Johnny Brown, an actor, comedian and singer who played superintendent Nathan Bookman on “Good Times,” died Wednesday, his daughter said. He was 84.
Further details of his death were not available, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Brown starred in 58 episodes of “Good Times” from 1975 to 1979, playing the housing superintendent on the sitcom, according to IMDb.com. Before that, he was a regular on 48 episodes of “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” from 1970 to 1972, according to the website.
Brown’s daughter, actress Sharon Catherine Brown, announced her father’s death in an Instagram post.
“Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe,” she wrote.
Johnny Brown recorded songs and performed in a band with saxophonist Sam “The Man” Taylor, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also appeared twice on Broadway during the 1960s, most notably in the role of Ronnie in the musical “Golden Boy.”
The actor was a leading contender to play Lamont opposite Redd Foxx on “Sanford and Son,” but he was bound by his contract to “Laugh-In,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The role went to Demond Wilson instead.
#RIP the supremely talented Johnny Brown, great on Broadway in 'Golden Boy" and on 'Good Times,' though he did not appreciate the jokes about Bookman's weight on the sitcom: “I couldn’t say anything because I have a wife and two kids to support," he said. https://t.co/f0B6W3ndZ8
— Mike Barnes (@MikeBarnes4) March 5, 2022
According to Deadline, Brown also had roles on shows including “Julia,” “Maude,” “The Rookies,” “Lotsa Luck!,” “The Jeffersons,” “Archie Bunker’s Place,” “Family Matters,” “Sister, Sister,” “Moonlighting” and “Martin.” He also appeared in the 1978 film “The Wiz,” and had roles in “Hanky Panky” (1982), “Life” (1999) and “Town & Country” (2001).
Brown was born on June 11, 1937, in St. Petersburg, Florida, and raised in Harlem, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While working in the Catskills, Brown met Sammy Davis Jr., who became an inspiration for the young actor.
“He did all the things I wanted to do,” Brown said in a 1996 interview. “I wanted to be a well-rounded, complete entertainer; I didn’t just want to sing or tell a joke.”
Brown found out he was hired on “Laugh-In” through Davis’ recommendation.
Davis “had dinner with (Dan) Rowan and (Dick) Martin,” Brown said. “They were looking for new faces, and Sammy, without batting an eye, said, ‘Get Johnny Brown.’”
Brown also was a pitchman for Papermate’s Write Bros. pens (“Write on brothers, write on!”) in a series of musical commercials in the early 1970s, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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