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Jimmie Walker

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This article is about the actor. For the mayor of New York, see Jimmy Walker. For other people, see Jimmy Walker (disambiguation).
Jimmie Walker
Walker in 2015
Born
James Carter Walker Jr.

(1947-06-25) June 25, 1947 (age 77)
New York City, U.S.
EducationTheodore Roosevelt High School
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian
Years active1969–present
Known forJ.J. Evans – Good Times
Websitejimmiejjwalkerdynomite.com
On Good Times (1973), L–R: Ralph Carter, BernNadette Stanis, Jimmie Walker, Esther Rolle, and John Amos

James Carter Walker Jr. (born June 25, 1947) is an American actor and comedian. He portrayed James ("J.J.") Evans Jr., the older son of James Evans Sr. and Florida Evans, on the CBS television comedy series Good Times. The show ran from 1974 to 1979, and Walker was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1975 and 1976 for his role as J.J. On Good Times, Walker's character was known for his catchphrase "Dyn-o-mite!", and the actor later used it in his mid-1970s TV commercials for Panasonic cassette and 8-track tape players and in a 2021–2023 public announcement for Medicare. Walker also starred in Let's Do It Again (1975) with John Amos, and The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened (1977) with James Earl Jones. Walker continues to tour the country with his stand-up comedy routine.[1][2]

Early life

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Walker was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in the Bronx.[3] He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in New York City. Through a New York State funded program known as SEEK (Search for Education, Evaluation, and Knowledge), he continued his studies and entered into the field of radio engineering with WRVR. As a young man, Walker was a vendor at Yankee Stadium, starting with the 1964 World Series.

Career

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In 1967, Walker began working full-time with WRVR, the radio station of the Riverside Church. In 1969, Walker began performing as a stand-up comedian and was eventually discovered by the casting director for Good Times, after making appearances on Rowan & Martin's Laugh In and on the Jack Paar Show. He eventually released one stand-up comedy album during the height of his Good Times popularity: Dyn-o-mite on Buddah Records (5635). During Good Times' 1974–75 season, Walker was 26 years old, though his character was much younger. John Amos, the actor who portrayed Walker's father on Good Times, was actually just eight years older than Walker.

Walker credits producer/director John Rich for inventing "Dyn-o-mite!" which Rich insisted Walker say on every episode. Both Walker and executive producer Norman Lear were skeptical of the idea, but the phrase and Walker's character caught on with the audience.[4]

Off- and on-camera, Walker did not get along with the series' lead, Esther Rolle, because she and Amos disapproved of Walker's increasingly buffoonish character and his popularity, and Walker felt hurt by their disdain. Dissatisfaction led Amos (before Rolle), to leave the show, making Walker the star of the show.[5] Walker was the only Good Times star to not attend Rolle's funeral.[6]

Later career

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During 1975 Walker was also a weekend personality on contemporary R&B music station KAGB 103.9 FM licensed to Inglewood in the Los Angeles market.

Walker appeared on The Tonight Show and Match Game during the 1970s and early 1980s. He was a five-time panelist on the Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour from 1983 to 1984. He also appeared on the 1990 revival of Match Game and various game shows during that era.

Walker has made guest appearances on Badge 373, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Larry Sanders Show, Son of the Beach, The Drew Carey Show, The John Larroquette Show, In the House, Cagney & Lacey, The Fall Guy, Scrubs, Star Dates, Everybody Hates Chris, George Lopez, Chelsea Lately and Lincoln Heights. He also appeared in the films Rabbit Test (1978), The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979), Airplane! (1980), Water (1985), Doin' Time (1985), The Guyver (1991), Monster Mash (1995) and Plump Fiction (1997).

Aside from guest appearances, he starred in the short-lived television series At Ease in 1983 and Bustin' Loose[7] in 1987.

In the 1990s, Walker returned to his radio roots hosting shows on WHIO, WOAI, WLS, and KKAR. In 1996, he appeared on split release with Powerviolence band Spazz distributed by Spazz owned label Slap-a-ham records.

In 2010, Walker made a cameo appearance in the movie Big Money Rustlas. In 2011, he appeared in a Syfy channel movie Super Shark. May 4, 2023 made a guest appearance on The Bold and the Beautiful.

In 2012, Walker's autobiography, Dyn-o-mite! Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times – A Memoir, was published. In 2012, Walker announced the release of his official app developed by Monty Goulet for iOS.

Personal life and political views

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According to an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show on June 27, 2012, Walker stated he has never been married nor fathered children, but has had many girlfriends. Walker appeared on The O'Reilly Factor on July 11, 2012. He stated that he did not vote for Barack Obama in 2008 and that he would not vote for him in the 2012 election either.[8] In an interview with CNN, Walker described himself politically as a "realist independent" and stated that he opposed affirmative action, saying that it had outlived its usefulness. He also said that he was against gay marriage on moral grounds, but believed its legalization should be passed, stating it was not worth fighting against.[4]

Walker described his political beliefs at length in his autobiography, Dyn-O-Mite: Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times: A Memoir. In it, he called himself a "logicist," who believes in "logic and common sense", holding conservative positions on many issues.[9]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Role Notes
1975 Let's Do It Again "Bootney" Farnsworth Action/crime film directed by Sidney Poitier.[10]
1978 Rabbit Test Umbuto Comedy film directed and written by Joan Rivers.[11]
1979 The Concorde... Airport '79 Boisie Air disaster film directed by David Lowell Rich.[12]
1980 Airplane! Windshield Wiper Man Parody film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker.[13]
1988 Going Bananas Mozambo Comedy directed by Boaz Davidson about a talking chimpanzee. The film was shot on location in Zimbabwe.
1991 The Guyver M.C. Striker Science fiction film directed by Screaming Mad George and co-directed by Steve Wang.
1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Celeb #3 Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes.
2010 Big Money Rustlas Townsperson Parody film written by Joe Bruce and Paul Andresen and directed by Andresen. Follow up film of, Big Money Hustlas.
2011 Super Shark "Dynamite" Stevens Sci-fi horror film written and directed by Fred Olen Ray.
2012 David E. Talbert's What Goes Around Comes Around Preacher Direct-to-video
2016 The Comedian Comedy club host Comedy drama film directed by Taylor Hackford and written by Lewis Friedman, Richard LaGravenese, Art Linson, and Jeff Ross.

Television

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Year Film Role Notes
1974 Tattletales Himself Appeared with "fiancé" Samantha Stone (Episode #2.65, aired December 26, 1974)
1974–1979 Good Times James "J.J." Evans Jr. 133 episodes
1974 Tony Orlando and Dawn Himself Episode: "Episode #1.2" (S1:E2)
1977 Bob Hope television specials Himself Episode: "Bob Hope's All-Star Comedy Tribute to Vaudeville" (S27:E4)
The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened Morris Bird III Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Gilbert Moses.[14]
1977–1985 The Love Boat Ronald Episode: "The Captain And The Lady/One If By Land/Centerfold" (S1:E1) (1977)
The Late Mickey Garner Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part-Maybe/Locked Away/Chubs" (S2:E9) (1978)
Wally Episode: "The Brotherhood of the Sea/Daddy's Pride/Letter to Babycakes" (S3:E10) (1979)
Marvin Jones Episode: "The Mallory Quest/Julie, the Vamp/The Offer": Parts 1 (S4:E5) and 2 (S4:E6) (1980)
Marty Kilmer Episode: "Charmed, I'm Sure/Ashes to Ashes/No Dad of Mine" (S8:E25) (1985)
1980 B.A.D. Cats Rodney Washington Episode: "Pilot" (S1:E1)
Murder Can Hurt You Parks, The Pusher Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Roger Duchowny.[15]
1980 The White Shadow Himself Episode: "If Your Number's Up, Get It Down" (S3:E3)
1982 Today's FBI Reggie Episode: "Bank Job" (S1:E16)
Fantasy Island Jay Episode: "The Beautiful Skeptic/The Lost Platoon" (S6:E6)
1983 Cagney & Lacey Tony Brown Episode: "Chop Shop" (S2:E18)
At Ease Sergeant Val Valentine 14 episodes
1983–1984 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Himself (celebrity panelist) Five weeks' worth of episodes
1987–1988 Bustin' Loose Sonny Barnes 26 episodes
1994 The Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode: The Gift Episode
1994 Blossom Himself Episode: Season 4 Episode 20 The Flip Side
1995 In the House Darryl Episode: "Nanna Don't Play"
1996 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself Episode: "Surprise"
2001–2002 Scrubs Himself Episodes: "My Bad" (S 1:Ep 6), and "My Blind Date" (S1:E12)
2003 George Lopez Lionel Episode: Dubya, Dad, and Dating (Part 1) (S3: E1)
2006–2008 Everybody Hates Chris Gene Episodes: "Everybody Hates Funerals" (S1:E14), "Everybody Hates Gambling" (S2:E19), and "Everybody Hates the Port Authority" (S3:E11)
2006 Minoriteam Fasto's Grandfather Episode: "Balactus: Part II"
2018–2020 Funny You Should Ask Himself 6 episodes
2019 Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Good Times Himself
2023 The Bold and the Beautiful Count Boucie

Video game

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Year Film Role Notes
1996 Ripper Soap Beatty Interactive movie

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Jimmie JJ Walker's Gigs". Archived from the original on August 17, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  2. ^ Grossberg, Michael (July 24, 2006). "30 years after 'J.J.,' Walker still draws laughs". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 18, 2008. (requires login)
  3. ^ "Jimmie Walker". October 24, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Jimmie 'J.J.' Walker lights 'Dy-no-mite' on gay marriage, Leno and dating". CNN. July 16, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  5. ^ "Was Jimmie Walker getting along with Esther Rolle and John Amos on the set? [Archive] - Sitcoms Online Message Boards - Forums". www.sitcomsonline.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  6. ^ "Something I Bet You Didn't Know…Esther Rolle Wanted "J.J." off Good Times! | 6Minutez.com". Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  7. ^ Company, Johnson Publishing (November 2, 1987). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. Retrieved July 30, 2018 – via Google Books. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ "Jimmie 'J.J.' Walker enters No Spin Zone". Fox News. July 11, 2012. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2013. O'REILLY: Did you vote for him first time around? / WALKER: I never voted for him.
  9. ^ Walker, Jimmie (June 26, 2012). Dyn-O-Mite: Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times: A Memoir. Boston: Da Capo Press. pp. 194–203. ISBN 978-0-306-82083-0.
  10. ^ "Let's Do It Again". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  11. ^ "Rabbit Test". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  12. ^ "The Concorde ... Airport '79". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  13. ^ "Airplane!". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  14. ^ "The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  15. ^ "Murder Can Hurt You". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
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