Orlando Jones is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv, for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999 to 2002, and for his role as the African god Anansi on Starz's American Gods.
Jones in 2015
Mad TV is an American sketch comedy television series created by David Salzman, Fax Bahr, and Adam Small. Loosely based on the humor magazine Mad, Mad TV's pre-taped satirical sketches were primarily parodies of popular culture and occasionally politics. Many of its sketches featured the show's cast members playing recurring original characters and doing celebrity impressions. The series premiered on Fox on October 14, 1995, and ran for 14 seasons. Its final episode aired on May 16, 2009.
Record producer Quincy Jones (pictured) and television producer David Salzman executive produced Mad TV after buying the rights to its namesake magazine
The inaugural 1995 cast of Mad TV, from left to right: David Herman, Nicole Sullivan, Phil LaMarr, Debra Wilson, Artie Lange, Orlando Jones, Mary Scheer, and Bryan Callen
Michael McDonald (pictured) was Mad TV's longest-running cast member and portrayed the spoiled child Stuart in 38 sketches
Alex Borstein (pictured) portrayed the immigrant manicurist Ms. Swan in 44 sketches