John Amos, the beloved TV patriarch who starred as James Evans Sr. in *Good Times* and portrayed the older Kunta Kinte in the landmark mini-series *Roots*, has died at the age of 84.
According to a statement by his son, Kelly Christopher Amos, the actor passed away on August 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes.
“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” Kelly said. “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.”
Before pursuing acting, Amos had initially tried to forge a career in football after playing at Colorado State University. He had brief stints with the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League.
However, his entertainment career took off when he was cast as WJN-TV weatherman Gordy Howard on *The Mary Tyler Moore Show*.
After four seasons on the early 1970s comedy, Amos was invited to audition for the role of James Evans Sr., the head of the Evans family, for the CBS series *Good Times*. Running from 1974 to 1979, Good Times, developed by Eric Monte, Mike Evans, and Norman Lear, became the first sitcom to center on a Black American family. Set in inner-city Chicago, Amos portrayed the father of three, alongside Esther Rolle’s character, Florida Evans.
Despite the show’s success, Amos grew increasingly frustrated with the stereotypical portrayal of his on-screen son, JJ (played by Jimmie Walker).
Amos publicly criticized the direction of the show, particularly JJ’s antics, and was written off in the fourth season, with his character dying in a car accident. Reflecting on this in a 2014 interview, Amos admitted, “I wasn’t the most diplomatic guy in those days… That taught me a lesson – I wasn’t as important as I thought I was to the show or to Norman Lear’s plans.”
Despite the acrimonious departure from Good Times, Amos found redemption in the role of Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking 1977 mini-series *Roots*, which he described as “a vindication, a tremendous feeling of satisfaction.”
Amos’s other television roles spanned multiple decades, including recurring parts on *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where he played Will Smith’s stepfather, Hunter, The District, Men in Trees, All About the Andersons, and the Netflix series The Ranch. He also appeared in notable films such as The World’s Greatest Athlete, Die Hard 2, and Coming to America 2.
In his later years, Amos was often approached by fans who considered him a father figure, and he once became emotional when recalling how men would tell him, “You’re the dad I never had.”