John Witherspoon Almost Passed Up The Role Of "Grandad" On 'The Boondocks'

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Animation

His eldest son, John David "J.D." Witherspoon, had to convince him to take on the role.

The Boondocks wouldn't be what it is without John Witherspoon's portrayal of Jebediah "Grandad" Freeman. Witherspoon and Regina King (who portrays both Huey and Riley Freeman) made a memorable pairing on the show, helping bring the TV series to life.

READ: Five Times John Witherspoon Made A Cameo In A Rap Music Video

Well, it turns out that Witherspoon almost passed up the role of Grandad.

The late actor and comedian's eldest son, John David "J.D." Witherspoon, took to Twitter to share how he convinced his father to take on the role.

"True story my Dad almost passed up on the role of grandad at first. He asked me 'JD you ever heard of this thing called The Boondocks?' I heard him say that and BUGGED OUT! I told him 'you gotta take this job!' And he did," JD recounted along with a picture of himself, Witherspoon and the rest of the family at the premiere of The Boondocks.

A new Boondocks series is expected to drop in fall 2020. HBO Max has given a two-season, 24-episode order to a re-imagining of the animated series, and its debut will launch with a 50-minute special. All 55 episodes from the original Boondocks series will also be made available on the streaming service. It's unknown if Witherspoon had already recorded parts for the forthcoming series or not.

Witherspoon passed away at the age of 77