Actor. Sonny Jim Gaines was a character actor who worked on TV 1970’s through the early 2000’s. television series “Sanford and Son”, where he appeared as “Big Money” Grip Madlock, an old buddy of Fred Sanford from St. Louis, “Good Times” and “Baretta” Gaines also had roles in several films which included the 1973 blaxploitation flick “Five On The Black Hand Side”, “The Distingushed Gentleman” opposite Sheryl Lee Ralph and the films star, Eddie Murphy, the Oscar nominated 1992 biopic “Malcolm X”, which starred Denzel Washington, with whom he also appeared in the 1993 film “The Pelican Brief” with Julia Roberts. (bio by: International Wargraves Photography Project)  Family links:  Spouse:  Frances Coleman Gaines (1948 – 2012)* *Calculated relationship Inscription:US ARMY