music and learned to play the trumpet and French horn.

Witherspoon worked occasionally as a model.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Witherspoon began to take a liking towards comedy.

During that time he began his stand-up comedy career.

As a result, he had many friends in the business, including Tim Reid (while he was working on WKRP in Cincinnati and The Richard Pryor Show), Robin Williams (also on The Richard Pryor Show), Jay Leno, and David Letterman.

Witherspoon has performed in many feature films (usually comedies), including Friday (and its sequel Next Friday) as well as Hollywood Shuffle, I'm Gonna Get You Sucka, Bird, Vampire in Brooklyn , and The Meteor Man.^[2]

Witherspoon is also known for his over-the-top characters in films like House Party, in which he played an irritated neighbor who is repeatedly woken up by the party. In the film Boomerang with Eddie Murphy where he plays Mr Jackson, the ill-mannered father of Murphy's best friend. During a hilarious dinner scene, 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". The line has become a signature for Witherspoon and is often heard during his stand-up routines.

His first television appearance was on the 1970s 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. In 1977, he became a regular on the series The Richard Pryor Show, an NBC American comedy series. This then led to his appearance in WKRP In Cincinnati

In 1981, he appeared in Hill Street Blues, an NBC police drama, as a businessman who tries to buy a hotdog from an undercover Detective Belker. In 1981, he had an appearance on L.A. Law, an NBC legal drama, in the episode "On Your Honor" as Mark Steadman. He appeared in other television series including You Again? as Osborne, 227, 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!!.

A year later Witherspoon was in Amen

Next came spots on Townsend Television (1993), Cosmic Slop (1994), and Murder Was The Case

He appeared in Fox's Living Single (1997) episode "Three Men and a Buckeye" as Smoke Eye Howard. His largest role in a television series was in The Wayans Bros. (1995–1999) 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.

Witherspoon was on the Kids' WB animation series Waynehead, which was about a young boy growing up poor in the Harlem, New York City. The show was aired on Saturday mornings and was based on creator Damon Wayans' life.

In 2003, Witherspoon made a showing on NBC's Last Comic Standing, a reality television show that selected the comedian out of a group and gave him a contract, in the Las Vegas finals. Also in 2003, he performed in The Proud Family, an animated series that aired on Disney Channel, as Oran Jones in the episode "Adventures in Bebe Sitting." He also performed in an episode of another Disney Channel's animated series, Kim Possible

He starred in the comedy series The Tracy Morgan Show

In 2004 he was in Pryor Offenses, a television movie and played Willie the Wino. In 2005, he was seen in the Comedy Central talk show Weekends at the D.L. where he played the character of Michael Johnson. In the same year he began starring in Aaron McGruder's animated series The Boondocks as "Robert Jebediah 'Granddad' Freeman"; this Cartoon Network series ran for four seasons. In 2006 he performed in a television movie, Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc's Street, a story about a group of kids who find the true meaning of Christmas. In the movie he plays Real Santa, a Christmas singer on the radio. His next appearance was on The Super Rumble Mixshow in 2008. He also appeared in another Aaron McGruder series, Black Jesus, portraying Lloyd, a homeless man.

In 2011 he starred in a Final Destination spoof with Shane Dawson on YouTube. In May 2013 he featured on "Saturday (skit)", from rapper Logic on his latest mixtape Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever

John Witherspoon has appeared in a number of music videos in the music industry.

He was in the music video for hip-hop superstar Jay-Z's 2000 single "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)". He was also in Field Mob's music video for their song "Sick of Being Lonely". Other music movies include Goodie Mob's "They Don't Dance No Mo'" and LL Cool J's "Ain't Nobody".

Witherspoon went back to his comedian roots and started a comedy tour that premiered on television on March 28, 2008 on Showtime Network. On his 2009 tour, he had 19 stops across the country. In December 2011, Witherspoon performed his stand up comedy act once again on stage at the Funny Bone comedy club at Harrah's Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.

In 1988, Witherspoon married Angela Robinson.

They have two children, John David ("J.D.")

and Alexander. J.D.

is known for making skits and gameplay videos on YouTube, and currently hosts the mobile game show Confetti on Facebook Watch. David Letterman is the godfather to Witherspoon's two sons.

Death

On 30th October, 2019 his family announced that he died in his hometown, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. The statement reads: "It is with 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." ^[15]

John Witherspoon, veteran actor and comedian, best known for starring as Mr. Jones in the Friday movie series, and voicing Gramps on The Boondocks, died on October 29, 2019.

He was 77.

Witherspoon is survived by his wife, Angela Robinson-Witherspoon, whom he married in 1988, and their two children, Alexander Witherspoon and John David Witherspoon.

A cause of death was not immediately given.

Witherspoon was one of 11 siblings, among them Dr. Gertrude Stacks.^[undefined]

His family confirmed in a statement to Deadline: “It is with 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.

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.”^[undefined]