Last Updated on February 21, 2024
James Carter Walker Jr., better known professionally as Jimmie Walker, is an American actor and comedian.
Walker rose to fame in the mid-‘70s portraying James Evans Jr. “J.J” on the CBS television series ‘Good Times.’ The show ran from 1974 to 1979.
Jimmie Walker Quick Facts
Full Name: | James Carter Walker Jr. |
Popular Name: | Jimmie Walker |
Nicknames: | J.J. |
Birth Date: | June 25, 1947 |
Age: | 75 years |
Parents: | James Carter Walker Sr. and Lorena Walker |
Siblings: | Beverly Walker |
Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | African-American |
Religion: | Christianity |
Education: | Theodore Roosevelt High School |
Marital Status: | Unmarried but has had multiple girlfriends |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Children: | None |
Net Worth: | USD 800,000 |
Source of Wealth: | Acting, Comedy, Endorsement Deals, and Other Ventures |
Height: | 6′ 2″ (1.88 m) |
Weight: | In kilograms: 75 kg; In pounds: 165 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
James Carter Walker Jr. was born on June 25, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, United States, to James Carter Walker Sr. and Lorena Walker. His father was a Pullman porter whereas his mother served as the head of the nursing department at a local hospital.
Walker attended New York City’s Theodore Roosevelt High School. He was a member of the New York State-funded SEEK (Search for Education, Evaluation, and Knowledge) program, through which he was able to learn more about radio engineering.
Comedy Career
Jimmie Walker worked as a vendor at Yankee Stadium in his youth.
In 1967, Walker joined the WRVR radio station as a full-time presenter. He used his experience at WRVR to launch his stand-up career in 1969.
Walker’s most notable stand-up project is a comedy album titled ‘Dyn-o-mite.’ He released the album during the peak of his ‘Good Times’ popularity.
Acting Career
Jimmie Walker made his television debut in 1974 by appearing as himself on an episode of ‘Tattletales.’ The same year, he began portraying James “J.J.” Evans Jr. on ‘Good Times.’ He went on to star in 133 episodes of the series until its production ceased in 1979.
Walker joined the cast of multiple television shows while starring in ‘Good Times.’ Examples include Tony Orlando and Dawn (1974), Bob Hope television specials (1977), the made-for-TV movie The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened (1977), and The Love Boat (1977 – 1985). He also appeared in several films during the same period, including Let’s Do It Again (1975), Rabbit Test (1978), and The Concorde…Airport ’79 (1979).
In 1980, Jimmie Walker had a role in episodes of ‘B.A.D. Cats,’ ‘Murder Can Hurt You,’ and ‘The White Shadow.’ The same year, he appeared in the parody film ‘Airplane!’
Jimmie Walker would later grace tons of other movies and television shows during his career. They include;
Films
• Going Bananas (1988)
• The Guyver (1991)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
• Big Money Rustlas (2010)
• Super Shank (2011)
• The Comedian (2016)
Television
• Today’s FBI (1982)
• Fantasy Island (1982)
• Cagney & Lacey (1983)
• At Ease (1983)
• Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983 – 1984)
• Bustin’ Loose (1987 – 1988)
• The Larry Sanders Show (1994)
• In the House (1995)
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1996)
• Scrubs (2001 – 2002)
• George Lopez (2003)
• Everybody Hates Chris (2006 – 2008)
• Minoriteam (2006)
• Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Good Times (2019)
Other Ventures
Jimmie Walker has an autobiography titled ‘Dyn-o-mite! Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times – A Memoir.’ The biography was published in 2012.
Also in 2012, Walker announced the release of his app. The application would be developed by Monty Goulet for iOS devices.
Jimmie Walker’s Net Worth
Jimmie Walker has been in the entertainment scene for well over five decades. Therefore, it’s intuitive to imagine that the actor cum comedian swims in millions.
However, Walker isn’t a millionaire yet. The ‘Good Times’ superstar has a net worth of $800,000 as at November 1, 2022. That must have come as a huge surprise considering that a good number of his films and television projects achieved commercial success.
So, why is Jimmie Walker poorer than many of his peers?
Walker’s relatively small fortune has a lot to do with his flamboyant lifestyle. Although the actor has never married and doesn’t raise any kids, he has continually maintained numerous girlfriends throughout his career. Walker also rolled in the best of circles during the peak of his success. He kept massive entourages that included personal bodyguards and advisers. All these significantly dwindled his fortunes.
Lessons from Jimmie Walker
1. Have a signature catchphrase
Jimmy Walker credits his television success partly to his ‘Dyn-o-mite’ catchphrase. He used the phrase regularly on the ‘Good Times’ series as well as on various television commercials he has appeared in.
2. Success attracts envy
Walker endured endless intrigues with his ‘Good Times’ co-stars John Amos and Esther Rolle both on and off camera. It later emerged that Amos and Rolle jealously disapproved of Jimmie’s fast-rising popularity.
3. Happiness doesn’t only consist in affluence
Jimmie Walker has been acting and doing comedy for well over fifty years. Although his current net worth isn’t a reflection of his long career, Walker is always happy to take on acting roles that he thinks speak to his personality and interests.
Famous Quotes by Jimmie Walker
• The reason we’re getting bombed is ’cause we were on one side, and we’re gonna remain on that side. We can’t waver because these are our enemies right now. I’m sorry. I’m gonna say it out loud. The Arabs, that’s right, are our enemies. That’s right.
• The world hates us, but the bottom line is we’re gonna have to show the world why they hate us by bombing the hell out of some people that have been hurting us. That’s all. That’s the end of it.
• There’s so many people that dislike you all the time, so when somebody loves anything that you do, you go ‘Yes! Finally!’ Even if it means the dyn-o-mite thing.
Final Word
Jimmie Walker has enjoyed an illustrious acting and comedy career spanning over five decades. His current net worth stands at $800,000.