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Anthony Johnson, 'Friday' actor and comedian, dies at age 55

Anthony "AJ" Johnson from "Friday" and "House Party" has died at age 55.
Anthony "AJ" Johnson from "Friday" and "House Party" has died at age 55.

Anthony Johnson, the actor and comedian best known for his roles in "Friday" and "House Party," has died. He was 55.

His rep, LyNea Bell, confirmed the news to USA TODAY, calling Johnson an "iconic legend of stage and screen." The date and cause of his death has not yet been released.

"The world of comedy has truly been shaken, again," Bell said. "He has left with us amazing memories of his laughter, dynamic acting skills, but most of all his enormous personality and heart of gold. We will be in constant prayer for his entire family including his wife Lexis, 3 children, brother Edward 'Peanut' Smith, sister Sheila, and lifetime manager and friend Mike D. Please give them the time they need to process and grieve such a huge loss."

Johnson, who was also known to fans as A.J. Johnson, appeared in several movie roles including E.Z.E. in 1990's "House Party" and Ezal in the 1995 Ice Cube-Chris Tucker classic "Friday."

RIP: Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, who played Deebo in ‘Friday,’ dies at 62

Ice Cube paid tribute to the actor and comedian on Twitter.

"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.

Johnson's other acting credits include 1993's "Menace II Society," 1997's "B*A*P*S*," and 1997's "The Jamie Foxx Show." More recently, he starred in 2015's "Office Staff" and 2019's "I Got The Hook Up 2."

His death comes less than one year after his "Friday" co-star, Tommy "Tiny" Lister, who played neighborhood bully and felon Deebo, died in December at age 62.

Lister’s manager, Cindy Cowan, said he was found unconscious in his home in Marina Del Rey, California, at the time. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Johnson: 'Friday,' 'House Party' actor dies at 55