John Henton (born November 23, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. Henton is best known for his roles as Overton Wakefield Jones on the

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve s ...

sitcom ''

Living Single ''Living Single'' is an American television sitcom created by Yvette Lee Bowser that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who shared personal and profess ...

'' and as Milsap Morris on the ABC/ UPN sitcom ''

The Hughleys ''The Hughleys'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 22, 1998 to April 28, 2000 and on UPN from September 11, 2000 to May 20, 2002. It starred comedian D. L. Hughley as the main character, Darryl Hughley, and Elise Neal as ...

''.

Life and career

Henton was born in East Cleveland, Ohio. He is a graduate of Shaw High School. In 1982, Henton had a day job working at a paint warehouse and was taking computer classes in the evenings. He decided to perform at an amateur night at a Cleveland comedy club. On his second performance, Henton won the amateur night contest. Henton was a stand-up comedian in the Cleveland area for a few years.Goudas, John N. (January 10, 1993).
Standup Comic John Henton Slated for Stardom
. ''King Features Syndicate''. The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania). p. 53. He took his comedy on the road for a year and won the 1991 Johnny Walker National Comedy Search. Henton was spotted by ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, 1 ...

'' comedy executive Jim McCawley, who booked him to perform on the show on June 5, 1991. As Henton finished his set, he looked to Carson for his approval. Carson, Ed McMahon, and guest

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his bir ...

all waved Henton over to take a seat on Carson's guest couch. During a commercial break, Carson asked Henton if he had an agent. Henton said he didn't, and Carson told him, "Well you will after tonight." Henton appeared on '' Comic Strip Live'' ten days later, and he was booked for a second performance on ''The Tonight Show'' on October 11.McLellan, Dennis (July 30, 1992).
Henton Flies High After 'Tonight Show' Leap
. ''The Los Angeles Times''. Henton's comedy special, ''John Henton: Comedy with an Attitude'', aired on Showtime in January 1993. Henton played the role of Overton Wakefield Jones on the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve s ...

sitcom ''

''. He also played Milsap Morris on the ABC/ UPN sitcom ''

''. Henton has made guest appearances on other sitcoms '' One on One'', '' The Parkers'', '' For Your Love'', ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a t ...

'' and '' Love That Girl!''. In September 2000, Henton was involved in a serious car accident that "destroyed his left eye socket, shattered both of his legs, broke nine teeth and ripped up his stomach". His face was badly deformed by the incident, though extensive plastic surgery restored most of his facial structure.DUI Crash Was A Halloween Horror Story Comedian Couldn't Laugh About
. ''Retrieved August 1, 2012.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henton, John American stand-up comedians American male television actors Living people 1960 births 21st-century American comedians People from East Cleveland, Ohio 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors