John Amos, father of ‘Good Times’ and an Emmy nominee for blockbuster ‘Roots,’ dies at 84

John Amos, who played the family patriarch in the hit 1970s sitcom Good times and earned an Emmy nomination for her role in the seminal 1977 miniseries the rootshas died He was 84.

He died of natural causes in Los Angeles on August 21. Amos’ publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news of his death on Tuesday.

He is played by James Evans Sr Good timeswhich featured one of television’s first black two-parent families. Produced by Norman Lear and co-produced by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred Everyone in the family And JeffersonIt ran from 1974-79 on CBS.

“The show was the closest to reality as an African-American family living in that situation that it could be,” Amos said. the time Magazine in 2021.

FILE PHOTO: Cast member John Amos arrives for the New York premiere of “Tyler Perry’s Media’s Witness Protection” in New York on June 25, 2012. Photo credit: Andrew Kelly

Amos was among the film credits Let’s do it again With Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, Coming to America With Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, Die Hard 2, Madhya’s witness protectionAnd Uncut gems With Adam Sandler. He is Ice Cube and Dr. Dre was in the 1994 video for “Natural Born Killage”.

amos’ Good times The character, along with wife Florida, played the role of Esther, originating in another Lear show, Maude. James Evans often worked two manual jobs to support his family, which included three children, becoming a breakout star as the eldest son of Jimmy Walker. who name-checked Amos or his character in their songs.

“Many fans think of him as their TV dad,” his son Kelly Christopher Amos said in a statement. “He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding work in television and film as an actor. My father loved to work as an actor all his life. He was my father, my best friend and my hero.”

Elder Amos and Rolle are interested in portraying a positive image of a black family fighting against the odds in a public housing project in Chicago. However, they were disappointed to see Walker’s character being fooled and his role expanded.

Walker wrote in his 2012 memoir, “The truth is that Esther’s criticism, and that of John and others — some of it very subtle and personal — seriously damaged my appeal in the black community.” Dine-O-Mite! Good times, bad times, our time.

FILE – John Amos poses for a portrait on May 11, 2016 in New York. | Photo credit: AMY SUSSMAN

After three seasons of critical acclaim and high ratings, Amos was fired. He became critical of the show’s white writing staff for creating storylines that he felt were unauthentic for the black characters.

“There were several instances where I said, ‘No, you don’t do these things. It is anathema to the black community. If you don’t mind, I’ll be an expert on that,'” he said the time Magazine “And it became confrontational and heated enough that ultimately killing me off the show was the best solution for everyone involved, myself included.”

Amos’ character was killed in a car accident. Walker lamented the situation. “If the decision were up to me, I would have preferred John to stay and the show to have one more reunion,” he wrote in his memoir. “Nobody wanted me in front all the time, including me.”

Amos and Leah later reunite and they share an embrace Good times Live TV Reunion Special in 2019.

Amos quickly returns, landing the role of an adult Kunta Kint, the focal point the rootsThe miniseries, based on Alex Haley’s novel set during and after the era of slavery in the United States, was a critical and ratings blockbuster and earned Amos one of his 37 Emmy nominations.

“I knew it was a life-changing role for me as an actor and from a human perspective,” he said the time Magazine “It was the culmination of all the misconceptions and stereotypical roles that I had lived and been offered. It was like a reward for enduring this humiliation.”

John Allen Amos Jr. was born on December 27, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey, the son of an auto mechanic. He graduated from Colorado State University with a sociology degree and played on the school’s football team.

Before acting, she moved to New York and was a social worker at the Vera Institute of Justice, working with inmates at the Brooklyn House of Detention.

He had a brief professional soccer career, playing in various minor leagues. He signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, but coach Hank Strahm encouraged Amos to pursue an interest in writing instead. Before coming in front of the camera, he had jobs as an advertisement and comedy writer.

FILE – Actor John Amos attends the 5th Annual TV Land Awards on April 14, 2007 in Santa Monica, California. Photo credit: GUS RUELAS

Amos’ first major TV role was as Gordie Howard, the weatherman The Mary Tyler Moore ShowFrom 1970-73. As the show’s only black character, he played the straight man to bombastic anchor Ted Baxter.

He was a regular guest star The West WingAnd his other TV appearances include: hunter, district, Men in trees, All about Anderson, Two and a half menAnd 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 daughters Shannon, a former entertainment executive, and Kelly Christopher, a Grammy-nominated video music director and editor. They date from her first marriage to Noel Mickelson, whom she met in college. His second marriage to actor Lillian Lehman also ended in divorce.