Emmy-Nominated ‘Roots’ And ‘Good Times’ Actor John Amos Passes At 84 

OAN Staff Abril Elfi
1:13 PM – Tuesday, October 1, 2024

American actor John Amos, who is best known for starring in the landmark miniseries “Roots” and the CBS television series “Good Times,” has died at 84-years-old. 

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On Tuesday, Belinda Forster, Amos’s publicist, announced the passing of the actor and brief former athlete. 

The actor’s son, K.C. Amos, announced that his father had died of natural causes on August 21^st. However, the information regarding his death was only released to the press on Tuesday.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” K.C. said in a statement. “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,” he continued. “His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.”

In 1967, John signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs; however, head coach Hank Stram reportedly urged him to focus on his passion for writing instead.

Before his acting career acting, John played college football at Colorado State University, and then later suited up for the 1967 NFL offseason with the Kansas City Chiefs football team, Variety reported.

One of John’s first well known roles was as the WJM-TV sports anchor on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” 

He also frequently appeared on “The Tim Conway Comedy Hour” in 1970 before landing his role in “Good Times” in 1974. “Good Times” featured one of American television’s first Black two-parent families.

“That show was the closest depiction in reality to life as an African American family living in those circumstances as it could be,” John told Time Magazine reporters in 2021.

John also was part of the miniseries “Roots” in 1977, where he played the adult “Kunta Kinte” character. He was nominated for an Emmy Award thanks to that role.

“I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint,” John said to Time Magazine. “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.”

John went on to have multiple roles in well-known series like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “In the House,” “The West Wing,” “All About the Andersons,” “Men in Trees,” and “The Ranch.”

He was also in various films, including “The Beastmaster,” “Lock Up,” “Die Hard 2,” “Coming to America” and “Coming 2 America.”