Ron's father on the show was played by Art Long. I forgot what his name was on the show but he's a good actor. He was a car salesman on the show. I've seen him in the movies Die Hard 2, CB4, Trespass, Ruthless People, Metro with Eddie Murphy.

My bad, his name was Art Evans

Art Evans and Daryl M bell have the same sort of mannerisms and they're both short so the casting was very good. They did a good job of casting people to be the parents in this show. Anita Morris played Freddie's mother and was good. Patti Labelle was really good as Dwayne's mother. She seems to be a natural for that kind of acting role. Diahann was very believable as Whitley's obnoxiously bourgie mother. Richard Roundtree was Kim's dad, but I don't remember his episode.

Again I say! That's what made this show number one in my book! There was thought put into the show right down to the casting of the characters! Ron O'Neil as Whitley's father was also good casting. In so many t.v show the children and the parents just don't gel! Think, how do you get Thelma and Michael from Florida and James??? I can see James and Willona but not Florida.

You're right Marvin. They did a very good job putting ADW together and Ron O'neal was good.

None of the Good Times kids looked like the parents or each other for that matter, and JJ was extremely homely in comparison to the other two. It's like the casting people were saying in 1974 "All blacks look alike anyway so it doesn't matter what they looked like".

It's interesting Ron O'neal wasn't originally Whitley's father on the show. There was one episode in the first season, a Christmas episode where her dad was played by another actor. And also in that first season Ron O'neal did appear on the show as a completely different character. I agree about the parents casting, Patti Labelle and Harold Sylvester were perfect as Dwayne's parents and Diahann Carroll was especially perfect to play Whitley's mom. I guess they saw her playing Dominique on Dynasty and figured that's exactly the type they're looking for on ADW.

Who is Anita Morris? LOL@MarvinG saying how can James & Florida have good lookin kids like Thelma & Michael when Florida is ugly hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Anita Morris acted in Cats on Broadway. She was famous for wearing a see-through outfit in that play.

I never thought of Florida as being either pretty or ugly when I watched the show originally although my school friends who were afircan american males and looked in some cases like the male version of her thought she was very ugly. Watching it as an adult I don't think she was bad looking, she just doesn't have features that white America would traditionally deem beautiful. JJ on the other hand was ugly and his exaggerated mannerisms draw more attention to his homeliness.

O.K now I never used the word ugly! I was just making a point. :)

U didn't have to use the word ugly. I can read between the lines LOL.

Originally posted by isiahthomas: U didn't have to use the word ugly. I can read between the lines
You're mean! :lol: