John Amos
Acting
- Born:
- 1939-12-27
- Died:
- 2024-08-21
- Place of birth:
- Newark, New Jersey, USA
Biography
John Amos (December 27, 1939 – August 21, 2024) was an American actor and retired football player. He is best known for his role as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries "Roots" and for portraying James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series "Good Times." He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and an NAACP Image Award. On film, he played numerous supporting roles in movies such as "The Beastmaster" (1982), "Coming to America" (1988), "Lock Up" (1989), "Die Hard 2" (1990) and "Coming 2 America" (2021). Prior to acting, he played on the Colorado State Rams football team and in 1964, he signed a free agent contract with the American Football League's Denver Broncos and in 1967 signed a free agent contract with the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. Both of these contracts did not land him a spot on the teams and played a final season in the Continental Football League with the Victoria Steelers before pursuing acting.
Known For
Filmography
Suits LA
The Last Rifleman
Me Time
Block Party
Christmas in Miami
Because of Charley
Coming 2 America
The Truth About Santa Claus
The Beastmaster Chronicles
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Uncut Gems
The Movies That Made Us
Christmas Belles
The Last O.G.
The Ranch
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
Tamales and Gumbo
Ballers
Mercy for Angels
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Act of Faith
American Lowrider
Madea's Witness Protection
NYC 22
Zombie Hamlet
Royal Pains
Lie to Me
All Over Again
Ascension Day
30 Rock
Men in Trees
Psych
Voodoo Moon
Dr. Dolittle 3
My Name Is Earl
Shadowboxing
Countdown
My Baby's Daddy
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Two and a Half Men
All About the Andersons
The Watermelon Heist
Remembering Roots
Disappearing Acts
The District
Something to Sing About
The West Wing
The Players Club
The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
The Chris Rock Show
King of the Hill
Hologram Man
In the House
The Outer Limits
For Better or Worse
Touched by an Angel
704 Hauser
Night Trap
Walker, Texas Ranger
Mac
Martin
Ricochet
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Die Hard 2
Two Evil Eyes
Lock Up
Coming to America
Bonanza: The Next Generation
Beauty and the Beast
Shark's Paradise
American Flyers
Murder, She Wrote
The Cosby Show
Hunter
Hardcastle and McCormick
Dance of the Dwarfs
The A-Team
The Beastmaster
Here's Boomer
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
Touched by Love
Willa
Cops and Robin
The Love Boat
Future Cop
Roots
Roots: The Complete Miniseries
Future Cop
Let's Do It Again
Dinah!
Good Times
The President's Plane Is Missing
Police Story
The World's Greatest Athlete
Sanford and Son
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
The Funny Side
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Vanishing Point
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Love, American Style
The Merv Griffin Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Mike Douglas Show
Devotion
Future Cop: Cops and Robin
John Amos: Roots of an American Legend
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