Ja'Net DuBois

Ja'Net DuBois
DuBois as Willona Woods with her friend Walter Ingles (portrayed by J.A. Preston) on Good Times circa 1976.
Born Jeannette Dubois
(1938-08-05) August 5, 1938 or
(1945-08-05) August 5, 1945
(sources differ)
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. or
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
(sources differ)
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • dancer
Years active 1962–present
Known for Willona Woods – Good Times
Ma Bell – I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
Ms. Avery – The PJs
Spouse(s) Sajit Gupta (divorced) [1]
Children 2 or 4 (sources differ)

Jeannette Dubois[2] (born August 5, 1938[3][4] or 1945[5][6][7]) (sources differ), known professionally as Ja'Net DuBois,[8][9] Ja'net DuBois,[6][7] and Ja'Net Du Bois[3][2][n 1] (/dʒɑːˈneɪ duːˈbwɑː/), is an American actress, singer–songwriter and dancer. DuBois is best known for her portrayal of Willona Woods, the neighborhood gossip maven and the Evans' family friend on the sitcom Good Times, which originally aired from 1974 to 1979. DuBois additionally co–wrote and sang the theme song "Movin' on Up" for The Jeffersons which originally aired from 1975 until 1985.[10]

Biography

Early life and career

Born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City,[6][2] (sources differ), the daughter of Lillian Dubois,[10] DuBois began her acting career in theater during the early 1960s, appearing in Golden Boy with Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. and A Raisin in the Sun.[11] DuBois' early television acting credits include the 1969 television movie J.T. and the long–television soap opera Love of Life, on which her 1970–1972 role as Loretta Allen made her the first African–American female as a regular cast-member on a daytime serial.'[2] In 1970, DuBois appeared in her first film, playing Vera in Diary of a Mad Housewife.

Career

Television producer Norman Lear saw DuBois in Lanford Wilson's play The Hot l Baltimore at the Mark Taper Forum, which led to her being cast in the 1974–1979 CBS comedy series Good Times.[2] DuBois recorded the album Again, Ja'Net DuBois, on her Peanuts and Caviar label, in 1983.[12] DuBois appeared in former Good Times co-star Janet Jackson's 1987 "Control" music video as her mother. In 1992, she co-starred with Clifton Davis in And I Still Rise, a play written and directed by Maya Angelou.[13] She co-starred in the films I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), and on television in Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, A Different World, and The Wayans Bros..

Accolades

In 1995, DuBois won a CableAce award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Lifetime movie "Other Women’s Children".[14] In 2000, DuBois served as Grand mMrshal for the North Amityville Community Parade and Festival Day in Amityville, New York.[15] She won two Emmy Awards for her voiceover work on the animated program The PJs (1999). DuBois with the cast of Good Times received The Impact Icon Award at the 2006 TV Land Awards.[16]

Personal life

DuBois has had at least two children, but some sources states she has four[1]: Rani Dubois,[17] and Raj Kristo Gupta, who died of cancer in 1987 at age 36.[9] Rani appeared on an episode of the 1970s sitcom What's Happening!!.[18]DuBois has been married once, to Sajit Gupta, but they have since divorced.[1]

Discography

  • Queen of the Highway (Som Livre, 1980)
  • Hidden Treasures (Peanuts & Caviar Internationale, 2007)

Film and television

Year(s)TitleRole
1966A Man Called AdamMartha
1969J.T.Rodeen Gamble
1970–72Love of Life (unknown episodes)Loretta Allen
1972Sanford and Son (1 episode)Juanita Grismore
1973Five on the Black Hand SideStormy Monday
1973Shaft (1 episode)Diana Richie
1973The Blue KnightCelia Louise
1974–79Good Times (133 episodes)Willona Woods
1974Kojak (1 episode)Paula Thomas
1975Caribe (1 episode)Melinda Jameson
1977A Piece of the ActionNellie Bond
1979Roots: The Next GenerationsSally Harvey
1980The Love Boat (1 episode)Evelyn Hopkins
1981Hellinger's LawDottie Singer
1981The Facts of Life (1 episode)Ethel (Tootie's grandmother)
1981The Sophisticated GentsOnetha Wiggins
1983The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery HourMrs. Gorman
1986StrandedBettina
1987Kids Like TheseMrs. Page
1988I'm Gonna Git You SuckaMa Bell
1989Nearly Departed (1 episode)Clerk
1990Penny Ante: The Motion PictureAunt
1990Heart ConditionMrs. Stone
1990New Attitude (1 episode)Irma
1990Doctor Doctor (1 episode)Ella Wilkes
1990Hammer, Slammer, & SladeJoanne Wilson
1991A Different World (1 episode)Brenda Hanes
1991True Colors (1 episode)May Freeman
1991Dream On (1 episode)June
1992Beverly Hills, 90210 (1 episode)Arlene
1992-93The Golden Palace (2 episodes)Louise Wilson
1993Harlan & MerleenMaxine
1994Sister, Sister (1 episode)Mom O'Danielle
1994Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1 episode)Dorothy Cooper
1995Martin (1 episode)Herself
1991/1995Home Improvement (2 episodes)Carol
1995ER (1 episode)Macy Chamberlain
1995Magic IslandLucretia
1996Sophie & the MoonhangerAgnes
1996Don't Look BackMrs. Lawson
1997Moesha (1 episode)Mrs. Moss
1997Touched by an Angel (1 episode)Esther Hamilton
1996–1998The Wayans Bros. (10 episodes)Grandma Ellington
1998Best Friends for LifeKatie Pegues
1998Hard TimeLefty
1999Clueless (1 episode)Aunt Liddy
1999Hard Time: Hostage HotelLefty, Logan's Assistant
1999–2001The PJs (42 episodes)Mrs. Florence Avery
2000WaterproofViola Battle
2000The Steve Harvey Show (1 episode)Delores
2000Everybody Loves Raymond (1 episode)Dottie
2000/2002As Told by Ginger (2 episodes)Mrs. Patterson
2003Boomtown (1 episode)Denise Smith
2003One on One (1 episode)Queen Esther
2003Charlie's Angels: Full ThrottleMomma Bosley
2006Crossing Jordan (1 episode)Mrs. Jones
2007Random! Cartoons (1 episode)Mom
2007Cold Case (1 episode)Edna Johnson
2011G.I. Joe: RenegadesGrams Hinton
2016She's Got a PlanBetty Angelo

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Series Result
1998 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Touched by an Angel Nominated
1999 Primetime Emmy Outstanding Voice-Over Performance The PJs Won[19]
2001 Primetime Emmy Outstanding Voice-Over Performance The PJs Won
2006 TV Land Image Award Good Times Won[20]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Capitalization of "n" in first name is uncertain in Good Times title card, which credits her in capital letters "JA'NET du BOIS". Last name is given as two words, with "du" lowercase.

References

  1. 1 2 3 IMDB Ja'net Dubois
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 McCann, Bob. "Du Bois, Ja'Net". Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland & Company. pp. 103–04. ISBN 0786458046. Retrieved April 19, 2015. Jeannette Dubois, better known as Ja'Net Du Bois (Ja-NayDoo-Bwah)...
  3. 1 2 "Ja'Net Du Bois". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  4. ↑ Windsor, Carl D. (2006). On This Day: Daily Inspiration for the History Buff, the Trivia Lover, and the Innately Curious. Howard Books. ISBN 978-1582296548.
  5. ↑ Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2015). "DUBOIS, JA'NET (1945– )". Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 142. This native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
  6. 1 2 3 "Ja'net DuBois Biography (1945?- )". FilmReference.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. Born August 5, 1945 (some sources cite 1938), in Philadelphia, PA.
  7. 1 2 LoBrutto, Vincent (2018). "Good Times". TV in the USA: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. Greenwood. p. 39. ISBN 978-1440829727. ...Ja'net DuBois (1945— )...
  8. ↑ "Ja'Net DuBois". TV One. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Ja'Net DuBois' Son Dies of Cancer, in New York". Jet. Vol. 73 no. 5. October 26, 1987. p. 61. ISSN 0021-5996. Raj Kristo Gupta, the son of popular TV and movie actress Ja'Net DuBois, died recently in New York following a three-year battle with cancer. He was 36.
  10. 1 2 "TV Actress Ja'Net DuBois To Appear On 'Arsenio'". Vol. 82 no. 6. Jet. June 1, 1992. p. 60. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  11. ↑ Ja'net DuBois - TV.com
  12. ↑ "Celebrity Beat — New York to Hollywood". Jet. Vol. 64 no. 10. May 16, 1983. p. 53.
  13. ↑ "Actor Clifton Davis Stars in Maya Angelou's New Musical". Vol. 82 no. 20. Jet. September 7, 1992. p. 60. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Ja'net DuBois, Chris Rock win CableAce Awards". Jet. Vol. 87 no. 13. February 6, 1995.
  15. ↑ "Newsmakers". Jet. Vol. 98 no. 8. July 31, 2000. p. 32.
  16. ↑ Christian, Margena A. (January 28, 2008). "Where Is... The Cast of 'Good Times'?". Jet. 113 (3). p. 31.
  17. ↑ "Celebrities". Jet. Vol. 103 no. 13. March 24, 2003. p. 24.
  18. ↑ Remi Dubois (March 8, 2015). Have you seen Ja'Net DuBois' daughter? (YouTube). ILoveOSMusic.
  19. ↑ "Ja'Net DuBois And Judith Jamison Win Primetime Emmy Awards". Jet. Vol. 96 no. 16. September 20, 1999. p. 34. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  20. ↑ Christian, Margena A. (January 28, 2008). "The Cast of 'Good Times'?". Jet. Vol. 113 no. 3. p. 31. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
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