John Amos, veteran actor of ‘Roots’ and ‘Good Times’ fame, dies at 84

Amos, whose long career also included beloved roles in “Coming to America,” “Die Hard 2” and “The West Wing,” died in August, his family said Tuesday.

John Amos in ‘Roots’.ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Actor John Amos, whose long career included a wide range of iconic roles in works such as “Roots,” “Good Times” and “The West Wing,” died in August, his family said Tuesday.

He was 84 when he passed away from natural causes in Los Angeles on Aug. 21.

The actor’s agent, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday to the Associated Press, but offered no immediate additional details.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” son Kelly Christopher Amos said in a statement to Variety. “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.”

John Amos in ‘Good Times’. CBS / Everett Collection

Amos’ big acting break came in 1970 when he was cast as Gordy the weatherman on beloved comedy series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
But the role that cemented him as one of TV’s great sitcom dads came in 1974, when Amos landed the role of stoic father James Evans on “Good Times.” He starred in 61 episodes of the Norman Lear comedy about a hardworking family trying to keep their heads above water in a Chicago housing project.

Amos then went on to play the adult Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking 1977 TV miniseries “Roots,” starring alongside several of that generation’s greatest Black actors, including Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett Jr. and Leslie Uggams.

Movie buffs might known him best as fast food magnate Cleo McDowell from 1988’s hit Eddie Murphy comedy “Coming to America,” or as Bruce Willis’ foil in the 1990 Christmas action classic, “Die Hard 2.“

His television career was revitalized in 1999 when he was cast on acclaimed White House drama “The West Wing,” where he appeared for five seasons as Admiral Percy “Fitz” Fitzwallace.

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