Jimmie Walker is an American actor, comedian, and TV personality with a net worth of $800 thousand dollars. He is most well-known for starring in the 1970s CBS television series “Good Times.”
Jimmie Walker has been performing stand-up comedy for decades, and he’s amassed more than 50 acting credits. In addition to his property TV and film roles, Walker has hosted a variety of shows, from At Ease (1983) to Bustin’ Loose (1987–1988). He also hosts The Mad Dog Radio Show on SiriusXM. Walker published the book Dynomite!: Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times—A Memoir in 2012.
Quick Facts
| Net Worth | $800 Thousand |
| Date of Birth | Jun 25, 1947 (75 years old) |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 6 ft (1.85 m) |
| Profession | Actor, Comedian |
| Nationality | United States of America |
Early Life
Jimmie Walker, born James Carter Walker Jr. on June 25th, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York, is an American comedian and actor. He spent his childhood in the Bronx with his mother Lorena, father James Sr., and sister Beverly.
Lorena was the director of nursing at a hospital while James Sr. worked as a Pullman porter.
Jimmie attended Theodore Roosevelt High School, and as a part of the SEEK program, he learned about radio engineering. He was then working with WRVR in NYC and eventually had to quit due to his disability.
In school, Jimmie was also active by selling Yankee Stadium tickets. When Mickey Mantle once handed him a silver dollar, he interpreted the gesture as Paul waving at him not realizing it was the great Mickey Mantle.
Personal life
Jimmie said on “The Wendy Williams Show” in 2012 that he has had multiple partners but never married or had children.
Walker was rumored to be dating conservative commentator Ann Coulter in 2017. However, Coulter dismissed the claims with a tweet that read, “Best of friends, adore him, no romance.” Furthermore, there is no record of a previous relationship or any verified romantic connections.
Career
Jimmie Walker has been performing stand-up comedy since 1969. He appeared on the “Jack Paar Show” and “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” which caught the attention of the casting director for “Good Times.”
The casting director offered him a role in Good Times and said his character would go by James “J.J.” Evans Jr.
The TV series was nominated for two Golden Globes and aired 133 episodes over six seasons. Its catchphrase, “Dy-no-mite!”, which John Rich is credited for, was featured in a 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catch Phrases special on TV Land.
On “Good Times,” Jimmie played J.J., a character for which he released his own stand-up comedy album titled “Dyn-o-mite.” His co-stars John Amos and Esther Rolle became frustrated with the show’s direction, which led to speculation that they were resentful of Walker’s fame. Esther said that Jimmie couldn’t read or write because he was 18.
“I didn’t think the show was going to turn out that way. I really didn’t.” He explained, “The artist sort of looked at me and said ‘Nope, you ain’t gonna do that!’ and slowly but surely they were making J.J. more stupid, and they enlarged the role.
Amos also voiced his displeasure, saying, “The writers would rather put a chicken hat on J.J. and have him prance around saying ‘DY-NO-MITE,’ instead of having him say anything sensible.”
Walker played a lead role in the 1975 film “Let’s Do It Again,” which was directed by Sidney Poitier. She also appeared in the 1978 film “Rabbit Test” and 1979’s “The Concorde … Airport ’79.”
Walker co-starred with James Earl Jones and Debbie Allen in the 1977 television film “The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened.” That same year, he made his debut on “The Love Boat,” making five more appearances.
Jimmie played a major role in “Airplane!”, which grossed $171 million at the box office, and the TV movie, “Murder Can Hurt You,” back in 1982. In 1984, he guest-starred on “Fantasy Island” and “Cagney & Lacey.”
Other highlights of his career include starring as Sgt. Val Valentine in the ABC sitcom “At Ease” from 1983-1984, and playing Sonny Barnes for two seasons on the syndicated series “Bustin’ Loose.”
Walker starred in the film “Going Bananas” with Dom DeLuise and appeared in the 1991 sci-fi movie “The Guyver.” He guest-starred on popular TV shows like The Larry Sanders Show, In The House, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast. John was also a radio host for WOAI, WHIO, KKAR, and WLS in the ’90s.
In 2010, Jimmie had a cameo in the film “Big Money Rustlas,” and then he appeared in the Syfy movie “Super Shark” (2011) and the comedy “What Goes Around Comes Around” (2012). In 2015, he became known for his role in the film Sweet Lorraine.
In 2016, he was given the opportunity to also star in The Comedian with Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Harvey Keitel, Edie Falco, and Danny DeVito.
Through 2019, he has been a guest on “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Good Times” and appeared as himself on the 1975 episode “The Politicians” with Jay Pharoah playing the role of J.J. The show also starred Andre Braugher, Viola Davis, and Tiffany Haddish.
The special won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Walker has had the opportunity to appear in memorable roles on many shows, like “A Wrestling Christmas Miracle” from 2020 and “The $10,000 Pyramid.”
Jimmie has had appearances on other notable shows as well, such as “American Bandstand,” “The Midnight Special,” “Match Game” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” He’s also appeared on many of the famous celebrity roasts that Dean Martin was associated with.
Body Features
Jimmie’s height is 6’1″ and his weight is 190lbs. He has dark skin and brown eyes.
Net Worth
Jimmie has a pretty good net worth, which he earned throughout his career as an American actor and comedian. Per sources, his estimated net worth is $800 thousand.
Awards and Nominations
At the T.V. Land Awards in 2006, Jimmie and his “Good Times” co-stars John Amos, Ralph Carter, Ja’net DuBois, and Bernadette Stanis got an Impact Award. Walker received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor – Television for the series in 1975 and 1976.
People Also Ask
Is there any record of Jimmie Walker being married?
Walker revealed on The Wendy Williams Show in 2012 that he has never been married or had kids. However, he has had a lot of girlfriends, and Walker is not married yet as of 2022.
What is the net worth?
JJ Walker has a net worth of $800k.
Were Jimmie Walker And John Amos Friends?
Jimmie Walker said he doesn’t know Esther Rolle or John Amos. The actor, who played J.J. Evans on the show “Good Times”, told the Television Academy Foundation (via YouTube) that he had no relationship with any of the members of the top-billing cast.
Final Thoughts
One of the funniest stand-up comedians to come out of the 1970s, Jimmie Walker always knew he wanted to be a performer. He impressed casting agents with his role in Good Times, and the CBS sitcom “Good Times” became his claim to fame.
