---
name: "John Witherspoon"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-witherspoon"
fi1m_id: "john-witherspoon"
imdb_id: "nm0936762"
tmdb_id: 56902
wikidata_id: "Q1702204"
roles: []
born: "27 January 1942"
died: "29 October 2019"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-04T23:04:10.236989+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# John Witherspoon

## Identity

John Witherspoon

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-witherspoon
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-witherspoon
- **IMDb ID:** nm0936762
- **TMDB ID:** 56902
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1702204
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Witherspoon_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1702204, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936762/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56902

Actor. Born 27 January 1942 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Died 29 October 2019.

## Details

- **Born:** 27 January 1942, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- **Died:** 29 October 2019
- **Active:** 1992–2014
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 60 (1), 2010s 91 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Witherspoon_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1702204, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936762/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56902

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Boomerang*](https://film.one/film/boomerang.md) (60)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

John Witherspoon was an American actor and comedian. Born John Weatherspoon on 27 January 1942 in Detroit, Michigan, he died on 29 October 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

He began his career as a stand-up comedian in the 1970s and appeared in films including *Hollywood Shuffle* (1987), *House Party* (1990), *Boomerang* (1992) as Mr. Jackson, and the *Friday* series (1995–2002) as Mr. Jones. On television he played Pops on *The Wayans Bros.* (1995–1999) and voiced Granddad on *The Boondocks* (2005–2014).

Witherspoon was married to Angela Robinson from 1988 until his death; they had two sons.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *BoJack Horseman* (2014), Fi1m 91, as Franco Aplenty (voice) — [page](https://film.one/tv/bojack-horseman.md)
- *Boomerang* (1992), Fi1m 60, as Mr. Jackson — [page](https://film.one/film/boomerang.md)

## Complete filmography (67)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Boosters LA* (2022), as Luther
- *Reality Queen!* (2020), as Joe The Plumber
- *I Got the Hook Up 2* (2019), as Mr. Mimm
- *White Famous* (2017), series, as Limo Driver
- *black-ish* (2014), series, as James Brown
- *BoJack Horseman* (2014), series, as Franco Aplenty (voice) — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/tv/bojack-horseman.md)
- *Black Jesus* (2014), series, as Lloyd
- *The First Family* (2012), series, as Grandpa Alvin
- *Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja* (2012), series, as S. Ward Smith (voice)
- *Anger Management* (2012), series, as Will
- *A Thousand Words* (2012), as Blind Man
- *Chick Magnet* (2011), as John (uncredited)
- *Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen* (2010), as John
- *The Hustle* (2008), as Mr. Wikes
- *After Sex* (2007), as Gene
- *Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-roc's Street* (2006), as Real Santa/Christmas Singer on a Radio (voice)
- *Little Man* (2006), as Pops
- *The Boondocks* (2005), series, as Robert Freeman (voice)
- *Soul Plane* (2004), as Blind Man
- *The Tracy Morgan Show* (2003), series, as Spoon
- *Friday After Next* (2002), as Mr. Jones
- *Kim Possible* (2002), series, as Wayne (voice)
- *Dr. Dolittle 2* (2001), as Zoo Bear #2 (voice)
- *Little Nicky* (2000), as Street Vendor
- *The Ladies Man* (2000), as Scrap Iron
- *Next Friday* (2000), as Mr. Jones
- *High Freakquency* (1998), as Wes Thomas
- *I Got the Hook-Up* (1998), as Mr. Mimm
- *Bulworth* (1998), as Reverend Morris
- *Ride* (1998), as Roscoe
- *Fakin' Da Funk* (1997), as Bill
- *Sprung* (1997), as Detective
- *Vampire in Brooklyn* (1995), as Silas Green
- *Friday* (1995), as Mr. Jones
- *Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child* (1995), series, as Scofflaw (voice)
- *Murder Was the Case* (1995), as Drunk #1
- *The Wayans Bros.* (1995), series, as John 'Pops' Williams
- *Cosmic Slop* (1994), as Homeless Man #1 (segment 'The First Commandment')
- *Fatal Instinct* (1993), as Arch
- *The Meteor Man* (1993), as Clarence James Carter III
- *Martin* (1992), series, as Uncle Junior
- *Bebe's Kids* (1992), as Card Player #1 (voice)
- *Boomerang* (1992), as Mr. Jackson — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/boomerang.md)
- *Killer Tomatoes Strike Back!* (1991), as Evan Rood
- *Talkin' Dirty After Dark* (1991), as Dukie
- *Sunday in Paris* (1991), as Fredic Dickson
- *The Five Heartbeats* (1991), as Wild Rudy
- *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* (1990), series, as Augustus Adams
- *House Party* (1990), as Mr. Strickland
- *Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 4* (1989), Actor
- *Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 3* (1989), Actor
- *I'm Gonna Git You Sucka* (1988), as Reverend
- *Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 2* (1988), Actor
- *Kidnapped* (1988), as Pimp
- *Bird* (1988), as Sid
- *Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 1* (1987), Actor
- *Hollywood Shuffle* (1987), as Mr. Jones
- *Ratboy* (1986), as Heavy
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Mark Steadman
- *227* (1985), series, Actor
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, Actor — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *The Jazz Singer* (1980), as M.C. Cinderella Club
- *WKRP in Cincinnati* (1978), series, Actor
- *The Incredible Hulk* (1977), series, as Tom
- *The Richard Pryor Show* (1977), series, Actor
- *What's Happening!!* (1976), series, as DJ
- *Good Times* (1974), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![John Witherspoon](https://film.one/media/person/490479/gallery-cbdf968e9544.png) John Witherspoon — Sister Circle TV, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/JohnWithersppon2019_%28Cropped%29.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![John Witherspoon](https://film.one/media/person/490479/gallery-392e596285e7.jpg) John Witherspoon — Image via TMDB
- ![John Witherspoon](https://film.one/media/person/490479/gallery-b8a445a0f718.jpg) John Witherspoon — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/john-witherspoon