Ja'Net DuBois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ja'Net DuBois
DuBois as Willona Woods on the television series Good Times, c. 1976
Born	Jeannette Theresa Dubois August 5 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	(2020-02-17)February 17, 2020 Glendale, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1960–2019
Known for	Willona Woods – Good Times Ma Bell – I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Ms. Avery – The PJs
Spouse(s)	Sajit Gupta (m. 1950–?; divorced)
Children	4

Ja'Net DuBois (born Jeannette Theresa Dubois; August 5 – February 17, 2020) was a talented American actress and singer. She was best known for playing the character Willona Woods on the popular TV show Good Times. This show was about the Evans family and aired from 1974 to 1979.

DuBois also helped write and sang the famous theme song "Movin' on Up" for another well-known TV show, The Jeffersons. Her career began on stage in the early 1960s. She continued to appear in many TV shows and movies until the mid-2010s.

About Ja'Net DuBois

Her Early Life and Acting Start

Ja'Net DuBois was born Jeannette Theresa Dubois. She was born in either Brooklyn, New York City, or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Lillian Gouedy and Gordon Adelbert Dubois. She grew up in Amityville, New York, which is on Long Island.

DuBois started her acting journey on stage in the early 1960s. Her first time performing on Broadway was in a play called The Long Dream in 1960. She also appeared in the drama A Raisin in the Sun. Later, she was an understudy for a role in the comedy Nobody Loves an Albatross.

Her big break on Broadway came with the musical Golden Boy. In this show, she acted alongside famous stars like Sammy Davis Jr.. DuBois played the character Anna for the entire run of the show, from 1964 to 1966.

Her Acting Career on TV and Film

DuBois started acting on television in 1969 with the TV movie J.T.. From 1970 to 1972, she played Loretta Allen on the soap opera Love of Life. This made her one of the first African-American women to be a regular cast member on a daytime TV show.

Her first movie role was in Diary of a Mad Housewife in 1970. She also appeared in the comedy Five on the Black Hand Side in 1973.

The TV producer Norman Lear saw DuBois perform on stage and was very impressed. He decided to cast her in his CBS sitcom Good Times. She played Willona Woods, who was the Evans family's neighbor and best friend to Florida Evans. DuBois was on the show from its start in 1974 until it ended in 1979. Her role became more important in the show's fifth season.

After Good Times finished, DuBois recorded an album called Again, Ja'Net DuBois in 1983. She also appeared in the music video for "Control" by her former Good Times co-star Janet Jackson in 1987.

DuBois continued to act in many films and TV shows. She was in the movies I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). On television, she appeared in shows like Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, A Different World, Touched by an Angel, and The Wayans Bros.

Other Projects and Awards

In the 1980s, Ja'Net DuBois ran her own performing arts school. It was called the Ja'net DuBois Academy of Theater Arts and Sciences. This school helped teenagers learn about acting on Long Island, New York.

In 1992, DuBois, along with Danny Glover and Ayuko Babu, helped start the Pan African Film & Arts Festival in Los Angeles. This festival celebrates films and art from Africa and the African diaspora.

DuBois won several awards for her work. In 1995, she won a CableACE award for her role in the movie Other Women's Children. She also won Emmy Awards for her voice acting in the animated show The PJs in both 1999 and 2001. In 2006, DuBois and the other cast members of Good Times received the Impact Icon Award at the TV Land Awards.

Her Family Life

Ja'Net DuBois married Sajit Gupta in 1950. They had four children together: Provat Gupta, Rani Gupta, Kesha Gupta-Fields, and Raj Kristo Gupta. Sadly, Raj Kristo Gupta passed away from cancer in 1987. Provat is now a basketball coach in California.

Her Passing

Ja'Net DuBois passed away on February 17, 2020. She died from cardiac arrest at her home in Glendale, California.

Discography

• Movin' On Up (theme from The Jeffersons, 1975)
• Queen of the Highway (Som Livre, 1980)
• Again, Ja'Net DuBois (Peanuts & Caviar Internationale, 1983)
• Hidden Treasures (Peanuts & Caviar Internationale, 2007)

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ja'Net DuBois para niños