Actor John Amos has died.
He was 84.
His publicist, Belinda Foster confirmed Amos’ death but did not provide any details, The Associated Press reported.
Amos’ son said in a statement to Variety, “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.”
Amos was born John Allen Amos Jr. on December 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, the AP reported. He graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in sociology. While at the university he also played football. He went to training camp tryouts with the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He appeared on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” playing weatherman Gordon “Gordy” Howard, Variety reported, but it was “Good Times” playing James Evans Sr. that put him front and center. The show was produced by Normal Lear and co-created by Mike Evans.
Amos’ character and his wife Florida, played by Esther Rolle, were one of the first Black two-parent families on television. They had three on-air children, including Jimmie Walker, the breakout star of “Good Times.”
“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 previously.
But after three seasons Amos was fired after criticizing the show’s white writing staff that he said wrote stories that were not authentic for their characters.
“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,’” Amos told Time, according to the AP. “And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.”
Shortly after his firing, Amos was cast as adult Kunta Kinte in “Roots.” He was nominated for one of the miniseries’ 37 Emmy nominations.
“I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint,” he said, according to the AP. “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 also had a recurring role on “The West Wing” as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Amos’ career wasn’t only on the small screen, he was also cast in “Coming To America,” playing Cleo McDowell. He reprised the role in the film’s sequel “Coming 2 America,” according to his IMDB profile.
His final roles according to IMDB were in “Suits: L.A.” and two films that were in preproduction.
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