John Witherspoon (born John Weatherspoon; January 27, 1942 – October 29, 2019) was an American actor and comedian who performed in various television shows and films.Best known for his role as Willie Jones for the Friday series, Witherspoon also starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Boomerang (1992), The Five Heartbeats (1991), and Vampire in Brooklyn (1995).