The Tragic Death Of Friday Actor Anthony Johnson
On September 20, news outlets reported that actor and comedian Anthony "A.J." Johnson has died. According to TMZ, Johnson was "found lifeless in a store earlier this month in Los Angeles," where he was pronounced dead on September 6 after being rushed to a hospital. The star appeared in a series of crowd-favorite movies in the '90s. He got his big break as E.Z.E. in "House Party" in 1990. He had roles in memorable films, such as "Menace II Society" and "I Got the Hook Up," per IMDb, but Johnson was best-remembered for his role as Ezal in "Friday," which starred Ice Cube and helped launch Chris Tucker into stardom.
Johnson's scene-stealing character was an affable drug addict in "Friday," which the actor based on a family member. "I based that character on my brother, 'cause my brother used to be a crackhead," Johnson told VladTV during a 2018 interview. "My brother used to do some s**t," he added. Johnson recalled seeing his brother wear a fur coat in "100 degrees" weather, and the comedian described him as being seemingly indestructible. In an attempt to corral his brother, Johnson once hit him with a car. "I hit my brother with the car ... 'cause he wouldn't stop smoking," the "B*A*P*S" actor recalled. "He bounced up and kept running. I said, 'This n***a ain't got no bones,'" Johnson said.
Despite being unforgettable in the first film, keep reading to find out why Johnson was left out of the "Friday" sequel.
Anthony Johnson was rumored to return to the Friday franchise
When news of Anthony Johnson's death broke, Ice Cube took to Twitter to commemorate his "Friday" co-star. "Sad to wake up to the news about AJ Johnson passing away," he wrote. "Naturally funny dude who was straight outta Compton at the same time. Sorry I couldn't bring your character Ezal back to the big screen in Last Friday." According to Johnson's IMDb, he was rumored to reprise his role as Ezal in an upcoming installment in the series, which would have been the character's first return since the original "Friday" in 1995.
After the massive success of the first film, Johnson had a meeting with Ice Cube about returning as Ezal for the sequel, "Next Friday," and according to Johnson, the two came to an agreement on what he would be paid. "Two-three weeks later, I get a phone call ... 'You know they shooting 'Next Friday?'" Johnson told VladTV in 2018. "I try to go on the set to talk to Cube, but he done already had me barred off the set," the comedian said. Johnson claimed the producers hired rapper-turned-actor Fredro Starr to fill the role as a cost-saving move. "He done hired the dude from 'Onyx' to play my part ... for way less than what he was gonna give me," Johnson told VladTV.
Judging by Ice Cube's tweet, Johnson was still beloved in the franchise and would've been in the upcoming film.