John Witherspoon (actor)
John Witherspoon (né Weatherspoon, January 27, 1942 – October 29, 2019), was an American character actor and stand-up comedian who performed in various television shows and films. Witherspoon played Willie Jones in the Friday series, and starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Boomerang (1992), The Five Heartbeats (1991), and Vampire in Brooklyn (1995). In addition, Witherspoon made appearances on television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1994), The Wayans Bros. (1995–1999), The Tracy Morgan Show (2003), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Boondocks (2005–2014), and Black Jesus (2014–2019). 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 | |
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Witherspoon in 2019 | |
Born | John Weatherspoon January 27, 1942 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | October 29, 2019 77) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S. | (aged
Burial place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills, California, U.S. |
Other names | Pops |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1977–2019 |
Spouse |
Angela Robinson (m. 1988) |
Children | 2 |