‘The Wayans Bros.’ Refused to the Make the Show Without This One Cast Member

It’s hard to imagine The Wayans Bros.. The legendary comedian played John “Pops” Williams, Shawn and Marlon’s hilarious father who owns a local diner right by the newsstand his sons own. But according to Marlon, the show almost didn’t happen because a certain network wasn’t interested in having Witherspoon as part of the cast.

“We didn’t care; we was like, ‘That’s our pops. That’s it. Take it or leave it,’” he said during Witherspoon’s funeral service, this according to Shadow and Act. “So…the show didn’t get picked up on NBC. But they dangled that carrot in front of us.” Marlon says Danny Glover was NBC’s top choice. But the Wayans brothers refused. “But we couldn’t see him on there telling me and Marlon, ‘get in here; I’m getting too old for this mess,” he said. 

The Wayans Bros. aired on the WB from 1995 to 1999. The show also starred Anna Maria Horsford, Lela Rochon, Paula Jai Parker, and Jill Tasker and chronicled the brothers’ daily lives working in the newsstand adjacent to their father’s business. The Wayans family kept Witherspoon close. He continued working with them from time to time, as well as being close to the family as a friend.

Witherspoon is iconic for playing the role of a father throughout his entire career. Some of his other popular credits include the Friday franchise, Little Man, Soul Plane, The Proud Family, and The Boondocks. He died in October 2019 from a heart attack. His death certificate reveals that he suffered from coronary artery disease and hypertension as well.