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Ja'net DuBois, 'Good Times' Star, Dies At Age 74

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — Actress and singer Ja'net DuBois, best known for her role as Willona Woods on the classic CBS sitcom "Good Times," has died. She was 74.

Glendale police said they received a report about DuBois' death late Monday, the Associated Press reported. She appeared to have died of natural causes and there was no ongoing investigation.

BernNadette Stanis, who played Thelma Evans Anderson on "Good Times," said she learned of DuBois' death Tuesday from the actress' daughter, the Associated Press reported.

Beyond her role in "Good Times," DuBois was also the singer behind the iconic theme song, "Movin' On Up," for "The Jeffersons."

She started her career in theater, where she appeared in Broadway productions of "Golden Boy" and "A Raisin in the Sun," according to a biography on her website.

Actress Holly Robinson Peete lamented the loss of the star on Twitter, saying she "followed her around like a puppy dog."

DuBois' film credits include the 1970's "Diary of a Mad Housewife," "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle." She was also credited in numerous other films as varied as "Basic Instinct," "Next Friday" and "Tropic Thunder,"

DuBois was a co-founder of the Pan African Film Festival, which has showcased films meant to promote a greater cultural understanding of people of African descent since 1992. The Los Angeles festival runs through Sunday.

According to TMZ, DuBois is survived by three children.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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