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J.J. Johnston

J.J. Johnston

Actor · Died November 4, 2022, aged 89 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

J.J. Johnston (born James William Johnston, October 24, 1933, Chicago, Illinois) was an American theatre and film actor and boxing historian and writer.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 24, 1933
Died
November 4, 2022 (aged 89)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 26% in 30 days

What are J.J. Johnston's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
33%
Self
20%
Bonds
15%
Power
14%
Society
8%
Survival
7%
Ideas
2%
Deception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 5 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Contemplative
5
Warm
4
Cold
3
Melancholic
3
Other
3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch J.J. Johnston's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for J.J. Johnston's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

44 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Librarians(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as General Uriah Loveday

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Bright Falls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Mechanic

  • Redbelt(2008)

    as Ring Announcer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Spartan(2004)

    as Night Club Manager

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Hitters(2002)

    as Nano

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Prime Gig(2000)

    as Lloyd

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Dead Man's Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Detective #1

  • State and Main(2000)

    as Stationmaster

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Who Killed Atlanta's Children?(2000)

    as Clark Hildebrandt

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Lakeboat(2000)

    as Stan

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • K-911(1999)

    as Fat Tommy

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The King of Queens(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Chick

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Fixer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Angelo

  • The Spanish Prisoner(1997)

    as Doorman

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Above Suspicion(1995)

    as Hank

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Cybill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Detective

  • Stranger by Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Bobby's Father

  • Desert Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Buck

  • Body Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Magruder

  • Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Cop #1

  • Mad Dog and Glory(1993)

    as Shanlon

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Water Engine(1992)

    as White Haired Man

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • JFK(1991)

    as Mobster with Broussard

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Homicide(1991)

    as Jilly Curran

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • An Inconvenient Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · as Capt. Mariano

  • Queens Logic(1991)

    as Joey Clams

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Wings(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. DeCarlo

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • An Innocent Man(1989)

    as Joseph Donatelli

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Peter Gunn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Barney

  • 976-EVIL(1988)

    as Virgil

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Things Change(1988)

    as Frankie

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Stars and Bars(1988)

    as Doorman

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Day by Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Bartender · as Fred

  • Weeds(1987)

    as Lazarus

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Fatal Attraction(1987)

    as O'Rourke

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Married... with Children(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Bebe · as Drill Instructor · as Happy · as Louie · as Security Guard

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • A Winner Never Quits(1986)

    as Trainer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Equalizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank

  • T.J. Hooker(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Bartender

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Whose Life Is It Anyway?(1981)

    as Guard

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Crisis in Mid-air(1979)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Towing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Butch

  • The Bob Newhart Show(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Man

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Son of Blob(1972)

    as Deputy Kelly Davis

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 44 titles from 1972 to 2014; peak year 1988.

Biggest box office

Mad Dog and Glory (1993)

$11M worldwide

Highest rated

The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

Midcredits 86th

Film career

19722014

Peak 1988 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting44 of 44: 44 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64th

By decade

1970s4 · acting1980s13 · acting1990s16 · acting2000s9 · acting2010s2 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 0% of 14 roles
7292

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do J.J. Johnston's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 25; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 31 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 31 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

Hitters (2002)

83rd percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

JFK (1991)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is J.J. Johnston's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Profanity3 titlesmedian 64 · intenseMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does J.J. Johnston work with?

People who share at least 2 of J.J. Johnston's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joe Mantegna shares the most, 6.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers