John Amos, star of TV’s ‘Good Times’ and ‘Roots,’ dies at 84

LOS ANGELES — John Amos, who starred because the household patriarch on the hit Seventies sitcom “Good Occasions” and earned an Emmy nomination for his function within the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84.

Amos’ publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the information of his demise Tuesday. No different particulars had been instantly obtainable.

He performed James Evans Sr. on “Good Occasions,” which featured certainly one of tv’s first Black two-parent households. Produced by Norman Lear and co-created by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred on “All within the Household” and “The Jeffersons,” it ran from 1974-79 on CBS.

“That present was the closest depiction in actuality to life as an African American household residing in these circumstances because it could possibly be,” Amos advised Time journal in 2021.

His character, together with spouse Florida, performed by Esther Rolle, originated on one other Lear present, “Maude.” James Evans usually labored two handbook labor jobs to assist his household that included three youngsters, with Jimmie Walker changing into a breakout star as oldest son J.J.

Such was the present’s affect that Alicia Keys, Rick Ross, the Wu-Tang Clan are among the many musicians who name-checked Amos or his character of their lyrics.

Amos and Rolle had been wanting to painting a optimistic picture of a Black household, struggling towards the percentages in a public housing venture in Chicago. However they grew pissed off at seeing Walker’s character being made silly and his function expanded.

“The actual fact is that Esther’s criticism, and in addition that of John and others — a few of it very pointed and private — severely broken my enchantment within the Black neighborhood,” Walker wrote in his 2012 memoir “Dyn-O-Mite! Good Occasions, Dangerous Occasions, Our Occasions.”

Amos criticized “Good Occasions” storylines as inauthentic

After three seasons of crucial acclaim and excessive scores, Amos was fired. He had develop into crucial of the present’s white writing employees creating storylines that he felt had been inauthentic to the Black characters.

“There have been a number of examples the place I mentioned, ‘No, you don’t do these items. It’s anathema to Black society. I’ll be the skilled on that, in the event you don’t thoughts,‘” he advised Time journal. “And it obtained confrontational and heated sufficient that finally my being killed off the present was the very best answer for everyone involved, myself included.”

Amos’ character was killed in a automotive accident. Walker lamented the state of affairs. “If the choice had been as much as me, I’d have most well-liked that John keep and the present stay extra of an ensemble,” he wrote in his memoir. “No person wished me up entrance on a regular basis, together with me.”

Amos and Lear later reconciled and so they shared a hug at a “Good Occasions” stay TV reunion particular in 2019.

“A life-changing function” in “Roots”

Amos shortly bounced again, touchdown the function of an grownup Kunta Kinte, the centerpiece of “Roots,” primarily based on Alex Haley’s novel set throughout and after the period of slavery within the U.S. The miniseries was a crucial and scores blockbuster, and Amos earned certainly one of its 37 Emmy nominations.

“I knew that it was a life-changing function for me, as an actor and simply from a humanistic standpoint,” he advised Time journal. “It was the fruits of the entire misconceptions and stereotypical roles that I had lived and seen being provided to me. It was like a reward for having suffered these indignities.”

Born John Allen Amos Jr. on Dec. 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, he was the son of an auto mechanic. He graduated from Colorado State College with a sociology diploma and performed on the college’s soccer group.

Earlier than pursuing appearing, he moved to New York and was a social employee on the Vera Institute of Justice, working with defendants on the Brooklyn Home of Detention.

He had a quick skilled soccer profession, enjoying in varied minor leagues. He signed a free-agent contract in 1967 with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, however coach Hank Stram inspired Amos to pursue his curiosity in writing as a substitute. He had jobs as an promoting and comedy author earlier than transferring in entrance of the digicam.

Amos’ first main TV function was as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on “The Mary Tyler Moore Present” from 1970-73. Because the present’s solely Black character, he performed straight man to bombastic anchor Ted Baxter.

Amongst Amos’ movie credit had been “Let’s Do It Once more” with Invoice Cosby and Sidney Poitier, “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, “Die Onerous 2,” “Madea’s Witness Safety” and “Uncut Gems” with Adam Sandler. He was in Ice Dice and Dr. Dre’s 1994 video “Pure Born Killaz.”

He was a frequent visitor star on “The West Wing,” and his different TV appearances included “Hunter,” “The District,” “Males in Bushes,” “All Concerning the Andersons,” “Two and a Half Males,” and “The Ranch.”

In 2020, Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Corridor of Fame. He served within the New Jersey Nationwide Guard.

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