Actor and comedian Johnny Brown, most known for his role on the iconic sitcom Good Times, has died.
He played Nathan Bookman for several seasons of the Norman Lear-created series opposite Esther Rolle, John Amos, Jimmie Walker, Bern Nadette Stanis and Jimmie Walker.
Brown’s daughter, Sharon Catherine Brown, announced the news on Instagram earlier this week.
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“Our family is devastated,” she wrote in part. “Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe. We respectfully ask for privacy at this time because we need a minute to process the unthinkable. To articulate the depths of profound sadness.This is my mom’s husband for sixty one years, mine and JJ’s dad, Elijah and Levi’s Pop Pop, older brother to George and brother in law to Pat and extended family to Chris, Hihat, Damian and Derell. It’s too terrible. It will never not be. It’s a shock. He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet. So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.”
His cause of death is not publicly known at this time.
As reported by THR, when he was younger he won amateur night at the Apollo and later performed with Gregory Hines Jr. and Gregory Hines Sr.
Brown was a musician and wrote songs and performed with Sam “The Man” Taylor. He also worked with Sammy Davis Jr. Brown appeared on Broadway two times in the 1960s and was a regular for three seasons on Dan Rowan and Dick Martin’s Laugh-In.
The outlet notes that he was eyed to play Lamont in Sanford & Son with Redd Foxx, but couldn’t secure the role due to his Laugh-In contract. Laugh-In writer Allan Manings was a producer on Good Times, and brown joined the show in season 2. He also guest-starred on The Flip Wilson Show and The Jeffersons.
In his later career years, he appeared on many Black sitcoms in the ’80s and ’90s, including Family Matters, Sister, Sister, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Wayans Bros. and Martin.
He is also survived by his wife of 61 years and another child, a son.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.
