John Amos
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
Major Grant
Die Hard 2
Bob
The Truth About Santa Claus
Super Soul's Engineer
Vanishing Point
Reverend Styles
Ricochet
Coach Sam Archer
The World's Greatest Athlete
Cleo McDowell
Coming to America
Captain Meissner
Lock Up
Kansas City Mack
Let's Do It Again
Det. Legrand
Due occhi diabolici
Seth
The Beastmaster
Jud
Dr. Dolittle 3
Хилл
Бой с Тенью
Admiral Melory
Личный номер
Pastor Nelson
Madea's Witness Protection
Coach Zeller
All Over Again
Edgar Mortimer
Zombie Hamlet
Gray
For Better or Worse
Marine Corporal
The President's Plane Is Missing
Roger
Devotion
Esteban
Dance of the Dwarfs
Dennis
Block Party
Slick
American Lowrider
Tony
Touched by Love
Officer Bill Bundy
Cops and Robin
Gil
Me Time
Neighbor 33F
Uncut Gems
Earl
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Capt. Hodges
Night Trap
Old Man Amos
The Watermelon Heist
Taxi Driver
Shark's Paradise
Bumpy Johnson
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
Lincoln Jefferson Adams
The Last Rifleman
Henry
Ascension Day
Chief Host
Christmas in Miami
Mr. Mack
Bonanza: The Next Generation
Officer Bill Bundy
Future Cop
Biker
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Rev. Washington
Something to Sing About
Self
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage)
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
Wes Strickland
Hologram Man
Booker Hutch
The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
Mr. Brady
Act of Faith
Dutch
Voodoo Moon
God
Mercy for Angels
(archive footage)
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Dr. Conrad
American Flyers
Mr. Swift
Disappearing Acts
Nat
Mac
Uncle Virgil
My Baby's Daddy
Virgil
Willa
Cleo McDowell
Coming 2 America
Fred Davis
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Freeman
The Players Club
Pop Pop
Christmas Belles
The Patron
Tamales and Gumbo
Self
The Beastmaster Chronicles
Grandpa
Because of Charley
Officer Bundy
Future Cop: Cops and Robin
Self
John Amos: Roots of an American Legend
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
60
Gender
Male
Birthday
1939-12-27
Place of Birth
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Also Known As
Jon Amos