John L. Adams
Encyclopedia
John L. Adams is an American
film
and television
actor
.
After attending Winston-Salem State University
, Adams moved to Los Angeles
where he began a career as a stand-up comic
, performing at such venues as The Improv
, The Laugh Factory
, The Comedy Store
, as well as the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas
.
In 2000, he was cast as a series regular on NBC
’s Just Deal
as Mr. Peña and a year later he landed a three-episode stint on UPN
’s Girlfriends
as Vosco.
In 2002, Adams was cast as physical therapist Bruce Lewis on The Dead Zone
, best friend and ‘sidekick’ of psychic
Johnny Smith. The original novel
by Stephen King
did not feature the character of Bruce; he was created specifically for the show and has become a definitive turning point in the difference between the television series and the book.
In 2006, Adams was cast as a leading series regular role in the ABC
pilot Secrets of a Small Town
starring opposite Angie Harmon
. The series was in contention for the 2006 Fall season
on ABC, but it was not picked up.
In addition to his work on film, Adams has also appeared in stage productions of The Wiz
as the Scarecrow
, and as Tony in Trouble Man, and is also recognized for starring in television commercials for 1-800-COLLECT opposite David Arquette
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
and television
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
After attending Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University , a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a historically black public research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.Winston-Salem State has been...
, Adams moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he began a career as a stand-up comic
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
, performing at such venues as The Improv
The Improv
The Improv is a comedy club franchise. Originally, it was a single venue founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman and located in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City on West 44th near the SE corner of 9th Ave. A second location was opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax District...
, The Laugh Factory
The Laugh Factory
The Laugh Factory is a world famous comedy club located at 8001 on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California.-History:In 1979, after a dispute over club owners refusing to pay comedians, a then 16 year old Jamie Masada recognized the need for a new venue for comedians to perform...
, The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. It has a sister comedy club in La Jolla, San Diego, California.-History:...
, as well as the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
In 2000, he was cast as a series regular on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
’s Just Deal
Just Deal
Just Deal is a comedy-drama series that aired Saturday mornings on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC lineup. The series premiered on September 23, 2000 and ended on September 7, 2002-Premise:...
as Mr. Peña and a year later he landed a three-episode stint on UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
’s Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
as Vosco.
In 2002, Adams was cast as physical therapist Bruce Lewis on The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone (TV series)
The Dead Zone, aka Stephen King's Dead Zone is an American-Canadian science fiction/suspense series starring Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, who discovers he has developed psychic abilities after a coma...
, best friend and ‘sidekick’ of psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
Johnny Smith. The original novel
The Dead Zone (novel)
The Dead Zone is a horror novel by Stephen King published in 1979. It concerns Johnny Smith, who is injured in an accident and enters a coma for nearly five years. When he emerges, he can see horrifying secrets but cannot identify all the details in his "dead zone", an area of his brain that...
by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
did not feature the character of Bruce; he was created specifically for the show and has become a definitive turning point in the difference between the television series and the book.
In 2006, Adams was cast as a leading series regular role in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
pilot Secrets of a Small Town
Secrets of a Small Town
Secrets of A Small Town is a television pilot ordered by ABC for the 2006-2007 television season by ABC. Despite being rated as 'one of the highest testing dramas', the show was not picked up for series order as part of ABC's fall lineup due to its high budget. It was created by Charles Pratt, Jr...
starring opposite Angie Harmon
Angie Harmon
Angela Michelle "Angie" Harmon is an American fashion model and television/film actress. She became a well-known model before gaining international fame for her roles in Baywatch Nights and Law & Order....
. The series was in contention for the 2006 Fall season
2006 in television
2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television...
on ABC, but it was not picked up.
In addition to his work on film, Adams has also appeared in stage productions of The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
as the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (Oz)
The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator William Wallace Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely...
, and as Tony in Trouble Man, and is also recognized for starring in television commercials for 1-800-COLLECT opposite David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
.
External links
- John L. Adams bio from USANetwork.com