BernNadette Stanis:
Good Time for a '70's Reunion

By MICHAEL STARR - New York Post writer

BernNadette Stanis

The Good Times are back for BernNadette Stanis, who played sassy Thelma Evans on the classic '70s sitcom "Good Times."

Not only is Stanis thrilled with Good Times' legendary status, but she's bringing Thelma back tonight on "The Wayans Bros."

The episode features a Good Times flashback scene that also includes original cast members Johnny Brown (Bookman), and Ja'net DuBois (Willona) who also has a recurring role on The Wayans Bros. show as Grandma.

"I'm wearing my big old Afro wig, bell bottoms, platform shoes and my tight little shirt," Stanis told The Post. "And while we were taping the episode Marlon Wayans, who played Michael, kept moving his neck back and forth like Michael used to do. I almost forgot that, you know? But Michael used to jerk his head from side to side and I went, Oh, he did do that!"

Shawn Wayans plays J.J. Evans and Marlon is little brother Michael. Roles originally played by Jimmie "Dy-no-mite!" Walker and Ralph Carter in the CBS series (1974-79) that also starred Esther Rolle and John Amos.

"Shawn and Marlon knew every one of the Good Times episodes," Stanis said. They said, "Bern, we've watched every one of those shows." They even knew some of them that I'd forgotten!"

The groundbreaking Good Times was TV's first sitcom to focus on a black family in a lower-income, urban (Chicago) setting. It was spun off from "Maude" (in which Rolle played Maude's housekeeper, Florida Evans), which in itself was a spinoff from "All in the Family."

Said Stanis "The show has lasted so long and they still play it on TV. It's made its mark and it's here forever. I feel so good about that."

In tonight's Wayans Bros. episode, a computer firm hires Shawn only because he's black. Upset over his predicament, Shawn dozes off while watching a Good Times marathon. Then dreams he's living in the '70s sitcom as J.J., who's in a similar situation and seeks advice from Willona, Thelma, Michael and Bookman.

When he wakes up from his dream he says "That's it, that's what I'm going to do" as if the dream gave him the solution to his dilemma. "Sometimes I feel that with Good Times we gave people answers to some of those big problems" says Stanis.

BernNadette Stanis recently reunited with Jimmie Walker on a music video for hip-hoppers Camp Lo, where the actors reprised their Good Times roles. When I saw Jimmie again I was so excited and he was like "Hey Bern, get over here!" And I was like, "give me a hug!" because I always boss him around.

Stanis, a Juilliard graduate, now has two daughters and is married to Kevin Fontana, with whom she's producing broadway and off-broadway plays, including "Whatever Happened to Black Love?"

Stanis co-stars in "Black Love" with Ernest Thomas, who played Raj in another '70s TV classic "What's Happening!"

Said Stanis "I play a female attorney defending all the men, and Ernest plays the male attorney defending all the females. The audience just loves it because they get two stars from the '70s."

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