In Memoriam : John Amos, Newark native and iconic actor, dies at 84

John Amos, the iconic actor best known for his roles in Good Times and Roots, passed away.

He was 84.

Death details

Amos died on August 21 from congestive heart failure but his death wasn’t announced until recently by his son Kelly Christopher Amos.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” Kelly Christopher Amos said in a statement.

“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.”

John Amos’ Career

John Allen Amos Jr. was born on December 27, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey.

Amos’ acting career has spanned over five decades. His career took off when he landed the role of weatherman Gordon “Gordy” Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. He then casted his first role on the big screen with Melvin Van Peebles‘ blaxploitation classic Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song in 1971.

Award-winning roles

From there, he brought his comedic talents to CBS’ Good Times, playing father James Evans Sr. in 1974. The TV series made history as the first TV show to follow an African American family with a two-parent household. Amos character as a hardworking and devoted father resonated with audiences. After three seasons, Amos was dissatisfied with the direction of the show and the “stereotypical” 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.

CBS Television. Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1977, Amos starred in one of his most acclaimed roles as adult Kunta Kinte in the ABC historical miniseries Roots, which earned him an Emmy nomination. The series, about slavery in the United States, won nine Emmys, a Golden Globe a Peabody Award, and had an impressive viewership. More than 130 million people tuned into the series, which was more than half of the population of the U.S. at the time. 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.

Film and television

Amos appeared in television shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which he played Will Smith’s father-in-law; The World’s Greatest Athlete, Let’s Do It Again, About the Andersons, The West Wing, Two and a Half Men and The Ranch. His final tv role is in the forthcoming series Suits LA.

On film, he had roles in films such as Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America and its 2021 sequel Coming 2 America, The Players Club, Die Hard 2, Ricochet, The Beastmaster, For Better or Worse , Lock Up and Me Tyme. He and his son also produced the forthcoming documentary about his life, entitled America’s Dad.

Theatre

Amos also lent his talents to theatre. He 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.

John Amos’ life before acting

Amos was born and raised in Newark to an auto mechanic father and a mother who worked as a domestic worker.

Amos’ mom cleaned the home of a cartoonist who drew for the Archie comics, and that led to Amos and a friend attending a taping of radio’s The Archie Show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. “It blew my imagination wide open,” he said.

While attending East Orange High School, Amos drew cartoons and wrote columns for the school newspaper, played a convict in a production of The Man Who Came to Dinner and was a star running back.

After graduating from East Orange High in 1958, Amos played college football at Long Beach City College and then Colorado State University on a scholarship. He graduated with a degree in social work, working in the field briefly until setting his sites on football.

Amos signed as a free agent for a variety of team such as the Denver Bronco’s in 1964 and suited up for the 1967 NFL offseason with the Kansas City Chiefs. After football didn’t pan out, Amos set out to pursue television writing followed by acting, leaving behind a legacy of iconic, memorable roles.

He is survived by two children, Shannon Amos, a writer/producer and founder of Afterglow Multimedia, LLC, and Grammy-nominated director K.C. Amos, and a host of relatives and friends.