John Amos, the veteran known for his roles in ‘Good Times’ and ‘Roots’, passed away at the age of 84 in Los Angeles on August 21 of natural causes, his publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news on Tuesday.
Mourning the passing of his father, John Amos, his son Kelly Christopher Amos shared a statement, “It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned. He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life.”
“His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life… most recently in ‘Suits LA’ playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, ‘America’s Dad. He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero. Thank you for your prayers and support at this time,” the statement read.
Amos’ Breakthrough Performances
In 1970, Amos’ career took off after he was cast as Gordon ‘Gordy’ Howard on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, His big break came in 1974 when he portrayed James Evans Sr. on CBS’ “Good Times’, a spinoff from ‘Maude’ and ‘All in the Family’. The Norman Lear show was notable for being the first to center on African American, two-parent family.
“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.
Amos’ Film and Documentary Ventures
In 1977, Amos was nominated for an Emmy for his role as adult Kunta Kinte in the miniseries Roots’ on ABC. He also featured in popular shows including ‘About the Andersons’, ‘The West Wing’, ‘Two and a Half Men’, and ‘The Ranch’. His final role will be in the upcoming ‘Suits LA’ series.
“I knew that it was 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.”
Amos appeared in movies such as Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming to America’, its 2021 sequel ‘Coming 2 America’, ‘Die Hard 2’. ‘The Beastmaster’, ‘Lock Up’, and ‘Me Tyme’. Amos also co-produced a documentary about his life with his son, titled “America’s Dad.
