“Put some hot sauce on my burrito, baby” is one of the funniest lines I ever heard from the movie Next Friday, starring Ice Cube alongside comedian Mike Epps and other comedic acts, Don “DC” Curry, Clifton Powell and Kym Whitley. However, this line was from no other than the late-great John Witherspoon, who played the father of Ice Cube’s character, Craig, in the Friday series.
As of last night, news broke out stating that Mr. John Witherspoon had passed away and it came to a huge shock to many who loved and adored his work.
As most know, John Witherspoon is one of the most iconic comedians of all time and has been since his early appearances on Good Times and The Richard Pryor Show in the 1970s. However, it wasn’t until the late 1980s into the mid-1990s that John Witherspoon would be highly recognized for his witty and memorable catchphrases.
Appearing in such films like I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, House Party, Boomerang, The Five Heartbeats, and of course his most well-known role as Willie Jones in the blockbuster hit Friday, John Witherspoon had always been very unique in his style of comedy. This would eventually lead to the TV screen as he would play Pops in The Wayans Bros and Robert “Grandad” Freeman in Adult Swim’s The Boondocks.
According to the many actors who worked with Mr. Witherspoon, his peers would often regard him as a genuine and loving soul.
One of the reasons why many, including myself, was hurt by the sudden passing of Mr. Witherspoon is because of his TV father figure persona and how his acting was very pivotal in our childhoods.
One of the many quotes that I would always remember in memory of John Witherspoon is the scene in the movie Friday when Craig decides to grab his gun to protect him and Smokey, where then Mr. Jones (Witherspoon) taught him briefly of the consequences of using a gun.
“You win some. You lose some. But you live. You live to fight another day” said Mr. Jones as he was telling Craig that his hands would always be the smarter choice in self-defense.
As black men in America, it is highly portrayed in the media that we do not have strong black role models in our lives to teach us how to be a man. But I know for a fact, for anyone who had seen Friday, that scene sparked the brains of many growing up in urban America, in knowing how to navigate strategically in this world.
We are deeply saddened by his passing and we are sending prayers to his family in their time of grief.
Rest in power to a true king, a man with such class, the one and only, John “BANG BANG” Witherspoon.
What are your thoughts? Leave us with comments of love and remembrance of the legendary John Witherspoon. He will be deeply missed! Subscribe to us at TUC Media for more articles! #TRU
