
Jimmie Walker
Biography
James Carter Walker Jr. (born June 25, 1947), known professionally as Jimmie Walker, is an American actor and comedian. Walker is best known for portraying James Evans Jr. (J. J.), the oldest son of Florida and James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series Good Times which originally ran from 1974–1979. Walker was nominated for Golden Globe awards Best Supporting Actor In A Television Series in 1975 and 1976 for his role. While on the show, Walker's character was known for the catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!" which he also used in his mid–1970s TV commercial for a Panasonic line of cassette and 8-track tape players. He also starred in Let's Do It Again with John Amos, and The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened with James Earl Jones. Walker continues to tour the country with his stand-up comedy routine.
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 "Dy-no-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. Also, off- and on-camera, Walker did not get along with series' lead, Esther Rolle, who played Florida Evans, in the series, 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. Walker was the only Good Times star to not attend Rolle's funeral.
Acting (33 movies)

Airplane!
1980

Monster Mash: The Movie
1995

Rabbit Test
1978

Imps*
1983

The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
1980

Let's Do It Again
1975

The Guyver
1991

Don't Suck
2023

Doin' Time
1985

David E. Talbert's What Goes Around Comes Around
2012

Chasing Robert
2007

Show Business Is My Life (But I Can't Prove It)
2022

Going Bananas
1987

The Concorde... Airport '79
1979

Murder Can Hurt You!
1980

Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth
2000

Kidnapped
1988

Water
1985

The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened
1977

The Comedian
2016

Plump Fiction
1997

Joys
1976

Super Shark
2011

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
1992

Jimmie JJ Walker & Michael Winslow: We Are Still Here
2018

I Am Richard Pryor
2019

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
2019

Telethon
1977

A Wrestling Christmas Miracle
2020

Open Season
1995

Sing Sing Thanksgiving
1974

Big Money Rustlas
2010

The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here?
1977
| Title | Year | Job | 
|---|---|---|
| Jimmie JJ Walker & Michael Winslow: We Are Still Here | 2018 | Writer |