Emmy-nominated actor John Amos, whose career saw him deliver memorable performances in roles for Roots and Good Times, among numerous others, is dead.
As reported by Deadline, Amos, 84, died in the Los Angeles area in August. His death was due to “natural causes,” per the report. In a statement, the actor’s son, K.C., said his father’s legacy “will love on in his outstanding works in television and film.”
Amos’ celebrated filmography also boasts roles in The West Wing, which saw him recurring as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Gordy, the weatherman at the fictional WJM TV station. In Coming to America and its sequel, Coming 2 America, Amos played Cleo McDowell, boss to Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem and father to Shari Headley’s Lisa.
Amos, a New Jersey Hall of Fame inductee, received an Emmy nomination for his work in the hit 1977 miniseries Roots, which saw him playing the older version of Kunta Kinte.
Die Hard 2, Lock Up, Uncut Gems, The District, Ballers, and The Righteous Gemstones were also lucky enough to have been a part of Amos’ journey as an actor. For many, his most enduring role came in 1974 with the launch of the Eric Monte and Mike Evans-created sitcoms Good Times on CBS. Across three seasons, Amos played James Evans Sr., patriarch of the Evans family. Football prowess also played a key role in Amos’ larger journey, as he explained in an American Masters interview in 2015.
In April of this year, it was reported that Amos had signed on for the Suits: L.A. pilot led by Stephen Amell and Josh McDermitt.
RIP.