Good Times and Roots star John Amos dies aged 84

John Amos, the veteran actor best known for his roles as the family patriarch in “Good Times” and as the adult Kunta Kinte in the miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84.

His son, KC Amos, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he died of natural causes on August 21 in Los Angeles.

“He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold … and he was loved around the world,” KC Amos said in a statement. “Many fans consider him their TV father.” He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding work as an actor on television and film.”

Before turning to acting full-time, Amos had a brief professional football career, playing in several minor leagues. He signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, but was cut after three weeks when coach Hank Stram told him, “You're not a football player, you're a young man who happens to play football.”

Luckily, it didn't take long for Amos to start securing television roles. He first became known for his role as weatherman Gordy Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which he appeared from 1970 to 1973.

However, he really rose to prominence after leaving The Mary Tyler Moore Show for Good Times, a spin-off of Maude. Amos played James Evans Sr., the tough but loving patriarch of the central family living in downtown Chicago, in the sitcom.

“Good Times” was groundbreaking for the time, as it featured one of the first all-black casts in American sitcom history and often tackled difficult topics, much like Norman Lear's other shows did. But Amos famously clashed with the writing team over how the family was portrayed. Amos spoke about his disagreements between himself, Lear and the writing team in a 2014 interview with the TV Academy:

“I felt there was too much emphasis on JJ with his chicken hat and 'Dy-no-mite!' said. “I felt that just as much emphasis and success could have been given to my other two children, one of whom, played by Ralph Carter, and the other, Bern Nadette, wanted to be a Supreme Court justice.” Stanis, the surgeon wanted.

Amos' character was written out of the series in the two-part season four premiere, with James dying in a car accident.

Nevertheless, one of Amos' most famous roles followed shortly afterwards. He played the adult Kunta Kinte (with LeVar Burton playing the younger version of the character) in the acclaimed 1977 miniseries Roots, which would become a major cultural landmark and was nominated for 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, of which he won nine. Amos was among the nominees and received an award for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Performance in a Drama or Comedy Series.

Amos is also known for his roles in Coming to America and its sequel, as well as The Beastmaster, Lock Up and Die Hard 2. He played himself in the 2019 Adam Sandler thriller Uncut Gems.

Photo credit: CBS via Getty Images

Alex Stedman is a senior news editor at IGN and leads entertainment coverage. When she's not writing or editing, she reads fantasy novels or plays Dungeons & Dragons.