It comes with great sorrow to announce that comedic actor, John Witherspoon passed away on Tuesday. While the cause of death is unknown, his impact in the motion picture industry is significantly celebrated. To date, Witherspoon has been in over 80 acting projects. Ever since he jump-started his career in the 1960’s, Witherspoon has starred in movies like Friday and its predecessors, Next Friday (2000) and Friday After Next (2002). The actor was also set to play in the sequel’s fourth film, Last Friday, which was still in pre-production. Besides this, Witherspoon has also appeared in the movies House Party, Vampire in Brooklyn, Bulworth and more.
On the small screen, he voiced the role of Gramps on The Boondocks and played John “Pops” Williams on The Wayans Bros, in which he gained immense traction. He even has made an appearance on the television series, Late Show with David Letterman from time to time. According to CBS News, he was scheduled to perform a series of dates at the Stand Up Live comedy club in Huntsville, Alabama next month. Another notable mention is the charity Witherspoon started with his wife. Essentially, the charities’ goal is to help aspiring artist strive in the industry by providing them with short-term grants.
Following the news, Witherspoon’s family released a statement on Twitter that reads, “It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away. He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you ‘POPS’ always & forever. – The Witherspoon Family.”
Earlier today, Witherspoon’s son, stand-up comic J.D payed his final respects through a tweet. Together with heartfelt pictures, J.D wrote “So…my Dad died today & honestly I’m not sure how to feel. I’m sad, but I’m also happy 4 all the great times we had together. We’d roast each other like homies more than Father & Son, and I really liked that. He was my best friend & my idol. Love U Dad…I’ll miss u.” To go off of what Twitter user, @KingWolf0095 said, “That’s not even my dad, but I feel like crying myself.”
We here at The Feature Presentation send our condolences.
