John Amos was an actor known for his starring roles in such popular shows and movies as “Good Times,” “Roots,” and “Coming to America.”
- Died: August 21, 2024 (Who else died on August 21?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles of natural causes at the age of 84.
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John Amos’s legacy
Before he was an actor, Amos studied sociology at Colorado State University, where he also played football. After college, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and briefly played for them and in smaller leagues, but injury ended his football career. He didn’t immediately pivot to acting, instead diving into his writing talent. Amos was writing sketches for “The Leslie Uggams Show” when his first acting job came in an episode of “The Bill Cosby Show.” He went on to win some notable early TV spots, among them Gordy Howard, the news weatherman, in a recurring role on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
In 1974, Amos landed his breakout role in “Good Times.” He played James Evans, Sr. in the groundbreaking sitcom that represented American TV’s first look at the lives of a two-parent Black household. Portraying a hard-working father struggling to make ends meet, Amos brought dignity to the role on the “Maude” spin-off. But as the “Good Times” evolved in its second and third seasons, he became frustrated with the show’s increasing focus on the antics of his character’s son, J.J.
Amos repeatedly spoke out to its writers about the harmful stereotypes he felt they were perpetuating – as did his co-star, Esther Rolle – but rather than changing the show, network executives chose to fire him. “Good Times” continued for three seasons after Amos’ character was killed off, and the two-part episode in which his death was announced at the start of Season Four included one of TV’s most poignant portrayals of grief as Rolle’s character reacted to her loss.
In the wake of his firing from “Good Times,” Amos was cast in a starring role in “Roots,” the award-winning, massively popular 1977 TV miniseries adaptation of the bestselling Alex Haley novel, “Roots: The Saga of an American Family.” He played the adult Kunta Kinte, an African man stolen from his home and enslaved in America. Starring in three of the drama’s five installments, Amos was nominated for an Emmy Award.
He continued to act on television throughout his career, including a notable role on “The West Wing” as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace. He was a co-star of “Men in Trees” and played recurring parts on such shows as “Hunter,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and “The District.” His many guest appearances included on “The A-Team,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Two and a Half Men,” “30 Rock,” and “The Righteous Gemstones.”
In addition to his prolific TV career, Amos also turned in an array of memorable movie performances. Among the best known is his role as Cleo McDowell in 1988’s “Coming to America.” The fast-food eatery owner who employed Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem was a fan favorite, and Amos returned for the long-awaited 2021 sequel, “Coming 2 America.” His other movies included “Let’s Do It Again,” “Die Hard 2,” “Madea’s Witness Protection,” and “Uncut Gems.”
Amos on his role in Roots
“I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint. 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.” — from a 2021 interview for Time
Tributes to John Amos
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
