Ja'net Dubois

Jeannette "Ja'net" Dubois (also billed as Ja'net Du Bois) (/dʒɑːnˈeɪ djbwˈɑː/; born August 5, 1945) is an American actress and singer. Dubois is best known for her portrayal of Willona Woods on the CBS sitcom Good Times which originally aired from 1974 to 1979. She also co–wrote and sang the theme song of the sitcom, The Jeffersons (1975–85).^[1]

Life and early career

Dubois was born in Brooklyn, New York. Among her other credits, she appeared in the 1969 made–for–TV holiday film J.T.; Love of Life between 1970–72 as Loretta Allen. In 1970, Dubois played the role of a quarrelsome laundress alongside Carrie Snodgrass in the cult classic "Diary of a Mad Housewife". She has appeared on several shows as a guest star, including a 1972 role on Sanford and Son, as Fred's old flame Juanita.

Good Times

Her appearance in a play of Hot l Baltimore at Mark Taper Forum got her noticed by Norman Lear, and led to her being cast in Good Times and in films.^[2] Dubois was often cast as characters older than her true age; when Good Times premiered in 1974, Dubois was 28, just two years older than Jimmie Walker. The character of Willona was supposed to be close in age to that portrayed by Esther Rolle, who was 53 at the time. According to most sources, Rolle enjoyed working with Dubois, despite the age difference. After John Amos was fired from the show, with his character James Evans being killed off, Rolle disagreed with the show's new direction, and left the show herself. Her departure made Dubois the de facto star of the series, alongside Walker.

Later career

She also appeared in former Good Times co-star Janet Jackson's 1987 "Control" music video as her mother. In 1992, she co-starred alongside Clifton Davis in a play, And I Still Rise written and directed by Maya Angelou and the artistic director was Larry Leon Hamlin.^[3]She was the first black female regular on a daytime soap opera.^[2] Dubois won an CableACE Award for her work on the TV movie Other Women's Children based on the novel by Perri Klass, and she also two Emmy Awards for her voiceover work on the animated program The PJs (1999). She co-starred in the movie I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) and the sitcoms Moesha and The Steve Harvey Show. She played the grandmother on the hit show The Wayans Bros., and appeared in the 2003 movie Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

Personal

Dubois has three children; Rani (former actress), Yovanne and Burghadt Dubois. In 1996, Dubois was one of the attendees of Adrienne Lois Brown, James Brown's wife's, funeral.^[4] Like her late mentor Esther Rolle, Dubois is a member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority. In 2000, in her hometown of Amityville, New York, she was honored as the grand marshal for the North Amityville Community Parade and Festival Day.^[5]

Film and television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• Ja'net Dubois at the Internet Movie Database