John Amos, Emmy-nominated “Good Times” and “Roots” actor, has died at 84

John Amos, the actor best known for his role as doting father James Evans Sr. on the sitcom “Good Times,” has died, his publicist told the Associated Press. He was 84.

Amos was also known for his role as the elderly Kunta Kinte in the 1977 TV miniseries Roots, for which he received an Emmy nomination.

Born on December 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, Amos first attempted a career as a professional football player before turning to acting. He is also a veteran of the New Jersey National Guard’s 50th Armored Division and an honorary chief of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Amos is best known for his role as James Evans in the Norman Lear-created series Good Times alongside Esther Rolle’s Florida Evans. The sitcom is about a black family in Chicago and deals with themes such as poverty, drug use and inner-city crime. It ran for six seasons between 1974 and 1979 – although Amos only appeared in the series for the first half of its run.

On television, Amos played the role of weatherman Gordy on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” the adult Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries “Roots” – which earned him an Emmy nomination – and the recurring character Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on “The West Wing.”

Other roles on the small screen included “Maude,” “Hunter,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “In the House,” “The District,” “All About the Andersons,” “Men in Trees,” “Two and a Half Men” and “The Ranch,” to name a few.

The actor also appeared in numerous films, including Let’s Do It Again (1975), The Beastmaster (1982), Coming to America (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990) and Madea’s Witness Protection . ” (2012) and “Coming 2 America” ​​(2021). He even played himself in a small cameo in 2019’s Uncut Gems.

Amos, a member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame, was married twice. He is survived by his daughter Shannon and son KC, both of whom he shared with his first wife, Noel Mickelson.