# John Amos

John Allen Amos Jr. (December 27, 1939 – August 21, 2024) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Captain Meissner in Lock Up (1989) and Major Grant in Die Hard 2 (1990). He is also known as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries Roots and for portraying James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series Good Times. His other television work includes The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on The West Wing, and the role of the Mayor of Washington DC Ethan Baker in the series The District. Amos was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and an NAACP Image Award. In film, he played numerous supporting roles in movies such as The Beastmaster (1982), Coming to America (1988), and Coming 2 America (2021).

## Early life

Amos was born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 27, 1939, the son of Annabelle and John A. Amos Sr., an auto mechanic. John Jr. grew up in East Orange, New Jersey, and graduated from East Orange High School in 1958. He enrolled at Long Beach City College and graduated from Colorado State University becoming a social worker with a degree in sociology.
John Amos Jr. played on the university's football team. After college, he was a Golden Gloves boxing champion.

## Football career

In 1964, Amos signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos (AFL 1964). Unable to run the 40-yard dash because of a pulled hamstring, he was released on the second day of training camp. He played for various teams during his career, the Canton Bulldogs (UFL 1964), Joliet Chargers (UFL 1964), Norfolk Neptunes (COFL 1965), Wheeling Ironmen (COFL 1965), Jersey City Jets (ACFL 1966), Waterbury Orbits (ACFL 1966), and the Victoria Steelers (COFL 1967). In 1967, Amos signed a free agent contract with the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs (AFL 1967). Coach Hank Stram told him, "You're not a football player, you're a man who is trying to play football."

## Acting career

Amos became first known in 1971 when he appeared with Anson Williams in a commercial for McDonald's. That same year, he had a small part in the cult film Vanishing Point, playing a radio engineer alongside Cleavon Little.
Amos' first major TV role was as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, from 1970 until 1973. After the death of Betty White in 2021, Amos and Joyce Bulifant (who played Marie Slaughter) were the last surviving cast members of the show, excluding child actors.

### Good Times

Amos is best known for his portrayal of James Evans Sr., the husband of Florida Evans, on the American sitcom Good Times (1974–1976). He had previously appeared in the same role three times on the sitcom Maude before continuing it in 61 episodes of Good Times. Although cast as a hardworking middle-aged father of three, Amos was 34 when the show began production in January 1974; he was only eight years older than the actor who played his oldest son, Jimmie Walker, and 19 years younger than his screen wife, Esther Rolle. Like Rolle, Amos wanted to portray a positive image of an African-American family struggling against the odds in a poor neighborhood, but he expressed dissatisfaction after he saw the premise slighted by a lower level of comedy on Good Times.
During his tenure on the sitcom, Amos openly clashed with the writers of the show, pointing to the scripts' lack of authenticity in portraying the African-American experience. He notably criticized what he felt was too much of an emphasis on Jimmie Walker's character J.J. and a lesser regard for the other two Evans children. He also criticized J.J.'s stereotypical buffoonish personality. This led to his dismissal by executive producer Norman Lear at the end of season 3 in 1976. In a 2017 interview, Amos said that the sitcom's writers did not understand African Americans. He told them, "That just doesn't happen in the community. We don't think that way. We don't act that way. We don't let our children do that." His character was killed off by the writers, leading to a memorable scene in which his screen wife, Rolle, screamed, “Damn! Damn! Damn!”

### Films, music, and other TV roles

In 1977, Amos starred in the ABC-TV Miniseries Roots, as the adult Kunta Kinte, based on the book by author Alex Haley. In 1980, he starred in the television film Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story. Amos played an Archie Bunker-style character in the 1994 sitcom 704 Hauser, a modern spin-off of All in the Family, but it was canceled after only five episodes (in the series he played a different character than he did in the All in the Family spin-off Maude). He also portrayed Captain Dolan on the TV show Hunter from 1984 to 1985. He co-starred in the CBS police drama The District. Amos was a frequent guest on The West Wing, portraying Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, who serves as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for most of the show. He played Buzz Washington in the ABC series Men in Trees. Amos co-starred with Anthony Anderson in the short-lived TV series All About the Andersons from 2003 to 2004. In 2010, Amos also appeared as recurring character Ed on Two and a Half Men, and in 2016 as another recurring character, also (coincidentally) named Ed, on the Netflix sitcom The Ranch. He guest-starred in a number of other television shows, including Police Story, The A-Team, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, Martin as Sgt. Hamilton Strawn (Tommy's father), Touched by an Angel, Psych, Sanford and Son, My Name Is Earl, Lie to Me, and Murder, She Wrote. He also appeared as a spokesman for the Cochran Firm (a national personal injury law firm).
Amos wrote and produced Halley's Comet, a critically acclaimed one-man play that he performed around the world. Amos performed in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean on Broadway and later at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey.
Amos was featured in Disney's The World's Greatest Athlete (1973) with Tim Conway and Jan-Michael Vincent in his first starring film role, and also starred as Kansas City Mack in Let's Do It Again (1975) with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier. His other film appearances include Vanishing Point (1971), The President's Plane Is Missing (1973), Touched by Love (1980), The Beastmaster (1982), Dance of the Dwarfs (1983), American Flyers (1985), Coming to America (1988), Lock Up (1989), Two Evil Eyes (1989), Die Hard 2 (1990), and Ricochet (1991).
He appeared in the 1995 film For Better or Worse and played a police officer in The Players Club (1998). He played Uncle Virgil in My Baby's Daddy (2004), and starred as Jud in Dr. Dolittle 3 (2006). In 2012, Amos had a role in the movie Madea's Witness Protection, as Jake's father. He appeared in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre's 1994 video for "Natural Born Killaz". In 2009, he released We Were Hippies, an album of original country songs by Gene and Eric Cash.
In 2021, Amos starred in Because of Charley, as the patriarch of an estranged step-family riding out with Perry Como and Hurricane Charley, the hurricane which tore through Florida in 2004. Also in 2021, he had a role in the Coming to America sequel, Coming 2 America.

## Personal life

Amos was a veteran of the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard and Honorary Master Chief of the United States Coast Guard. He was married twice. His first marriage, from 1965 to 1975, was to artist and equestrian Noel Mickelson. The couple had two children: Shannon Amos, a writer-producer and the founder of Afterglow Multimedia, LLC, and Grammy-nominated director K.C. Amos. Acrimonious disagreements between Shannon and K.C. Amos over the care given to their parents were documented by The Hollywood Reporter in 2023.
Amos' second marriage, in 1978–79, was to actress Lillian Lehman. He lived for many years in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey. In 2018, he moved to Westcliffe, Colorado, southwest of Pueblo. In 2023, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation looked into accusations that Amos had been the victim of elder abuse. Amos left Colorado that same year, taking up residency in Los Angeles.

### Death

Amos died of congestive heart failure at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, California, on August 21, 2024, at the age of 84. His death was not announced until October 1, 2024. His daughter, Shannon, was unaware that he had died until it was reported by the media. His body was cremated nine days after his death.

## Awards

In addition to receiving an Emmy nomination for Roots, Amos was nominated for a CableACE Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a DVD Exclusive Award. He won three TV Land Awards for his roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, and Roots.
In 2020, Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | Vanishing Point | Super Soul's Engineer | Uncredited |
| 1971 | Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song | Biker | Credited as Johnny Amos |
| 1973 | The World's Greatest Athlete | Coach Sam Archer | |
| 1975 | Let's Do It Again | Mack "Kansas City Mack" | |
| 1980 | Touched by Love | Tony | |
| 1982 | The Beastmaster | Seth | |
| 1983 | Dance of the Dwarfs | Esteban | |
| 1985 | American Flyers | Dr. Conrad | |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Cleo McDowell | |
| 1989 | Lock Up | Captain Meissner | |
| 1990 | Two Evil Eyes | Detective Legrand | Segment: "The Black Cat" |
| 1990 | Die Hard 2 | Major Grant | |
| 1991 | Ricochet | Reverend Styles | |
| 1991 | Without a Pass | Blue Berry | |
| 1993 | Mac | Nat | |
| 1993 | Night Trap | Captain Hodges | |
| 1995 | For Better or Worse | Gray | |
| 1995 | Hologram Man | Wes Strickland | |
| 1998 | The Players Club | Officer Freeman | |
| 2001 | All Over Again | Coach Zeller | |
| 2003 | The Watermelon Heist | Old Man Amos | |
| 2004 | My Baby's Daddy | Uncle Virgil | |
| 2004 | Countdown | Admiral Melory | |
| 2005 | Shadowboxing | Hill | |
| 2006 | Dr. Dolittle 3 | Jud Jones | |
| 2007 | Ascension Day | Henry | |
| 2010 | Lean Like a Cholo | "Slick" | |
| 2011 | Stills of the Movement: The Civil Rights Photojournalism of Flip Schulke | The Narrator | |
| 2012 | Zombie Hamlet | Edgar Mortimer | |
| 2012 | Madea's Witness Protection | Pastor Nelson | |
| 2014 | Act of Faith | Brady | |
| 2015 | Bad Asses on the Bayou | Earl | |
| 2015 | Mercy for Angels | God | |
| 2015 | Tamales and Gumbo | The Patron | |
| 2016 | Hauntsville | Mr. Kimball | |
| 2019 | Uncut Gems | Himself | |
| 2021 | Coming 2 America | Cleo McDowell | |
| 2021 | Because of Charley | Grandpa | |
| 2021 | Christmas in Miami | Chief Host | |
| 2022 | Me Time | Gil | |
| 2023 | The Last Rifleman | Lincoln Adams | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | The Bill Cosby Show | 1st Salesman | as Johnny Amos Episode: "Swann's Way" |
| 1970–1977 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Weatherman Gordon "Gordy" Howard | 13 episodes |
| 1971 | The Funny Side | Minority Husband | 6 episodes |
| 1971–1972 | Love, American Style | Bell Captain | 2 episodes |
| 1972 | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Mark Cooper | Episode: "The Harry Award" |
| 1973 | Sanford and Son | Luther | Episode: "A Visit from Lena Horne" |
| 1973–1974 | Maude | Henry Evans | Recurring role, 3 episodes |
| 1974 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself | 1 episode |
| 1974–1976 | Good Times | James Evans Sr. | 61 episodes |
| 1976 | Police Story | Sergeant Walt Kyles | 1 episode |
| 1976–1977 | Future Cop | Officer Bill Bundy | 7 episodes |
| 1977 | Roots | Older Kunta Kinte | 3 episodes |
| 1979 | Mr. Dugan | Representative Dooley | Unaired pilot |
| 1980 | Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story | Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson | TV miniseries |
| 1981 | Here's Boomer | Charlie Foster | Episode: "Boomer Goes for the Gold" |
| 1982 | Insight | Josh Cameron | Episode: "Hang Tight, Willy Bill" |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Duke Taylor | Episode: "The Zinging Valentine/The Very Temporary Secretary/Final Score" |
| 1984 | The A-Team | Reverend Taylor | Episode: "Pure-Dee Poison" |
| 1984 | Trapper John, M.D. | Inspector Roland Hackett | Episode: "The Fred Connection" |
| 1984 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Albie Meadows | Episode: "The Homecoming: Part 2" |
| 1984–1985 | Hunter | Captain Dolan | 13 episodes |
| 1986 | One Life to Live | Bill Moore | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Murder, She Wrote | "Doc" Penrose | Episode: "Death Takes a Dive" |
| 1987 | Stingray | Roy Jeffries | Episode: "Blood Money" |
| 1987 | You Are the Jury | Sergeant Harold Borman | Episode: "The State of Oregon vs. Stanley Manning" |
| 1988 | Beauty and the Beast | Farrell | Episode: "The Alchemist" |
| 1988 | Bonanza: The Next Generation | Mr. Mack | TV movie |
| 1988 | The Cosby Show | Dr. Herbert | Episode: "The Physical" |
| 1989 | Gideon Oliver | Carl Manning | Episode: "Tongs" |
| 1994 | 704 Hauser | Ernie Cumberbatch | 6 episodes |
| 1994–1995 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Fred Wilkes | 3 episodes |
| 1995–1997 | In the House | Coach Sam Wilson | 12 episodes |
| 1995 | Touched by an Angel | Sheriff James Mackey | Episode: "The Hero" |
| 1997 | Martin | Sergeant Strawn | Episode: "Daddy Dearest" |
| 1997 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Pastor Roscoe Jones | Episode: "Sons of Thunder" |
| 1998 | King of the Hill | Glenn Johnson | Voice Episode: "Traffic Jam" |
| 1999–2004 | The West Wing | Admiral Percy Fitzwallace | 22 episodes |
| 2000 | Something to Sing About | Reverend Washington | TV movie |
| 2000 | The Outer Limits | Peter "Yas" Yastrzemski | Episode: "Zig Zag" |
| 2000 | Disappearing Acts | Mr. Swift | TV movie |
| 2000–2001 | The District | Mayor Ethan Baker | 10 episodes |
| 2002 | American Masters | Dr. Bledsoe | Episode: "Ralph Ellison: An American Journey" |
| 2003–2004 | All About the Andersons | Joe Anderson | 16 episodes |
| 2006 | Voodoo Moon | "Dutch" | TV movie |
| 2006–2008 | Men in Trees | "Buzz" Washington | 27 episodes |
| 2007 | Psych | Uncle Burton Guster | Episode: "Meat Is Murder, But Murder Is Also Murder" |
| 2008 | My Name Is Earl | Joe | Episode: "Stole an RV" |
| 2010 | Two and a Half Men | Ed | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Royal Pains | Harrison Phillips | Episode: "Big Whoop" |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Himself | Episode: "Let's Stay Together" |
| 2010 | Lie to Me | Jim Weaver | Episode: "Smoked" |
| 2012 | NYC 22 | Pappy Science | Episode: "Ransom" |
| 2016–2017 | The Ranch | Ed Bishop | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | Ballers | Deacon Eller | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell | War | Episode: "The Poor Horsemen of the Apocalypse" |
| 2019 | Live in Front of a Studio Audience | Fred Davis | Episode: "'All in the Family' and 'Good Times'" |
| 2020 | The Last O.G. | Uncle D | Episode: "Family Feud" |
| 2022 | The Righteous Gemstones | Buddy Lissons | Episode: "I Will Tell of All Your Deeds" |
| 2025 | Suits LA | Himself | Episode: "Seven Days a Week and Twice on Sunday" (Final acting appearance) |