John Amos

Acting

December 27, 1939 – August 21, 2024 (died at 84)

Newark, New Jersey, USA

Male

63 Movies

51 TV Shows

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.

Die Hard 2

1990 7.0

as Major Grant

Age 50 (now 84)

Coming to America

1988 6.9

as Cleo McDowell

Age 48 (now 84)

Lock Up

1989 6.8

as Captain Meissner

Age 49 (now 84)

The West Wing

1999 8.3

as Percy Fitzwallace

Age 59 (now 84) 22 eps

22 eps

Good Times

1974 8.0

as James Evans Sr.

Age 34 (now 84) 61 eps

61 eps

The Beastmaster

1982 6.3

as Seth

Age 42 (now 84)

Dr. Dolittle 3

2006 5.1

as Jud

Age 66 (now 84)

Coming 2 America

2021 6.3

as Cleo McDowell

Age 81 (now 84)

Bad Asses on the Bayou

2015 6.0

as Earl

Age 75 (now 84)

The Last Rifleman

2023 6.6

as Lincoln Jefferson Adams

Age 83 (now 84)

Two Evil Eyes

1990 6.1

as Det. Legrand

Age 50 (now 84)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

1990 7.9

as Fred Wilkes

Age 50 (now 84) 4 eps

4 eps

Madea's Witness Protection

2012 6.1

as Pastor Nelson

Age 72 (now 84)

Ricochet

1991 6.1

as Reverend Styles

Age 51 (now 84)

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

1971 5.2

as Biker

Age 31 (now 84)

Men in Trees

2006 6.6

as Buzz Washington

Age 66 (now 84) 30 eps

30 eps

The Last Rifleman

2023 6.6

as Lincoln Jefferson Adams

Age 83 (now 84)

Me Time

2022 5.9

as Gil

Age 82 (now 84)

Block Party

2022 6.1

as Dennis

Age 82 (now 84)

Christmas in Miami

2021

as Chief Host

Age 81 (now 84)

Because of Charley

2021 2.3

as Grandpa

Age 81 (now 84)

Coming 2 America

2021 6.3

as Cleo McDowell

Age 81 (now 84)

The Truth About Santa Claus

2020 2.0

as Bob

Age 80 (now 84)

The Beastmaster Chronicles

2020

as Self

Age 80 (now 84)

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"

2019 6.1

as Fred Davis

Age 79 (now 84)

Christmas Belles

2019 2.0

as Pop Pop

Age 79 (now 84)

Uncut Gems

2019 7.2

as Neighbor 33F

Age 79 (now 84)

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

2016 7.1

as Self

Age 76 (now 84)

Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration

2015 10.0

as Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage)

Age 75 (now 84)

Tamales and Gumbo

2015

as The Patron

Age 75 (now 84)

Mercy for Angels

2015 1.0

as God

Age 75 (now 84)

Bad Asses on the Bayou

2015 6.0

as Earl

Age 75 (now 84)

Althea

2014 7.0

Executive Producer

Age 74 (now 84)

Act of Faith

2014 5.7

as Mr. Brady

Age 74 (now 84)

American Lowrider

2013 5.0

as Slick

Age 73 (now 84)

Madea's Witness Protection

2012 6.1

as Pastor Nelson

Age 72 (now 84)

Zombie Hamlet

2012 5.5

as Edgar Mortimer

Age 72 (now 84)

All Over Again

2007 7.5

as Coach Zeller

Age 67 (now 84)

Ascension Day

2007

as Henry

Age 67 (now 84)

Voodoo Moon

2006 4.2

as Dutch

Age 66 (now 84)

Dr. Dolittle 3

2006 5.1

as Jud

Age 66 (now 84)

Shadowboxing

2005 5.4

as Хилл

Age 65 (now 84)

Countdown

2004 5.9

as Admiral Melory

Age 64 (now 84)

My Baby's Daddy

2004 4.7

as Uncle Virgil

Age 64 (now 84)

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

2004 5.3

as (archive footage)

Age 64 (now 84)

The Watermelon Heist

2003 3.3

as Old Man Amos

Age 63 (now 84)

Remembering Roots

2002

as Self

Age 62 (now 84)

Disappearing Acts

2000 6.2

as Mr. Swift

Age 60 (now 84)

Something to Sing About

2000 5.8

as Rev. Washington

Age 60 (now 84)

The Players Club

1998 6.4

as Freeman

Age 58 (now 84)

The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda

1997 5.6

as Booker Hutch

Age 57 (now 84)

Hologram Man

1995 4.2

as Wes Strickland

Age 55 (now 84)

For Better or Worse

1995 4.7

as Gray

Age 55 (now 84)

Night Trap

1993 3.9

as Capt. Hodges

Age 53 (now 84)

Mac

1992 5.7

as Nat

Age 52 (now 84)

Ricochet

1991 6.1

as Reverend Styles

Age 51 (now 84)

Die Hard 2

1990 7.0

as Major Grant

Age 50 (now 84)

Two Evil Eyes

1990 6.1

as Det. Legrand

Age 50 (now 84)

Lock Up

1989 6.8

as Captain Meissner

Age 49 (now 84)

Coming to America

1988 6.9

as Cleo McDowell

Age 48 (now 84)

Bonanza: The Next Generation

1988 7.7

as Mr. Mack

Age 48 (now 84)

Shark's Paradise

1986 8.0

as Taxi Driver

Age 46 (now 84)

American Flyers

1985 6.1

as Dr. Conrad

Age 45 (now 84)

Dance of the Dwarfs

1983 4.3

as Esteban

Age 43 (now 84)

The Beastmaster

1982 6.3

as Seth

Age 42 (now 84)

Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story

1980 5.5

as Bumpy Johnson

Age 40 (now 84)

Touched by Love

1980 4.6

as Tony

Age 40 (now 84)

Willa

1979 5.0

as Virgil

Age 39 (now 84)

Cops and Robin

1978 6.5

as Officer Bill Bundy

Age 38 (now 84)

Future Cop

1976 7.5

as Officer Bill Bundy

Age 36 (now 84)

Let's Do It Again

1975 7.0

as Kansas City Mack

Age 35 (now 84)

The President's Plane Is Missing

1973 6.3

as Marine Corporal

Age 33 (now 84)

The World's Greatest Athlete

1973 5.5

as Coach Sam Archer

Age 33 (now 84)

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

1971 5.2

as Biker

Age 31 (now 84)

Vanishing Point

1971 7.1

as Super Soul's Engineer

Age 31 (now 84)

Devotion

as Roger

Future Cop: Cops and Robin

as Officer Bundy

John Amos: Roots of an American Legend

as Self

Information Processing

as Self