John "Pops" Williams owns Pop's Diner at the Niedermeyer Building, right next to Shawn's Newsstand, which itself is owned by oldest son Shawn on the WB's TV series The Wayans Bros.. The part of pops is played by comedian/actor John Witherspoon.
About "Pops" Williams[]
Pops, a former Army cook during Vietnam, was stationed in Germany during his military stint, of which the service was described as "questionable" by his City Councilman opponent when he tried to run for his office seat in the episode Pop's Campaign. Nevertheless, he has been able to steadily run the restaurant he owns for over twenty years, with the boys working for him at times growing up in the Williams home in Long Island. Pops is played by stand-up comedian and actor John Witherspoon, who is also well known for his role as Willie Jones in the high-grossing Friday film series.
A self-professed snazzy dresser in his own mind, Marlon and Shawn usually poke fun at his "tacky" attire, his love for pointed-toed loafers, usually white, bow ties, and multicolored, loud shirts and polyester slacks. As for his cooking, in his opinion, it does'nt hurt if no one knows "Tomorrow's chili was yesterday's Meatloaf leftovers". Pop is also quite a flamenco dancer, as demonstrated with son Marlon in the episode titled "Pop's Secret" in which he was trying to brush up on his dancing, taking lessons from an instructor named Carmella (Iona Morris) without the sons' knowledge.
Also a one-time aspiring politician, Pops gets in a bind, mixing up written responses to questions in a debate against his opponent, Councilman Ted McKay (Ronnie Schell of Gomer Pyle, USMC fame) in the hilarious episode titled Pop's Campaign . Shawn and Marlon are'nt the only ones in the Williams family that has lofty aspirations.
Also a one-time, Pops was a one-time member of a singing group called "The Temptones". In the season 3 episode titled The Return of the Temptones, Pop's and the group both make a comeback of sorts, with one guy Albert, returning as "Alberta". In their onetime "comeback" concert at a nearby nightclub, Pops and the group belt out their signature song "My Love Goes Bang, Bang, Bang".