Hailing from Detroit, Witherspoon came into the world as John Weatherspoon in 1942.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Consistently a staple in Hollywood, Witherspoon’s storied career included the epic Friday franchise (the actor was set to reprise his role in the third installment, Last Friday, but the project hasn’t begun filming at this time, per The Hollywood Reporter), Hollywood Shuffle, The Wayans Bros., The Richard Pryor Show, The Incredible Hulk, Good Times, The Tracy Morgan Show, Vampire in Brooklyn, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Boomerang, Black Jesus, Boondocks and much, much more. Beginning his acting career in 1977 (as well as a stand-up comedy career in the late 1970s), Witherspoon continued to shine onscreen and bless the audience well into his seventies.

Advertisement

Netflix’s Strong Black Legends podcast had the honor of interviewing Witherspoon. Their podcast’s mission is to give (both literal and figurative) flowers to black staples while they’re still with us. With Witherspoon’s interview, they accomplished just that.

Strong Black Legends: John Witherspoon / Netflix (YouTube)

Witherspoon is survived by his wife Angela Robinson and his two sons J.D. and Alexander.

Advertisement

“I’m sad, but I’m also happy for all the great times we had together,” J.D. tweeted on Tuesday evening. “We’d roast each other like homies more than Father & Son, and I really liked that.”

Advertisement

Rest in Power, Pops. You’ll always have a place in our hearts.