How come Jimmie Walker's career didn't go any further? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 08-01-2019, 01:25 AM

Some of the arguments that I've read and heard:

He was never a very funny standup comedian, and after Good Times was cancelled in 1979, that became very obvious. His tag line of “DY-NO-MITE!” was funny once, maybe twice. But when the writers decided he should say it every single show it got old real quick.

He’s not a very good actor - Besides JJ Evans, his most noteworthy acting role was probably that of Bootney Farnsworth in the film Let’s Do It Again. Those roles were nearly 50 years ago, and he’s done nothing of consequence since. All of his other roles following those two were subpar, and he’s never been much in demand.

He’s allegedly not a very nice guy - Jimmie Walker apparently, has a tendency to piss people off. Since it hasn’t helped him get work and since it doesn’t endear him to fans, he’s been ostracized by the communities that he needed to remain a successful performer. Here’s Walker in an interview about his 2012 autobiography demonstrating why people dislike him: Jimmie 'J.J.' Walker lights 'Dy-no-mite' on gay marriage, Leno and dating.

His work ethic is supposed to be questionable - Jimmie Walker was never known to be a hard worker and his other flaws simply amplified that.

He was unwilling to mend fences with his former costars - Basically the memory of Good Times is really all Walker has to offer. The series could have been revived at least once in the last 40 years or so, but it hasn’t because Walker doesn’t seem to want to drop his grudges against his former costars. Since that’s the only reason people are interested in him, he has nothing to offer them.

Yong Fang · 08-03-2019, 05:55 PM

I have seen these interviews above on YouTube and they are interesting.

Seems that Walker was in things before Good Times and do work after the show went off, and cannot day but he probably branched out to other avenues of entertainment and business or something. Good Times went off the air like over forty years ago and he is still here and has supported himself on one way or another.

According to Wiki about his after Good Times career.....
——————————
“During 1975 Walker was also a weekend personality on contemporary R&B music station KAGB 103.9 FM licensed to Inglewood in the Los Angeles market.
Walker appeared on The Tonight Show and Match Game during the 1970s and early 1980s. He also appeared on the 1990 revival of Match Game and various game shows during that era.
Walker has made guest appearances on Badge 373, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Larry Sanders Show, Son of the Beach, The Drew Carey Show, The John Larroquette Show, In the House, Cagney & Lacey, The Fall Guy, Scrubs, Star Dates, Everybody Hates Chris, George Lopez, Chelsea Lately and Lincoln Heights. He also appeared in the films Rabbit Test (1978), The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), Airplane! (1980), Water (1985), Doin' Time (1985), The Guyver (1991), Monster Mash (1995) and Plump Fiction (1997).
Aside from guest appearances, he starred in the short-lived television series At Ease in 1983 and Bustin' Loose[6] in 1987.
In the 1990s, Walker returned to his radio roots hosting shows on WHIO, WOAI, WLS, and KKAR. In 1996, he appeared on split release with Powerviolence band Spazz distributed by Spazz owned label Slap-a-ham records.
In 2010, Walker made a cameo appearance in the movie Big Money Rustlas. In 2011, Walker appeared in a Syfy channel movie Super Shark.
In 2012, Jimmie Walker's autobiography Dyn-o-mite! Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times – A Memoir, was published. In 2012, Walker announced the release of his official app developed by Monty Goulet for iOS.”
——————————

So it seems like the man has kept fairly busy and has done many short term appearances and radio shows and whatnot. He has made a living and probably a pretty fair one.

I think with the Good Times cast, it was a job for him. Think about the job or jobs you have, are you friends with your coworkers? You might be and many are, but a lot of them are acquaintance at best who have their own lives. I think for some weird reason that actors from long running shows are supposed to be the best of friends for a lifetime. Not so.

Also I think it was Esther Rolle and John Amos who were sort of jerks since they thought the show should be about them and not an ensemble and were jealous of the attention of Walker as JJ. They also disparaged the JJ character. I don’t think that’s fair. JJ was actually a good kid, went to school and worked to support the family and was respectful to his parents and family. He was sort of a dumbass but he played a teenage kid (although Walker was nearly thirty)!

Rolle wanted the show to be about her. Sort of like Linda Lavin on “Alice”. Who was she before Good Times? She played a maid on Maude, and what else before? Not much. She was ungrateful and should have been happy and not a troublemaker.

Jimmie is probably a jerk, who knows. Lots of jerks in the trade.

Sonny Carson · 08-05-2019, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Some of the arguments that I've read and heard:

He was never a very funny standup comedian, and after Good Times was cancelled in 1979, that became very obvious. His tag line of “DY-NO-MITE!” was funny once, maybe twice. But when the writers decided he should say it every single show it got old real quick.

He’s not a very good actor - Besides JJ Evans, his most noteworthy acting role was probably that of Bootney Farnsworth in the film Let’s Do It Again. Those roles were nearly 50 years ago, and he’s done nothing of consequence since. All of his other roles following those two were subpar, and he’s never been much in demand.

He’s allegedly not a very nice guy - Jimmie Walker apparently, has a tendency to piss people off. Since it hasn’t helped him get work and since it doesn’t endear him to fans, he’s been ostracized by the communities that he needed to remain a successful performer. Here’s Walker in an interview about his 2012 autobiography demonstrating why people dislike him: Jimmie 'J.J.' Walker lights 'Dy-no-mite' on gay marriage, Leno and dating.

His work ethic is supposed to be questionable - Jimmie Walker was never known to be a hard worker and his other flaws simply amplified that.

He was unwilling to mend fences with his former costars - Basically the memory of Good Times is really all Walker has to offer. The series could have been revived at least once in the last 40 years or so, but it hasn’t because Walker doesn’t seem to want to drop his grudges against his former costars. Since that’s the only reason people are interested in him, he has nothing to offer them.

Yeah he wasn't very funny as a stand up at all. He only got on the 'Jack Parr Show' because Freddie Prinze, David Brenner, and some other comics said “you must put him on too”, Parr didn't feel he was funny. His comedy album 'Dyno-O-Mite has it's moments, but most of his other appearences('Midnight Special', 'and 'Evening at the Improv' were duds!

Heenan Fan · 08-08-2019, 02:08 PM

Jimmy Walker was in Airplane!? I've seen that movie 50 times at least and l don't remember him in that movie.

hatwink · 08-30-2019, 03:06 PM

He was typecast as JJ. And he was basically a comedian at heart. 'nuff said.

smittykins · 09-09-2019, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heenan Fan

Jimmy Walker was in Airplane!? I've seen that movie 50 times at least and l don't remember him in that movie.

He only had a brief cameo and was uncredited. IIRC, he was the airplane window washer.

DEH55 · 10-24-2020, 10:14 PM

He was typecast to hell. JJ was such a annoying over the top clown that it overshadowed him. And that's all you could see. And on top of that he could not act. I have now watched all of the Good times episodes and his acting did not improve.

And lastly he does not come across as likable at all. In that interview he seems to insult everyone on the show. They seemed to care more about the quality of the show and he just liked being silly.

I have read that he never even talked to Janet Jackson when she was on the show. And he didn't deny it. He said something about not having anything to talk about with kids. Who acts like that??? Lol

TVFactFan · 10-26-2020, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEH55

He was typecast to hell. JJ was such a annoying over the top clown that it overshadowed him. And that's all you could see. And on top of that he could not act. I have now watched all of the Good times episodes and his acting did not improve.

And lastly he does not come across as likable at all. In that interview he seems to insult everyone on the show. They seemed to care more about the quality of the show and he just liked being silly.

I have read that he never even talked to Janet Jackson when she was on the show. And he didn't deny it. He said something about not having anything to talk about with kids. Who acts like that??? Lol

He was a man in his late 20's and she was an 11 year old girl. It wasnt going to be much to talk about

DEH55 · 10-26-2020, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

He was a man in his late 20's and she was an 11 year old girl. It wasnt going to be much to talk about

That's BS. Everyone else talked to her. Lol I have talked to kids. Niece's and nephews and kids of friends of mine etc.

TVFactFan · 10-26-2020, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEH55

That's BS. Everyone else talked to her. Lol I have talked to kids. Niece's and nephews and kids of friends of mine etc.

Yeah if they are your relatives of course but she was a child and he was a grown man with no relation. Now i can see willona and other female cast members talking to her because they were females. Now if he was going on the set and not speaking to her as in HELLO then yes that would be weird

But I can see him not having a lot to say to someone who is so much younger and the opposite sex.

Janice Johnson · 10-27-2020, 09:29 AM

I've read it was because Jimmie Walker said ,"Yes," to just about ANY Role offered to him when he was in his prime. No matter how stupid it might be. The Critic said something like,"You don't want to appear DESPERATE, which is how Jimmie Walker was appearing by saying "Yes," to just about ANY role offered to him. If he turned down some stupid roles and was more choosy about his roles, he could have had a much better Career. "

But The Greatest Thing That Never Happened," movie could have catapulted Jimmie intp Superstardom. It is one of his only serious roles. He plays a Basketball Player who is JUST about to become a Major Basketball Player like Michael Jordan when he gets the devastating Career Stopping News. He has CANCER.... Leukemia to be exact and has to put his budding Basketball Player Career on the back burner while he fights to survive Leukemia. It was a nice change from the goofy JJ Evans Persona he played on Good Times. Maybe, just MAYBE his Career could have been greater id he played more roles like The Greatest Thing That Never Happened..

08-01-2019, 01:25 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,267	How come Jimmie Walker's career didn't go any further? Some of the arguments that I've read and heard: He was never a very funny standup comedian, and after Good Times was cancelled in 1979, that became very obvious. His tag line of “DY-NO-MITE!” was funny once, maybe twice. But when the writers decided he should say it every single show it got old real quick. He’s not a very good actor - Besides JJ Evans, his most noteworthy acting role was probably that of Bootney Farnsworth in the film Let’s Do It Again. Those roles were nearly 50 years ago, and he’s done nothing of consequence since. All of his other roles following those two were subpar, and he’s never been much in demand. He’s allegedly not a very nice guy - Jimmie Walker apparently, has a tendency to piss people off. Since it hasn’t helped him get work and since it doesn’t endear him to fans, he’s been ostracized by the communities that he needed to remain a successful performer. Here’s Walker in an interview about his 2012 autobiography demonstrating why people dislike him: Jimmie 'J.J.' Walker lights 'Dy-no-mite' on gay marriage, Leno and dating. His work ethic is supposed to be questionable - Jimmie Walker was never known to be a hard worker and his other flaws simply amplified that. He was unwilling to mend fences with his former costars - Basically the memory of Good Times is really all Walker has to offer. The series could have been revived at least once in the last 40 years or so, but it hasn’t because Walker doesn’t seem to want to drop his grudges against his former costars. Since that’s the only reason people are interested in him, he has nothing to offer them.
	Last edited by TMC; 08-25-2019 at 05:49 AM.

08-03-2019, 05:55 PM	#2
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	I have seen these interviews above on YouTube and they are interesting. Seems that Walker was in things before Good Times and do work after the show went off, and cannot day but he probably branched out to other avenues of entertainment and business or something. Good Times went off the air like over forty years ago and he is still here and has supported himself on one way or another. According to Wiki about his after Good Times career..... —————————— “During 1975 Walker was also a weekend personality on contemporary R&B music station KAGB 103.9 FM licensed to Inglewood in the Los Angeles market. Walker appeared on The Tonight Show and Match Game during the 1970s and early 1980s. He also appeared on the 1990 revival of Match Game and various game shows during that era. Walker has made guest appearances on Badge 373, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Larry Sanders Show, Son of the Beach, The Drew Carey Show, The John Larroquette Show, In the House, Cagney & Lacey, The Fall Guy, Scrubs, Star Dates, Everybody Hates Chris, George Lopez, Chelsea Lately and Lincoln Heights. He also appeared in the films Rabbit Test (1978), The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), Airplane! (1980), Water (1985), Doin' Time (1985), The Guyver (1991), Monster Mash (1995) and Plump Fiction (1997). Aside from guest appearances, he starred in the short-lived television series At Ease in 1983 and Bustin' Loose[6] in 1987. In the 1990s, Walker returned to his radio roots hosting shows on WHIO, WOAI, WLS, and KKAR. In 1996, he appeared on split release with Powerviolence band Spazz distributed by Spazz owned label Slap-a-ham records. In 2010, Walker made a cameo appearance in the movie Big Money Rustlas. In 2011, Walker appeared in a Syfy channel movie Super Shark. In 2012, Jimmie Walker's autobiography Dyn-o-mite! Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times – A Memoir, was published. In 2012, Walker announced the release of his official app developed by Monty Goulet for iOS.” —————————— So it seems like the man has kept fairly busy and has done many short term appearances and radio shows and whatnot. He has made a living and probably a pretty fair one. I think with the Good Times cast, it was a job for him. Think about the job or jobs you have, are you friends with your coworkers? You might be and many are, but a lot of them are acquaintance at best who have their own lives. I think for some weird reason that actors from long running shows are supposed to be the best of friends for a lifetime. Not so. Also I think it was Esther Rolle and John Amos who were sort of jerks since they thought the show should be about them and not an ensemble and were jealous of the attention of Walker as JJ. They also disparaged the JJ character. I don’t think that’s fair. JJ was actually a good kid, went to school and worked to support the family and was respectful to his parents and family. He was sort of a dumbass but he played a teenage kid (although Walker was nearly thirty)! Rolle wanted the show to be about her. Sort of like Linda Lavin on “Alice”. Who was she before Good Times? She played a maid on Maude, and what else before? Not much. She was ungrateful and should have been happy and not a troublemaker. Jimmie is probably a jerk, who knows. Lots of jerks in the trade.

08-08-2019, 02:08 PM	#4
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	Jimmy Walker was in Airplane!? I've seen that movie 50 times at least and l don't remember him in that movie.

08-30-2019, 03:06 PM	#5
hatwink Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 19, 2004 Posts: 773	He was typecast as JJ. And he was basically a comedian at heart. 'nuff said.

10-24-2020, 10:14 PM	#7
DEH55 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 19, 2020 Posts: 320	He was typecast to hell. JJ was such a annoying over the top clown that it overshadowed him. And that's all you could see. And on top of that he could not act. I have now watched all of the Good times episodes and his acting did not improve. And lastly he does not come across as likable at all. In that interview he seems to insult everyone on the show. They seemed to care more about the quality of the show and he just liked being silly. I have read that he never even talked to Janet Jackson when she was on the show. And he didn't deny it. He said something about not having anything to talk about with kids. Who acts like that??? Lol

10-27-2020, 09:29 AM	#11
Janice Johnson Commercial Lover Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 30, 2003 Location: Miami, Florida Posts: 4,739	I've read it was because Jimmie Walker said ,"Yes," to just about ANY Role offered to him when he was in his prime. No matter how stupid it might be. The Critic said something like,"You don't want to appear DESPERATE, which is how Jimmie Walker was appearing by saying "Yes," to just about ANY role offered to him. If he turned down some stupid roles and was more choosy about his roles, he could have had a much better Career. " But The Greatest Thing That Never Happened," movie could have catapulted Jimmie intp Superstardom. It is one of his only serious roles. He plays a Basketball Player who is JUST about to become a Major Basketball Player like Michael Jordan when he gets the devastating Career Stopping News. He has CANCER.... Leukemia to be exact and has to put his budding Basketball Player Career on the back burner while he fights to survive Leukemia. It was a nice change from the goofy JJ Evans Persona he played on Good Times. Maybe, just MAYBE his Career could have been greater id he played more roles like The Greatest Thing That Never Happened..