John Witherspoon, Comedian and Actor Who Starred in ‘Friday,’ Has Died at 77

Actor and comedian, John Witherspoon, died in his home on Tuesday, October 29th, at the age of 77. According to The Philadelphia Tribune, no cause of death was released. Famously known as Ice Cube’s dad in the film series “Friday,” Witherspoon is greatly loved by his family and fellow actors – including Eddie Murphy, Marlon Wayans, and Regina King. The Witherspoon family’s statement requests for a moment of privacy, and adds that “John used to say, ‘I'm no big deal,' but he was huge deal to us.”

Born in 1942 as John Weatherspoon, Witherspoon had a remarkable career in standup comedy. He made his feature debut in The Jazz Singer and appeared in various films. In addition to his famous role as Ice Cube’s grumpy father on “Friday,” he also appeared in the sequels Next Friday and Friday After Next.

Beyond acting, Witherspoon also had talent in voice acting as he voiced Gramps on the series The Boondocks. He also appeared on comedy series such as The Tracy Morgan Show and was a frequent guest on Late Show with David Letterman. Witherspoon kept his love for standup comedy by performing regularly even at the age of 77. His funeral is planned to be held in Los Angeles.

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Sources:
• https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/30/entertainment/john-witherspoon-dies/index.html?utm_source=fbCNN&utm_content=2019-10-30T08%3A45%3A05&utm_term=link&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2XdREWhqWCkM7VqG6_qYoVapWSADCUE4Sc8eKCNZ17uoPRJmjif9lT4sg
• https://deadline.com/2019/10/john-witherspoon-dead-obituary-comedian-friday-star-77-1202772258/
• https://www.phillytrib.com/obituaries/friday-actor-comedian-john-witherspoon-dies-at/article_2d0cda27-a6b6-561c-8db4-680de4c2e1ab.html