Comedian actor John Witherspoon has died at the age of 77. The cause of his death has yet to be confirmed.
On Tuesday (Oct. 29), Witherspoon’s family made a statement.
“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.”
Witherspoon was a five star comedian with a very bright personality that made many people laugh for decades. Most famous for his role in Friday, Witherspoon has been in some of the best cult-classic films, such as The Jazz Singer, Hollywood Shuffle, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, House Party, The Five Heartbeats, Boomerang, The Wayans Bros. and Vampire In Brooklyn.
He also said some of the best memorable lines, including “You got to coordinate”, “From the roota to the toota”, “Bang Bang Bang Bang”, “Don’t tell nobody” and “Yeaaahhhh boy.”
His peer, Ice Cube, took to Twitter to express his grief. “I’m devastated over the passing of John Witherspoon. Life won’t be as funny without him,” the rapper posted.
Regina King, who worked with Witherspoon on The Boondocks, posted an endearing message on Twitter. “My dad, my grandpa, my comedic inspiration! I love you Spoons! Rest In Paradise, King
The Boondocks was set to do a reboot on HBO Max in which many fans were anticipating Witherspoon’s return to the series as “Granddad”.
The Detroit born actor started his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian. He made his first TV appearance on Barnaby Jones in the 1970s before transitioning into film.
Witherspoon was one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. At the time of his death, he was still doing YouTube videos, stand-up and TV and film projects.
Watch John Witherspoon talk about death
He’s survived by his wife of over 30 years, Angela Robinson, and two children.
