J. J. Johnston

J.J. Johnston (born James William Johnston, October 24, 1933 – November 4, 2022) was an American theatre and film actor, boxing historian and writer.

Johnston served eighteen months in prison for drug-related offenses before turning to acting.

Johnston died on November 4, 2022, at the age of 89.

Books
Johnston, a former amateur boxer, was the author of several books on the history of boxing.
 * Babyface and Pop, with Nick Beck (2011)
 * Chicago Boxing (Images of Sports), with Sean Curtin and David Mamet (2005) ISBN 978-0-7385-3210-3
 * Chicago Amateur Boxing (Images of Sports), with Sean Curtin (2006) ISBN 978-0-7385-4138-9

Stage work
Johnston performed in the original 1975 production of David Mamet's American Buffalo in Chicago and subsequently performed in the 1983 Broadway production opposite Al Pacino.

Awards

 * 1983-84 New York Theatre World Award for Outstanding New Talent in "American Buffalo"
 * 1986 Bay Area Critics Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance by an Actor in the play Glengarry Glen Ross.