What Was Actor Anthony Johnson's Net Worth When He Died?

Anthony "AJ" Johnson, the actor and comedian best known for his roles in "Menace II Society" (1993), "Friday" (1995), and "I Got the Hook Up" (1998), has died. He was 55. Although there's been no confirmed cause of death, TMZ reports per Johnson's nephew that he was "found lifeless in a store earlier this month in Los Angeles and rushed to a hospital," after which he was pronounced dead. His representative, LyNea Bell, stated, "We are praying for all those that were touched by his comedy, acting, but most of all his life. We are especially praying for his beloved wife, children, siblings and manager."

Over the course of his career, Johnson brought his "laughter, dynamic acting skills, but most of all his enormous personality and heart of gold" — as Hollywood Reporter wrote on Twitter — to nearly 50 roles across film and television. As his IMDb illustrates, Johnson's resume included "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Malcom and Eddie," "Moesha," "Lethal Weapon 3," and more, on top of his more standout performances. 

As Ice Cube stated on Twitter, Johnson was set to reprise his role as Ezal in the long-awaited follow-up to "Friday," 2023's "Last Friday." Cube echoed everyone else's sentiments and fondness for Johnson. "Sad to wake up to the news about AJ Johnson passing away. 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,'" he tweeted.

As the Compton-born Johnson said in an interview with VladTV, he didn't get into acting until he was in his 20s when his father, a stuntman, got him in a gig as an extra in "House Party" (1990). According to IMDb, though, his first acting credit goes back to 1982's "Puss in Boots." 

Spinning an anecdote more than worthy of his comedic timing and flair, Anthony Johnson goes on to describe how his Jheri curls got him a speaking part in "House Party" that was unfortunately cut from the final film. That segment, however, led to him being invited to perform at a comedy club at 43rd and Crenshaw. At his first, ad-libbed appearance, "They booed the s*** outta' me." But when he went back the following week with five minutes of actual, scripted material? He "killed." Johnson stated that he'd been doing comedy ever since.

Johnson was somewhat absent from film and television between 2006 and 2015, but had been steadily getting work ever since. While never an extremely lucrative star, his natural talents nonetheless garnered him a net worth of approximately $100,000, as Celebrity Net Worth says. There are no reports as yet regarding memorial services.