Witherspoon began his career as a comedian and debuted on television in the 1970s, appearing on several shows including "Barnaby Jones" and the comedy series Fr ...
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2 of 41 | Actor and comedian John Witherspoon, who became famous for his roles as father figure on television in the 70s and 80s, died on October 30, 2019 at his home in Sherman Oaks, in Los Angeles, California, at 77 .
3 of 41 | The legendary Cuban dancer Alicia Alonso died on October 17 at the age of 98 in a hospital in Havana. Alonso was born on December 21, 1920 and was famous for his wonderful interpretations of the great works of classical and romantic ballet. The Cuban was the first western dancer to appear in the Soviet Union, in 1957. Alonso broadly supported the Cuban Government, which considered her to be her highest artistic figure.
4 of 41 | Rip Taylor, famous actor and comedian, died on Sunday, October 6 at age 84.
5 of 41 | José José, popular Mexican singer and actor, died at age 71. Interpreter of innumerable successes, his talent also led him to dabble in television and in the cinema, where he starred in films such as Gavilán or Paloma, and forgive me everything. (Credit: Vince Bucci / Getty Images)
6 of 41 | A scene of Rob Garrison in Karate Kid. The actor died at age 53. He participated in the film saga and in the series Cobra Kai.
7 of 41 | J. Michael Mendel, Emmy-winning producer who worked on "Rick and Morty" and on "The Simpsons," died on September 24, two days before his 55th birthday. The reason for his death was not disclosed. (Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)
8 of 41 | Chef Carl Ruiz, of the La Cubana New York restaurant, passed away at age 44, the restaurant reported Sunday, September 22. The cause of death was not disclosed.
9 of 41 | Aron Eisenberg, who played Nog in the Star Trek spin-off "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," died at age 50, his widow reported on Saturday, September 21.
10 of 41 | Ric Ocasek, lead singer of The Cars, died on Sunday, September 15 at age 75.
11 of 41 | Eddie Money, the singer and songwriter known for the hits "Baby Hold On" and "Take Me Home Tonight," died on September 13 following complications of esophageal cancer.
12 of 41 | Camilo Sesto, a popular Spanish singer recognized for songs like "To live like this is to die of love", died at dawn on Sunday, September 8 in Madrid due to a cardiorespiratory arrest. I was 72 years old. (Credit: Carlos Alvarez / Getty Images)
13 of 41 | Mexican artist Francisco Toledo died on Thursday, September 5, at age 79.
14 of 41 | Kylie Rae Harris, a rising country singer from Texas, died on September 4 in a car accident in New Mexico.
15 of 41 | Valerie Harper, who achieved fame as Rhoda in the classic comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Rhoda," died on August 30 at age 80.
16 of 41 | On August 29, Xana, daughter of Luis Enrique Martínez, former technical director of Barcelona and the Spanish National Team, died. I was 9 years old. (Credit: JOSEP LAGO / AFP / Getty Images)
17 of 41 | Jessi Combs, the race car driver who won the title of "the fastest woman on four wheels", after setting a record with a car powered by a jet, died on August 28.
18 of 41 | On August 26, Isabel Toledo, the acclaimed Cuban-American designer, best known for creating Michelle Obama's inauguration dress in 2009 died
19 of 41 | On August 23, conservative billionaire David Koch died, who became a recognized man through the political and economic empire he created with his older brother, Charles. He was 79 years old.
20 of 41 | On August 21, Mexican musician Celso Piña died in Monterrey, Mexico. (Credit: ALFREDO ESTRELLA / AFP / Getty Images)
21 of 41 | Actor Peter Fonda died on August 16 at age 79. (Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)
22 of 41 | Actor Ben Unwin died at his home in Minyon Falls, in New South Wales, Australia, on August 14 at age 41. Unwin played an important role in the long-running novel, Home and Away, of Australian television. (Patrick Riviere / Getty Images).
23 of 41 | Saoirse Kennedy Hill, granddaughter of Robert Kennedy, died on August 1. He was 22 years old.
24 of 41 | Rutger Hauer, a Dutch actor who fought Harrison Ford in the sci-fi classic Blade Runner and excelled in the roles of evil, died on July 19 after a brief illness
25 of 41 | Rip Torn, American actor known for his roles in "Men in Black" and "The Larry Sanders Show" died on July 9 at age 88.
26 of 41 | Ross Perot, the billionaire tycoon who launched himself to the US presidency Twice, he died on July 9. In 1992, he was third after Bill Clinton and George HW Bush.
27 of 41 | Actor Cameron Boyce, who was the star of the Disney Channel, died on July 7. I was 20 years old. He died while sleeping after convulsing due to a health problem.
28 of 41 | The icon of the car industry Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler from bankruptcy in the 80s, died on June 2 at 94.
29 of 41 | Baseball player Tyler Skaggs of the Los Angeles Angels died July 1 at age 27. He was found lifeless in a hotel room in a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth.
30 of 41 | Gloria Vanderbilt, a famous designer, artist and socialite, died on June 17. It was the mother of Anderson Cooper. He was 95 years old.
31 of 41 | Niki Lauda, who recovered from an almost fatal accident and was one of the world's greatest motorists, died on May 27 at 70. The Austrian was a three-time Formula One champion.
32 of 41 | IM Pei, a finished architect who designed the Louvre museum pyramid, died on May 16 at the age of 102.
33 of 41 | Doris Day, movie box office star and singer, died at age 97 on May 13.
34 of 41 | Peggy Lipton, an award-winning actress who appeared in "Mod Squad" and "Twin Peaks," died of cancer on May 11 at age 72.
35 of 41 | Peter Mayhew, the actor who first played Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies, died on April 30 at 74.
36 of 41 | John Singleton, the director of "Boyz n the Hood" and "2 Fast 2 Furious," died on April 29 at age 51.
37 of 41 | Rapper Nipsey Hussle died on March 31 in a shooting near a clothing store he owned in Los Angeles. He was 33 years old. He was nominated for the best rap album at the Grammy this year.
38 of 41 | Actor Luke Perry, famous for his role in "Beverly Hills 90210," died on March 4 at age 52.
39 of 41 | Acclaimed British actor Albert Finney, five times an Oscar nominee, died on February 7. He was 82 years old.
40 of 41 | Fran Robinson, the first black baseball player in Major League Baseball, died on February 7 at age 83.
41 of 41 | Tony Mendez, the CIA agent whose character Ben Affleck played in "Argo" (2012), died on January 19. The film was based on the operation to get six Americans out of Iran in 1979. (CNN) - Actor and comedian John Witherspoon, whose funny performances of father figure characters in iconic scenes in several movies and television shows, including "Friday," died at his home on Tuesday, a spokesman told CNN family.
"With the deepest grief we can confirm that our beloved husband and father, John Witherspoon, one of the most hardworking men in the entertainment world, died today at his home in Sherman Oaks at 77," his family said in a statement .
Witherspoon is survived by his wife, two children and "a large family," the statement said.
“We are all in shock, please give us a minute for a moment in privacy and we will celebrate your life and your work together. John used to say 'It's not a big deal', but it was a big deal for us. ”
- READ: The Cuban dancer Alicia Alonso dies
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 pic.twitter.com/ov9P34kaMn
- John Witherspoon (@John_POPS_Spoon) October 30, 2019
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Witherspoon began his career as a comedian and debuted on television in the 1970s, appearing on shows that include the detective series "Barnaby Jones."
He was possibly best known for playing Ice Cube's father in the movie series "Friday." The 1995 comedy and its sequels, "Next Friday" and "Friday After Next," narrate evidence of a man as he tries to spend the day.
"I am devastated by the death of John Witherspoon," Ice Cube wrote on Twitter. "Life will not be so fun without him."
Witherspoon also played Dad, John "Pops" Williams, one of the main characters in the comedy "The Wayans Bros." and was "Spoon" on NBC's "The Tracy Morgan Show." The actor also had roles in the films "Boomerang" and "Vampire in Brooklyn," both starring Eddie Murphy.
"I'm sad. Broken. It hurts… but extremely grateful to God for having spent 5 years of my life working with one of the most fun, sweet, wise, humble and kind men, ”Marlon Wayans wrote on Instagram, in homage to his dad on television. "Thank God for the many, many laughs we share on and off the set."
View this post on Instagram
I'm sad Broken. Hurt .. yet extremely grateful to God that i got to spend 5 years of my life working with one of the funniest sweetest wisest humblest loving man @johnnywitherspoon you were my tv dad and my mentor and my friend. I miss you already. Something don't feel right. This is heavy on my heart. Anyone that knows me knows how much i love pops. You have a strong wife and great kids. What an amazing family. Your boys damn near grew up on the #WayansBros set they'll always be like my little brothers and sons. i will pass on all the jewels that you bestowed on to us. Thank you God for the many many many laughs that we shared on and off the set. You got “all the keys 🔑“ and i know you got one to heaven's gate. Anytime i want to laugh or to see you I'm gonna put on a episode of wayans bros and laugh until i cry. I miss already… hope your dancing in heaven with ugly white shoes on. "Pops pops sugar pops." #ripjohnwitherspoon #mysecondpops
A post shared by Marlon Wayans (@marlonwayans) on Oct 29, 2019 at 11:39 pm PDT
"My dad, my grandfather, my comic inspiration," actress Regina King wrote on Twitter Tuesday night. “I love you, Spoon! Rest in paradise, king. ”
The two worked together on "Friday" and the animated program "The Boondocks," which aired from 2005 to 2014 and offered a satirical version of African-American culture and politics.
Witherspoon made the voice of "Grandfather", one of the grumpy Freemans of the program.
He had recently said on the podcast "Joe Rogan Experience" that he could return to paper after Sony Pictures Animation announced plans to bring the series back.
Actress Marsha Warfield also paid tribute to the comic.
"I'm sorry to hear this," he said. "For me, Spoon was a friend, a brother, a funny and talented comedian and a good man."
John Whiterspoon
