Los Angeles — John Amos, who played the family patriarch on the popular 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and received an Emmy nod for his performance in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84.
He died on August 21 from natural causes in Los Angeles. Belinda Foster, Amos’ spokeswoman, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday.
He played James Evans Sr. in “Good Times,” which starred one of television’s first Black two-parent households. Norman Lear produced it, and actor Mike Evans, who co-starred in “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” co-created it. It played on CBS from 1974 to 1979.
John Amos, Patriarch On ‘Good Times’ And An Emmy Nominee For The Blockbuster ‘Roots,’ Dies At 84
“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 the magazine Time in 2021.
Amos’ film credits included “Let’s Do It Again” with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, “Die Hard 2,” “Madea’s Witness Protection,” and “Uncut Gems” with Adam Sandler. He appeared in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre’s 1994 video, “Natural Born Killaz.”
Amos’ “Good Times” character, along with his wife Florida, played by Esther Rolle, debuted on another Lear comedy, “Maude.” James Evans frequently worked two physical labor jobs to support his family of three children, with Jimmie Walker breaking out as oldest son J.J.
The program had such an influence that Alicia Keys, Rick Ross, and the Wu-Tang Clan all mentioned Amos or his character in their lyrics.
“Many fans consider him their TV father,” his son, Kelly Christopher Amos, stated. “He led a good life. His legacy will be remembered through his amazing performances in television and film. My father had a lifelong passion for acting. “He was my father, greatest friend, and hero.
The elder Amos and Rolle were keen to convey a favorable image of a Black family working against the difficulties in Chicago’s public housing project. They became frustrated, however, when Walker’s character was made dumb and his role was increased.
“The fact is that Esther’s criticism, as well as that of John and others — some of which was quite direct and personal — substantially hurt my appeal in the Black community,” Walker said in his 2012 memoir “Dyn-O-Mite! Good Times, Bad Times, and Our Times.
Following three seasons of critical praise and excellent ratings, Amos was fired. He had become critical of the show’s white writers for inventing plots that he felt were inauthentic to the Black characters.
“There were multiple occasions when I told, ‘No, you don’t do these things. It is anathema to Black society. “I’ll be the expert on that if you don’t mind,” he told Time. “And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.”
Amos’ character was killed in an automobile accident. Walker bemoaned the circumstances. “If the decision had been up to me, I would have preferred that John stay and the show remain more of an ensemble,” according to his memoir. “Nobody wanted me up front all the time, including me.”
Amos swiftly recovered, gaining the role of an adult Kunta Kinte, the focal point of “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s novel set during and after the slavery era in the United States. The miniseries was a critical and ratings success, and Amos received one of 37 Emmy nominations.
“I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint,” according to Time. “It was the culmination of all of the myths and stereotypes that I had seen and witnessed being offered to me. It felt like a gift for enduring those indignities.”
John Allen Amos Jr. was born on December 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, the son of an auto technician. He earned a sociology degree from Colorado State University while still playing football for the institution.
John Amos, Patriarch On ‘Good Times’ And An Emmy Nominee For The Blockbuster ‘Roots,’ Dies At 84
Before becoming an actor, he relocated to New York and worked as a social worker at the Vera Institute of Justice, working with defendants at the Brooklyn House of Detention.
He had a brief professional football career, competing in several lower leagues. He signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, but coach Hank Stram pushed him to pursue his passion for writing instead. Before turning to acting, he worked as an advertisement and comedy writer.
Amos’ first notable television role was as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” from 1970 until 1973. He was the show’s only Black character, playing straight man to bombastic host Ted Baxter.
He was a regular guest star on “The West Wing,” and his other TV performances included “Hunter,” “The District,” “Men in Trees,” “All About the Andersons,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “The Ranch.”
In 2020, Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. He served in the New Jersey National Guard.
He is survived by his daughter Shannon, a former entertainment executive, and Kelly Christopher, a Grammy-nominated video music director and editor. They sprang from his first marriage to Noel Mickelson, whom he met in college. His second marriage, to actor Lillian Lehman, also ended in divorce.
SOURCE | AP
