Producers Thomas Q. Jones and Deji LaRay talk about ‘Johnson’ TV show

Producers Thomas Q. Jones and Deji LaRay talk about 'Johnson' TV show
Photo courtesy of Bounce TV

Thomas Q. Jones, former NFL running back for the Kansas City Jets and the Chicago Bears, hung up his football cleats in 2014 and jumped right into the acting arena. Most fans recognize him for his work on BET’s “Being Mary Jane” series playing opposite Gabrielle Union as the “Cutty Buddy.” Jones exceeded expectations on camera over the past decade landing over 45 roles, most recently that of Omar in the Bounce TV series “Johnson” on which he also serves as an executive producer.

D.L. Hughley will also appear this season with the ensemble cast. The weekly series centers on four lifelong best friends in Atlanta who all share the last name, Johnson. The show stars Deji LaRay (“Bosch,” “Greenleaf“); Thomas Q. Jones (“P- Valley,” “Luke Cage”); Philip Smithey (“Switched At Birth,” “The Rookie”); and Derrex Brady (“NCIS,” “First”). Actor Cedric the Entertainer, radio and podcast host Angela Yee, comedians Earthquake and Rodney Perry all guest star this season.


“In this show, we [depict] a wide perspective of how men move and how we operate. And when it comes to the language that we speak, we keep it in-house and we don’t tell all of our secrets. But my character Omar has good intentions,” explained Jones.

“I think what you will see is that D.L. Hughley and I are bringing back the uncles [who] give advice to the younger groups and teach them how to be men. That’s what’s missing today,” he shared during an interview with rolling out.


“Love is a very big topic and controversial topic in our community. It’s become a hot-button issue because of race. We wanted to cover all color lines in this show — especially in relationships — because at the end of the day, love wins,” said Deji LaRay.

LaRay, the creator of “Johnson,” is an actor, writer and producer from Atlanta.

Watch “Johnson” on Bounce TV on Monday nights. The first new episodes of Johnson will be available on Bounce’s streaming service Brown Sugar on Mondays, the day after their Bounce premiere on Aug. 1. Visit BrownSugar.com for more info. Follow @bouncetv on social media. Check out the short interview after the break.

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