Ja'net Dubois

Ja'net Dubois

Jeannette "Ja'net" Dubois (pronounced jâ·nā dü·bô) (born August 5, 1945) is an American actress and singer.

Dubois is perhaps best known for her portrayal of the wise-cracking, gossip maven Willona Woods on the 1970s sitcom Good Times. Dubois also co-wrote and sang the theme song of the sitcom The Jeffersons, and has appeared in a number of other television programs (usually as a guest star), most notably in 1972 during the second season of Sanford and Son as Fred's old flame Juanita in an episode entitled "Sanford and Son and Sister Makes Three" (this appearance got her noticed by Norman Lear, and led to her being cast in Good Times and in films). She usually found herself playing roles which made her seem much older than she was. For example, when Good Times premiered in 1974 she was 28 while the show made her out to be much closer in age to Esther Rolle, who was 53 at the time.

In 1970 Dubois played the part of a quarrelsome laundress alongside Carrie Snodgrass in the cult classic, "Diary of a Mad Housewife".

She co-starred in the movie I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and the sitcoms Moesha and The Steve Harvey Show. She played the grandmother on the hit show The Wayans Bros.. She appeared in the 2003 movie Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Among her other credits, she appeared in the 1969 made-for-TV holiday film J.T.. She also appeared in former Good Times co-star Janet Jackson's "Control" music video as her mother. She also appeared in Love of Life between 1970-1972 as Loretta Allen, years prior to starring in Good Times.

Dubois won an Emmy Award for her work on the TV movie Other Women's Children based on the novel by Perri Klass, as well as two Emmys for her voiceover work on the animated program The PJs.

She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. She has three children, Rani, Burghardt and Yovanne.