John Amos, 1939-2024
The actor known for "Good Times," "Roots," and "The West Wing" is gone at 84.
Variety, “John Amos, ‘Good Times’ Dad and ‘Roots’ Actor, Dies at 84“
John Amos, the star of “Good Times,” “Roots” and more, died on Aug. 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes, his representative confirmed to Variety on Tuesday. He was 84.
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Born on December 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, Amos’ acting career picked up when he landed the role of weatherman Gordon “Gordy” Howard on “The Mary Tyler Moore show” in 1970. From there, he brought his comedic talents to CBS’ “Good Times,” a spinoff of “Maude” and “All in the Family,” and played father James Evans Sr. in 1974.
The Norman Lear program made history as the first TV show to follow an African American, two-parent. household. The hardworking and devoted father figure role resonated with audiences. After three seasons, however, Amos was displeased with the direction of the show and portrayal of his character’s son, James “J.J.” Evans Jr. He was fired after Season 3, and Season 4 began by killing James Evan Sr. off-screen.
Amos received an Emmy nomination in 1977 for his role as adult Kunta Kinte in the ABC historical miniseries “Roots.” The series, about slavery in the United States, won nine Emmys, a Golden Globe and Peabody Award and received massive viewership in the country. More than 130 million people tuned into the series, which was more than half of the population of the U.S. in 1977. The final episode holds the record for the third-highest-rated episode for any type of TV series and the second-most-watched series finale in history.
Amos also appeared in shows like “About the Andersons,” “The West Wing,” “Two and a Half Men” and “The Ranch.” His final television role will arrive in the forthcoming series “Suits LA.” On film, he had roles in Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America” and its 2021 sequel “Coming 2 America,” “Die Hard 2,” “The Beastmaster,” “Lock Up” and “Me Tyme.” He and his son also produced the upcoming documentary about his life, titled “America’s Dad.”
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Outside of film and TV, Amos wrote, produced and starred in a one-man play, titled “Halley’s Comet.” He also appeared on Broadway in August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean.” Before he began acting, he played college football at Colorado State University and suited up for the 1967 NFL offseason with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Deadline, “John Amos Dies: ‘Good Times’, ‘Roots’ Actor Was 84“
John Amos, the actor whose characters in Good Times, Roots, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show lent the 1970s a solid share of its too-few portrayals of strong Black male role models, died August 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 84.
His death, announced by son Kelly Christopher Amos, had not been disclosed until today.
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Amos’ career spanned over five decades, taking off in 1970 when he played Gordy Howard, the weatherman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The role showcased a natural comedic talent, and led to his signature role of James Evans Sr. on the groundbreaking Norman Lear-CBS sitcom Good Times (1974–76).
A spinoff of Lear’s Maude, which itself was a spinoff of his All in the Family, Good Times centered on the family of Maude’s housekeeper character Florida Evans (Esther Rolle, relocating the character from Maude’s Upstate New York to the Chicago housing projects). Amos played Florida’s hardworking, if often underemployed, husband John. Together, they struggled to raise three kids in the tough South Side neighborhood: eldest son JJ (Jimmie Walker), daughter Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and youngest Michael (Ralph Carter).
A major and immediate hit with viewers and critics alike, Good Times was a shining entry in Lear’s then-unrivaled 1970s sitcom lineup. But the show’s set was an often troubled one, with both Rolle and Amos increasingly and publicly objecting to the show’s focus drifting toward the clownish, but immensely popular, JJ. Both Rolle and Amos felt that the JJ character played into negative Black minstrel-show stereotypes, drawing attention away from the strong-family emphasis intended originally.
Amos, in particular, was unhappy with the shifting depiction of the family unit, a dissatisfaction he expressed often and loudly. Lear fired him at the end of the show’s third season in 1976, going so far as to kill off the character in one of the most controversial and hard-hitting sitcom episodes of the decade.
The actor, though, rebounded quickly. In 1977, Amos took on the role of Kunta Kinte in the critically acclaimed miniseries Roots, a role that earned him an Emmy nomination and solidified his status as a dramatic actor. As with his Good Times performance, the role further demonstrated Amos’ commitment to projects that presented strong Black characters.
Amos also appeared in other major television series such as All About the Andersons, The West Wing (as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace), Two and a Half Men, and The Ranch. His final television appearance came in Suits LA, where for the first time in his career he played himself.
In film, Amos appeared as Cleo McDowell, the fast-food restaurant owner in Coming to America (1988), and later reprised this role in Coming 2 America (2021). His other film roles include Major Grant in Die Hard 2 (1990), The Beastmaster (1982) and Lock Up (1989). His final film appearance was in Me Tyme (2022).
Amos took on a new role as a producer in his documentary America’s Dad, which he co-produced with his son, KC Amos. The film reflects on Amos’ life journey and the legacy he left behind, while celebrating the bond between father and son.
In addition to his work on screen, Amos enjoyed a successful stage career. He played a one-man show, Halley’s Comet, a reflection on life and mortality, in the U.S. and internationally.
Amos received numerous award nominations over his lifetime, including an Emmy nomination for his role in Roots and a TV Land Award for Good Times. His son describes him as an outspoken advocate for positive portrayals of African Americans in television and film, consistently striving to create more diverse and accurate representations of his community.
Associated Press, “John Amos, patriarch on ‘Good Times’ and an Emmy nominee for the blockbuster ‘Roots,’ dies at 84“
John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84.
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He played James Evans Sr. on “Good Times,” which featured one of television’s first Black two-parent families. Produced by Norman Lear and co-created by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred on “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” it ran from 1974-79 on CBS.
“That show was the closest depiction in reality to life as an African American family living in those circumstances as it could be,” Amos told Time magazine in 2021.
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“There were several examples where I said, ‘No, you don’t do these things. It’s anathema to Black society. I’ll be the expert on that, if you don’t mind,‘” he told Time magazine. “And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.”
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Amos quickly bounced back, landing the role of an adult Kunta Kinte, the centerpiece of “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s novel set during and after the era of slavery in the U.S. The miniseries was a critical and ratings blockbuster, and Amos earned one of its 37 Emmy nominations.
“I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint,” he told Time magazine. “It was the culmination of all of the misconceptions and stereotypical roles that I had lived and seen being offered to me. It was like a reward for having suffered those indignities.”
I would have been four when Amos debuted on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which I regularly watched with my parents. And we almost certainly watched every episode of Good Times which, even from a kid’s perspective, became a thinner show with Amos’ departure. As amusing as J.J. Walker as Kid Dynomite was, the show became farce rather than the show Lear created.
But, yes, Amos rebounded nicely with Roots and never looked back. I particularly enjoyed him as Admiral Fitzwallace on The West Wing, but his turn in Coming to America was also quite memorable.
That a person of his stature passed weeks ago and is just becoming public is rather odd. It’s although interesting that, while I’ve known who Amos was essentially all of my life, I only today learned that he’d played professional football, albeit only briefly.
A fine actor. He had great presence.
Prof.JJ., in the final sentence of the last from third paragraph, you might want to change “Leer” to “Lear.”
Just went on IMDB, never realized the breadth of his work. On the series “The Funny Side”, which I don’t remember at all, he played “Minority Husband” for six episodes. I wonder if they listed that on the actual credits.
That is pretty unusual that his death wasn’t publicized for over a month. I mostly recognize him from Good Times and to a lesser extent Roots, but damn that’s a résumé. RIP.
I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Amos in the mid 80’s, when he did a guest star arc on a series titled ‘Hardcastle and McCormick”. Never forgot him. Some actors you remember. Most, you don’t. If you ever met John Amos, you remembered him. Smart. Direct. Unflinchingly polite. Professional. And genuinely nice. As of July, he was still working, and was scheduled to have a recurring role – as himself – in the new “Suits: LA” series coming to NBC soon-ish. Sadly, looks like he will only be in the first episode, as that’s finished and he’s in it.