John Amos, Star of ‘Good Times’& ‘Roots,’ Dead

John Amos, the actor celebrated for portraying the family patriarch on the hit sitcom “Good Times” and the adult Kunta Kinte in the iconic miniseries “Roots,” has died, his longtime publicist Belinda Foster confirmed. He was 84.

Foster informed CNN on Tuesday that Amos passed away of natural causes in Los Angeles on August 21. She also shared a statement from Amos’ son, Kelly Christopher Amos, via email. “It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” the statement read.

“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.”

Born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Amos discovered his passion for sports, particularly football, while playing at Colorado State University. Although he graduated with a degree in social work, he pursued tryouts with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos, and the Canadian Football League’s British Columbia Lions. In a video shared by the Chiefs, Amos once described himself as “a slightly better than average high school football player.” He remarked, “All I ever wanted to do all my life was to play pro football. I figured that was going to be the best way for me to escape the economic strata we seemed to be locked into.” However, Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram informed Amos while cutting him from the team, “You are not a football player; you are a young man who happens to be playing football.”

After working as a social worker and copywriter in New York, Amos turned to acting, landing the role of weatherman Gordon “Gordy” Howard on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which marked the beginning of his Hollywood career. He then appeared in minor roles on several popular 1970s television shows, including “Love American Style,” “Sanford and Son,” and “The New Dick Van Dyke Show.” However, his portrayal of James Evans Sr., the stern father on “Good Times,” catapulted him to stardom.

In a 2020 interview, Amos discussed leaving the hit series after two years due to “contention” with the predominantly white writing team regarding the portrayal of the Black family at the center of the show.

“I felt like I knew more about what a Black family should be and how a Black father would act than our writers, none of whom were Black,” Amos explained. “Their idea of what a Black family should be and what a Black father would be was totally different from mine, and mine was steeped in reality.” Years later, the show’s creator, Norman Lear, reportedly reconciled with Amos during the 2019 “Good Times” live TV reunion special, where they shared a public hug.

Amos also made a significant impact when he portrayed Toby, the adult version of the enslaved Kunta Kinte in the critically acclaimed 1977 miniseries “Roots,” earning an Emmy nomination. “I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint,” he told Time magazine in 2021. “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.” This role reunited him with actress Leslie Uggams, for whom he had previously written on her short-lived CBS variety series in the late 1960s.

Throughout his career, Amos appeared in other beloved roles, including Cleo McDowell, the fast-food restaurant owner in the hit 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy “Coming to America” and its 2021 sequel.

Last year, Amos faced family issues following allegations of elder abuse and speculation about his health from family members. “To all of my fans, I want you to know that I am doing well,” Amos stated at the time. “I am not in ICU nor was I ever fighting for my life.”