
Acting
Jan 26, 1942
Detroit, Michigan, USA
John Witherspoon
Acting
Biography
John Witherspoon was an African-American comedian and actor who has roles in over 20 movies and television shows. Acting for over three decades, Witherspoon starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Boomerang (1992), and the Friday film series. He also made appearances on television shows such as Barnaby Jones (1973), The Wayans Brothers (1994-99), The Tracy Morgan Show (2003), and Boondocks (2005). He has also taken his success in acting into screenwriting a movie called From the Old School where he takes the role as an elderly working man who tries to prevent a neighborhood convenience store from being developed into a strip club. Witherspoon released The John Witherspoon Collection, a line of comical greeting cards known as Spoon Cards.
Feature Films (47)

Craig and Smokey are two guys in Los Angeles hanging out on their porch on a Friday afternoon, smoking and drinking, looking for something to do.
Friday

A streetwise man flees South Central Los Angeles heading to the suburbs and his lottery-winner uncle and cousin to avoid a neighborhood thug with a grudge who has just escaped from prison. But trouble soon follows and the suburbs will never be the same.
Next Friday

Marcus is a successful advertising executive who woos and beds women almost at will. After a company merger he finds that his new boss, the ravishing Jacqueline, is treating him in exactly the same way. Completely traumatised by this, his work goes badly downhill.
Boomerang

Detective Rita Veder is assigned to a baffling serial murder case. After examining the crime scene — a corpse-filled ship found adrift at sea — she meets Maximilian, a smooth-talking Caribbean playboy determined to romance her.
Vampire in Brooklyn

After leaving prison, dwarf criminal Calvin Sims joins his moron brother Percy in stealing an expensive huge diamond from a jewelry store for the mobster Walken. They are chased by the police, and Calvin hides the stone in the purse of executive Vanessa Edwards, whose husband Darryl Edwards wants to have a baby. Percy convinces Calvin to dress like a baby and be left in front of the Edwards' house to get inside the house and retrieve the diamond. Darryl and Vanessa keep Calvin for the weekend and decide to adopt him, while Walken threatens Darryl to get the stone back.
Little Man

Following a ridiculously awful flight that leads to his pet's death, Nashawn Wade files a lawsuit against the airline, and wins a multimillion-dollar settlement. Determined to create a better flying experience, Nashawn starts his own airline, one that caters to an African-American clientele. Going into business with a tricked-out plane piloted by the smooth Capt. Mack, the airline hits a snag when it has to deal with the family of Elvis Hunkee.
Soul Plane

Aspiring actor and hot-dog stand employee Bobby Taylor catches the ire of his grandmother for auditioning for a role in the regrettably titled exploitation film "Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge." When Tinseltown Studios casts Taylor in the title role, he has a series of conflicted dreams satirizing African-American stereotypes in Hollywood, and must reconcile his career goals with his desire to remain a positive role model for his little brother.
Hollywood Shuffle

D-Roc, Dee-Dee, DJ, Money, Lissette, Slim, Chad, Gwenny, and Soo Young are working together to find a way to bring the true meaning of Christmas home to less fortunate young Gavin and his family.
Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-roc's Street

Two pairs of best friends - Montel & Clyde and Brandy & Adina meet at the party, where Clyde makes Adina think he is very rich and gets her into bed the same evening. When Adina finds out that she's been fooled, she becomes Clyde's worst enemy. Meanwhile Montel and Brandy fall in love and plan to marry, and Adina and Clyde try to do everything to stop them.
Sprung

You know John Witherspoon as Ice Cube's outrageously funny, dog-catching dad in the smash urban trilogy Friday, Next Friday, and Friday After Next. You remember him from Boomerang, Little Nicky, and Little Man, and as "Pops" on the long-running syndicated sitcom The Wayans Brothers. His countless movie and television roles, along with his signature catchphrases, "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" and "You Got to Coordinate!" have made him a pop culture icon. Once you've seen Witherspoon's outrageous stage performance, you understand why he's earned the reputation as one of America's best stand-up comedians.
You Got to Coordinate

Chinese kid Julian, who was adopted by the black family of Joe and Annabelle Lee -- and Asian exchange student May-Ling, who is housed with a black family -- are trying to adapt to their mostly black neighborhood of South Central.
Fakin' Da Funk

Because of his salacious language, late-night radio advice-show host Leon Phelps, along with his sweet and loyal producer Julie, is fired from his Chicago gig. Leon gets a letter from a former lover promising a life of wealth, but he doesn't know who she is. Can Leon find his secret sugar-mama? What about Julie?
The Ladies Man
Television & Series (26)

Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.
Good Times

Sassy sitcom centering on radio and television personality Martin Payne. Series focuses on his romantic relationship with girlfriend Gina, her best friend Pam and escapades with best friends Tommy and Cole.
Martin

When a Cincinnati radio station switches from sedate music to top-40 rock 'n' roll, its staff of oddball characters is forced to switch gears quickly. New programming director Andy Travis brings in a new DJ named Venus Flytrap to work with the station's burned-out veteran, Dr. Johnny Fever. Neurotic newsman Les Nessman, eager beaver Bailey Quarters, sleazy salesman Herb Tarlek, blonde bombshell Jennifer Marlowe, who serves as the station's ultra-capable receptionist, and station manager Arthur Carlson, whose domineering mother owns WKRP, round out the eccentric bunch.
WKRP in Cincinnati

The high-powered law firm of McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak handles both criminal and civil cases, usually for high fees. However, office politics and romance often distract the legal staffers from matters in the courtroom.








