Cochran Enjoyed Influence on Pop Culture

LOS ANGELES – His law practice was serious, but Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. (search) laughed with everyone else when he became a subject of parody and a pop culture fixture on TV and in movies.

After his O.J. Simpson (search) trial victory, it was almost impossible to escape Cochran references on television. A smooth-talking actor with a wide grin played him as the character Jackie Chiles on "Seinfeld." Whatever the case, Jackie's response was: "I am outraged!"

Cochran, who died of a brain tumor Tuesday at his Los Angeles home, became a TV star himself for a while with his own show on Court TV.

In an episode of the raunchy Comedy Central cartoon "South Park (search)," a star-studded fund-raiser had to be held so the character Chef could raise $2 million to defend himself against Johnnie Cochran in a lawsuit brought by a record company. The Cochran character employs a nonsensical "Chewbacca defense."

Cochran, who died of a brain tumor Tuesday, was regularly impersonated by comedian Tim Meadows on NBC's Saturday Night Live. And comedian Chris Rock (search) uttered a Cochran line in 1998's "Lethal Weapon 4" when his character was arresting a suspect.

"You have the right to an attorney. If you get Johnnie Cochran, I'll kill you," Rock's character said.

Cochran thought the line was so funny, he quoted it in his biography.