“Good Times” Star Jimmie Walker on Norman Lear's Lasting Legacy and Their 'Creative Differences' (Exclusive)

Walker played J.J. Evans on the 1974–1979 sitcom, which was produced by the late Norman Lear

Good Times star Jimmie Walker is remembering the immense contribution of the late Norman Lear — and the occasional push and pull of their working relationship.

"He had 11 hit shows on the air at one time, which is, I hate to say it's impossible, because somebody did it, but I don't think you'll see that from [anyone else]," Walker, 76, exclusively tells PEOPLE of Lear, who died on Tuesday at age 101. "And even though Norman Lear was the extreme unbelievable liberal — he made Al Sharpton look like Donald Trump — he always expressed both sides."

The two worked together on the 1974-1979 sitcom Good Times, which centered around a Black family living in the Chicago projects. Lear produced the series, and Walker played J.J. Evans, an aspiring artist who became the show's breakout character.

Although he came to regard Lear with immense respect, their relationship wasn't exactly love at first laugh.

"I met him the first time in Los Angeles sitting next to him at a table read, and I was looking for jokes and stuff like that," Walker recalls of preparing for the show's pilot episode. "So he's sitting next to me, I don't know who he is. I said, 'Boy, who wrote this? This sucks, man.' And he gave me the look. So I said, 'This needs a whole rewrite. This is terrible.'"

Related: Norman Lear, Prolific TV Writer and Producer Who Created All in the Family, Dead at 101

Lear was known for tackling serious issues through comedy on shows like All in the Family and Maude, and Walker was a stand-up comedian whose priority was the punchline.

"We always had creative differences because I was very jokey and he was not a jokey guy, even though he did write for [Dean] Martin and [Jerry] Lewis, which was jokey," Walker says. "So I would sneak [jokes] in. And Norman didn't realize sometimes that I was getting stuff in. But I mean, we got along as people. Creatively, I think we were diametrically opposed."

Now, though, Walker is quick to acknowledge that Lear knew what he was doing — and he did it well.

"Obviously he's Norman Lear; I'm whatever I am," he says with a laugh. "And he was a guy that proved his point, in hit shows and movies, as you know."

"So he proved his point, I don't consider myself the loser in it, but I was not the exact winner in it. And he would laugh at me in terms of putting stuff in. He'd say, 'Man, you got to slow down on this stuff. You are always going for the joke. Take it easy.'"

Related: Janet Jackson Was 'Like a Little Sister' to 'Good Times' Costar BernNadette Stanis: 'Sweet as Pie'

The friction and combined talent between the two resulted in classic '70s TV, with J.J.'s catchphrase — "Dyn-O-mite!" — becoming a cultural phenomenon.

But here's the twist, according to Walker: "Norman just hated it," he remembers. "He hated it from day one. And we always had a discrepancy on that. To me, it didn't make a difference because it was going to get a laugh and that's all that counted to me."

Despite their different opinions on comedy, Walker recognizes the strides Lear made in sitcoms and putting Black shows on the TV map. "He would give up jokes that make a point, and he did that incessantly," Walker says. "He constantly had fights with people in terms of network programming and stuff like that, but he struck by his guns and obviously we've gotten somewhere now. So that's his legacy."

On Tuesday, Dec. 5, Lear died in his Los Angeles home of natural causes, according to a release from his representatives. He was 101.

They also confirmed the news of his death on his official Instagram account beside a black-and-white photo of Lear smiling. In the post, his team said he died "surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end."

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"Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people—those he just met and those he knew for decades—who kept his mind and heart forever young," the caption read. "As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support."

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