Before rising to stardom as the beloved J.J. Evans on Norman Lear’s Good Times, Jimmie Walker’s show business journey was the definition of “slow and steady wins the race.”

He dropped out of school simply because he thought he “wasn’t good at it.” To support himself, he worked as a delivery boy in a grocery store for four years before noticing that “cats with educations were doing better” than he was. So, he went to night school and enrolled at a City College in New York. That’s where things started looking up, according to a Chicago Daily News article in 1976.

In college, he met iconic comedians Richard Pryor and David Brenner. “Pretty soon I was writing material, doing a standup comedy act, and getting bookings in places like the Quiet Knight here in Chicago.”

Money didn’t come flowing in for the aspiring comedian instantly. Walker earned a mere $25 in his first two years of show business. Why didn’t he quickly shift to TV to fund his comedy dreams? He wasn’t ready for the small screen before starring on Good Times.

“I wanted to build my craft, ” he told the Reno-Gazzette Journal in 1976. “So many people go on TV before they’re ready, and I wanted to be sure I was ready.”

When Walker was approached with the opportunity to play J.J. Evans on Good Times, he didn’t expect the role to come with fame.

“I thought this was going to be just another stepping stone in my career,” he told the Chicago Daily News in ‘76.

During the show, Walker still considered himself more of a comedian than an actor, which makes sense considering the character he played.

Was Jimmie Walker playing himself on Good Times?

J.J. isn’t the brightest Evans child on Good Times, but his artistic gifts made him a prize. His iconic catchphrase, “DY-NO-MITE,” remains a timeless gem that fans adore. However, behind this charismatic character was a quiet, shy actor who wasn’t the typical loud, vibrant life of the party.

When people discovered Walker wasn’t like his onscreen character, it was “quite the shock.” He attributed it to the power of television and show business: “That’s the power of TV. If I portrayed a juggler, that’s how they’d picture me.”

He added, “I’m nothing like that cat. And I really hate it when people see me outside, hassle me and scream ‘hey, there’s J.J.‘ and shove a paper in my hand and say, ‘Sign it.'”

Even after landing the role of J.J. Evans, Walker remained true to his comedic roots. Throughout the show’s run, he continued to perform at Comedy clubs in L.A., often doing it for free. It was a way to stay connected to his craft, especially when he couldn’t walk down the street without being mobbed.

During the show’s run, Walker signed five acts, venturing into management and production. His goal was clear—he wanted Jimmie Walker to take over when J.J. faded.

Header photo credit: SCREENSHOT Good Times episode/ Sony Pictures Television