John Amos Of 'Good Times,' 'Roots' Fame Dead At 84

LOS ANGELES — The Emmy-nominated actor John Amos, best known for his roles in "Good Times" and "Roots," is dead at 84, according to his publicist.

Amos’ publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday, but his son, K.C. Amos, told The Hollywood Reporter that his father died over a month ago, on Aug. 21, of natural causes in Los Angeles.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” K.C. Amos said in a statement to the Reporter. “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.”

Fans and colleagues took to social media to grieve and share condolences.

"This one hits different," actor Martin Lawrence wrote in a post on X. "My condolences go out to the family of a true legend, John Amos 🙏🏾"

The NAACP in a social media post characterized Amos as a "legendary actor" who "brought unforgettable characters to life and inspired so many with his talent and dedication."

"Such a talented actor and I learned a lot by working with him," comedian Loni Love, who co-starred alongside Amos in the 2015 film "Bad Asses on the Bayou," wrote on X. "Condolences to his family."

Amos played James Evans Sr. on "Good Times," which featured one of television's first Black two-parent families. It was also the first sitcom to be centered on an African-American family, according to the Reporter. Produced by Norman Lear and co-created by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," "Good Times" ran from 1974-79 on CBS.

"That show was the closest depiction in reality to life as an African American family living in those circumstances as it could be," Amos told Time magazine in 2021.

James Evans often worked two manual labor jobs to support his family, which included three children, with Jimmie Walker becoming a breakout star as oldest son J.J. After three seasons of critical acclaim and high ratings, Amos was fired. He had become critical of the show's white writing staff for creating storylines that he felt were inauthentic to the Black characters.

"There were several examples where I said, 'No, you don't do these things. It's anathema to Black society. I'll be the expert on that, if you don't mind,'" he told Time magazine. "And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included."

Amos and Lear later reconciled and they shared a hug at a "Good Times" live TV reunion special in 2019.

Amos quickly bounced back, landing the role of an adult Kunta Kinte, the centerpiece of "Roots," based on Alex Haley's novel set during and after the era of slavery in the U.S. The miniseries was a critical and ratings blockbuster, and Amos earned one of its 37 Emmy nominations.

"I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint," he told 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."

Born John Allen Amos Jr. on Dec. 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, he was the son of an auto mechanic. His mother cleaned houses and later returned to school to become a nutritionist, according to the Reporter.

John Amos graduated from Colorado State University with a sociology degree and played on the school's football team. Before pursuing acting, he moved to New York and was a social worker at the Vera Institute of Justice, working with defendants at the Brooklyn House of Detention.

He had a brief professional football career, playing in various minor leagues. He signed a free-agent contract in 1967 with the Kansas City Chiefs, but coach Hank Stram encouraged Amos to pursue his interest in writing instead. He had jobs as an advertising and comedy writer before moving in front of the camera.

Amos' first major TV role was as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" from 1970-73. As the show's only Black character, he played straight man to bombastic anchor Ted Baxter.

Among Amos' film credits were "Let's Do It Again" with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, "Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, "Die Hard 2," "Madea's Witness Protection" and "Uncut Gems" with Adam Sandler. He was in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre's 1994 video "Natural Born Killaz." He was a frequent guest star on "The West Wing," and his other TV appearances included "Hunter," "The District," "Men in Trees," "All About the Andersons," "Two and a Half Men," and "The Ranch."

In 2020, Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. He served in the New Jersey National Guard.

In addition to K.C. Amos, John Amos is survived by a daughter, Shannon, according to the Reporter, which added he shared both children with his first wife, Noel "Noni" Mickelson, and that he was also briefly married to actress Lillian Lehman.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.