John Witherspoon Net Worth

How much was John Witherspoon worth?

Net Worth:$2 Million
Profession:Professional Actor
Date of Birth:January 27, 1942 (aged 77)
Country:United States of America
Height:
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

About John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon was an American actor and comedian. He began his acting career in his early twenties, in 1965. Throughout his long career, he starred in a variety of films and television series. Among some of his most popular roles are in the films Friday, Hollywood Shuffle, Boomerang, The Five Heartbeats, and Vampire in Brooklyn.

He spent most of his adulthood starring in television shows such as The Wayans Bros, The Tracy Morgan Show, The Boondocks, and Black Jesus to name a few. He also voiced several roles for Disney – The Proud Family, Randy Cunningham, and Kim Possible.

American actor and comedian John Witherspoon had an estimated net worth of $2 million dollars at the time of his death, in 2019. Witherspoon is probably his role as Willie Jones from the Friday series.

John Witherspoon is famous because of his acting roles in some of the classic comedies. He was born on January 27, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan. His original last name was Weatherspoon, however, he changed it before he began acting. He has 10 siblings, one of whom is his elder brother, William Weatherspoon, who is a well-known songwriter for Motown. In his teen years, John had a passion for music and soon, he taught himself how to play French horn and trumpet.

In his twenties, he occasionally worked as a model. Between the 1960 and 1970s, he became interested in acting and started practicing stand-up comedy. Shortly after that, he met many people in the business that he became friends with, one of which being Tim Reid (who at the time was working The Richard Pryor Show and WKRP in Cincinnati). Other established names in the business that he befriended were Robin Williams, David Letterman, and Jay Leno.

The skilled actor became rich after he began acting in several box-office hits. His very first television appearance was in the CBS’ Barnaby Jones, where he played the role of a camp counselor. Subsequently, in the mid-1970s, he was offered appearances in other television series such as What’s Happening!!, Good Times, and The Incredible Hulk. In 1977, he got his first regular role in The Richard Pryor Show. A few years later, he joined the WKRP in Cincinnati, where he portrayed the character of Detective Davies.

Throughout the 1980s, John Witherspoon continued to work mostly television series. He received supporting roles in Amen, Frank’s Place, and You Again, Frank’s Places. In 1980, he also starred in his first film – the musical drama The Jazz Singer.

Other notable roles from that decade are in the films Ratboy, Hollywood Shuffle, Bird, and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. In the final years of the 20th century, Witherspoon became even more wealthy after he performed in some of the classic 1990s films and television series.

What makes John Witherspoon so successful is his ability to act, especially in comedies. Working in the widely-popular comedies Killer Tomatoes Strike Back, Boomerang, and The Meteor Man helped the actor land his first main role in a film. He portrayed the character of Willie Jones in the 1995 comedy Friday. The film was a box-office success as it amassed $27.4 million, becoming his most successful production to take part in. Thanks to his performance, Witherspoon was asked to reprise his role in the sequels Next Friday and Friday After Next.

Also in 1995, simultaneously with filming the classic Friday, John Witherspoon landed a role in The Wayans Bros. In The WB sitcom, he portrayed the main role of “John Williams” and worked all five seasons of the show. Towards the early 2000s, he became the main cast of The Tracy Morgan Show with Tracy Morgan and also became working voice roles in the likes of The Proud Family, Dr. Doolittle 2, and The Boondocks.

In addition to his career as an actor, he also frequently did comedy tours around the United States. His last comedy tour began in 2009 and had 19 stops across the states. Shortly after its conclusion, it premiered on Showtime Network. Witherspoon’s final main roles were in the comedy television series The First Family and Black Jesus.

Summing-Up

John Witherspoon spent over 30 years in the entertainment business and he worked in some of the most memorable comedy films and television series. He started his career as a standup comedian and in no time received opportunities to star in well-received comedies and sitcoms.

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