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Comedian John Witherspoon Possibly suffered a Stroke On Stage. (WATCH)

Published

9 years ago

January 13, 2018

Did comedian/actor John Witherspoon suffer a stroke while onstage at the Kansas City Improv Friday night (01-12-18)?

That is the question that’s being asked and as of this posting we don’t have any solid info, but we do have video of John apparently having some kind of emergency medical event.

In the video taken by an audience member (@akadmiks) shows Witherspoon telling the fellow comedians on stage that something was wrong while yelling out to the audience not to worry and that he’d be back on stage.

The video was captioned: “Went to see John Witherspoon at KC Improv & he seemed to possibly be having a stroke. He was escorted off stage.”

In the meantime, here’s some very interesting history about the comedian that you might not know.

You probably remember John Witherspoon as Ice Cube’s (Craig’s) outrageously funny, dog-catching dad in New Line Cinema”s smash urban trilogy Friday, Next Friday & Friday After Next, or as “Pops” on the long-running syndicated sitcom “The Wayans Brothers” or as “Spoon” on NBC”s “The Tracy Morgan Show.” One thing”s for sure, once you”ve seen Witherspoon you completely understand why he has earned the reputation as one of America”s funniest dads.

Witherspoon has brought to life some of the most hilarious, unforgettable characters ever including, David Allen Grier”s fashionably challenged, mushroom-wearing father in the romantic comedy Boomerang, and the quirky, diner-owning father “Pops” on The WB”s “The Wayans Brothers.” His scene-stealing roles in Boomerang, Little Nicky, House Party, Vampire in Brooklyn, and I”m Gonna Git You Sucka, made him one of the most memorable funny men in America.

You”ve seen him in everything from popular music videos alongside Jay Z and Sugar Ray —to sitcoms opposite “The Wayans Brothers” and “Saturday Night Live”s,” Tracy Morgan —to blockbuster movies alongside Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chris Tucker and Ice Cube, amongst others. Not only does Witherspoon”s work span over four decades to include blockbuster movies, hit-television shows, commercials, and top-rated music videos, but he”s coined his own catch phrases”as in “Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!” and “You Gotta Co-ordinate!”

You have to wonder how a comedian whose work can be traced back as far as “WKRP in Cincinnati” and “Barnaby Jones,” can still be relevant today. His roles in the Friday series, (Friday, Next Friday, Friday After Next), Soul Plane, Ladies Man, Boomerang, Vampire in Brooklyn, Little Nicky, House Party, etc. are arguably some of the most hilarious bits of comedy to date. The Orange County Register describes the comedian/actor as being in a class of his own. “Witherspoon is one of those performers who doesn”t need a funny line to be funny. Just standing there in a truculent posture with a suspicious look, he is funny and enlivens every scene he”s in.” The Detroit-bred comic has proven that he is a Hollywood mainstay and continues to land coveted spots in some of America”s favorite movies and television shows

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OFFICIAL TRAILER RELEASED FOR “CALL ME MICKY,” EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY DOMINIQUE JACKSON

Published

17 hours ago

August 31, 2026

Jimmy Star

**New 22-minute documentary short follows Micky Angelo Petrillo after transitioning at 59, with the acclaimed POSE star helping bring his story to the screen**

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — NEW YORK: The official trailer for CALL ME MICKY, a new documentary short Executive Produced by acclaimed POSE star Dominique Jackson and directed by Andrew Rasmussen, has been released on YouTube ahead of the film’s upcoming festival run.

The 22-minute documentary follows Micky Angelo Petrillo, a larger-than-life New Jersey native who transitioned at 59 and is now discovering what comes next.

Rather than presenting transition as the conclusion of Petrillo’s story, CALL ME MICKY focuses on the life unfolding afterward — through Pride celebrations, open mics, friendships, storytelling and Petrillo’s increasingly public embrace of the man he fought decades to become.

Jackson also appears in the film, joining Petrillo for an intimate on-camera conversation about identity, visibility and what it means to finally live openly as yourself.

Internationally recognized for her commanding portrayal of Elektra on FX’s groundbreaking series POSE, Jackson is an actress, model, activist and producer who also served as an Executive Producer of the acclaimed documentary I’M YOUR VENUS, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival.

Petrillo is the author of the memoir Walking the Earth: First as a Woman, Then a Man.

While CALL ME MICKY captures one chapter of Petrillo’s much larger story, the film offers an intimate portrait of a man discovering that becoming yourself is not the ending — it may only be the beginning.