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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 27, 1939
Died
August 21, 2024
Place of Birth
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Also Known As
- Jon Amos
- Johnny Amos
- John A. Amos Jr.
John Amos
1.0 Popularity
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
7.2
John Amos
Suits LA
2025
6.6
Lincoln Jefferson Adams
The Last Rifleman
2023
5.9
Gil
Me Time
2022
6.1
Dennis
Block Party
2022
0.0
Chief Host
Christmas in Miami
2021
2.3
Grandpa
Because of Charley
2021
6.4
Cleo McDowell
Coming 2 America
2021
2.0
Bob
The Truth About Santa Claus
2020
0.0
Self
The Beastmaster Chronicles
2020
6.1
Fred Davis
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
2019
Credits
Suits LA
as John Amos
2025
7.2
The Last Rifleman
as Lincoln Jefferson Adams
2023
6.6
Me Time
as Gil
2022
5.9
Block Party
as Dennis
2022
6.1
Christmas in Miami
as Chief Host
2021
0.0
Because of Charley
as Grandpa
2021
2.3
Coming 2 America
as Cleo McDowell
2021
6.4
The Truth About Santa Claus
as Bob
2020
2.0
The Beastmaster Chronicles
as Self
2020
0.0
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
as Fred Davis
2019
6.1
The Movies That Made Us
as Self
2019
7.2
Christmas Belles
as Pop Pop
2019
2.3
Uncut Gems
as Neighbor 33F
2019
7.2
The Last O.G.
as Uncle D
2018
6.3
The Ranch
as Ed
2016
7.4
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
as Self
2016
7.1
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
as Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage)
2015
10.0
Tamales and Gumbo
as The Patron
2015
0.0
Ballers
as Deacon Eller
2015
6.8
Mercy for Angels
as God
2015
0.0
Bad Asses on the Bayou
as Earl
2015
6.0
Act of Faith
as Mr. Brady
2014
5.7
American Lowrider
as Slick
2013
5.6
Madea's Witness Protection
as Pastor Nelson
2012
6.1
NYC 22
as Pappy Science
2012
6.2
Zombie Hamlet
as Edgar Mortimer
2012
5.5
Royal Pains
as Harrison Phillips
2009
6.7
Lie to Me
as Jim Weaver
2009
7.9
🎬
All Over Again
as Coach Zeller
2007
5.0
Ascension Day
as Henry
2007
0.0
30 Rock
as John Amos
2006
7.4
Men in Trees
as Buzz
2006
6.8
Psych
as Uncle Burton
2006
7.9
Voodoo Moon
as Dutch
2006
3.9
Dr. Dolittle 3
as Jud
2006
5.1
My Name Is Earl
as Joe
2005
7.7
Shadowboxing
as Хилл
2005
5.4
Countdown
as Admiral Melory
2004
5.7
My Baby's Daddy
as Uncle Virgil
2004
4.6
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as (archive footage)
2004
4.0
Two and a Half Men
as Ed
2003
7.5
All About the Andersons
as Joe Anderson
2003
8.5
The Watermelon Heist
as Old Man Amos
2003
1.0
Disappearing Acts
as Mr. Swift
2000
6.2
The District
as Mayor Ethan Baker
2000
6.8
Something to Sing About
as Rev. Washington
2000
6.1
The West Wing
as Percy Fitzwallace
1999
8.3
The Players Club
as Freeman
1998
6.3
The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
as Booker Hutch
1997
5.8
The Chris Rock Show
as Self
1997
4.4
King of the Hill
as Glen Johnson (voice)
1997
7.3
Hologram Man
as Wes Strickland
1995
4.2
In the House
1995
7.4
The Outer Limits
as Peter 'Yas' Yastrzemski
1995
7.7
For Better or Worse
as Gray
1995
4.0
Touched by an Angel
as Sheriff James Mackey
1994
7.2
704 Hauser
as Ernie Cumberbatch
1994
0.0
Night Trap
as Capt. Hodges
1993
3.8
Walker, Texas Ranger
as Pastor Roscoe Jones
1993
7.0
Mac
as Nat
1992
5.7
Martin
as Sgt. Strawn
1992
7.6
Ricochet
as Reverend Styles
1991
6.1
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as Fred Wilkes
1990
7.9
Die Hard 2
as Major Grant
1990
7.0
Two Evil Eyes
as Det. Legrand
1990
6.1
Lock Up
as Captain Meissner
1989
6.8
Coming to America
as Cleo McDowell
1988
6.9
Bonanza: The Next Generation
as Mr. Mack
1988
7.5
Shark's Paradise
as Taxi Driver
1986
6.0
American Flyers
as Dr. Conrad
1985
6.2
Murder, She Wrote
as Doc Penrose
1984
7.5
The Cosby Show
as Dr. Herbert
1984
7.0
Hunter
as Capt. Dolan (uncredited)
1984
7.2
Hardcastle and McCormick
as Albie Meadows
1983
6.4
Dance of the Dwarfs
as Esteban
1983
3.6
The A-Team
as Rev. Taylor
1983
7.5
The Beastmaster
as Seth
1982
6.3
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
as Bumpy Johnson
1980
4.5
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
as Bumpy Johnson
1980
5.0
Touched by Love
as Tony
1980
4.6
Here's Boomer
1980
5.3
Willa
as Virgil
1979
3.0
Cops and Robin
as Officer Bill Bundy
1978
6.0
The Love Boat
as Duke Taylor
1977
6.3
Future Cop
as Bill Bundy
1977
7.2
Roots
as Toby
1977
7.4
Roots
as Older Kunta Kinte
1977
7.4
Future Cop
as Officer Bill Bundy
1976
5.0
Let's Do It Again
as Kansas City Mack
1975
6.9
Dinah!
as Self
1974
6.7
Good Times
as James Evans Sr.
1974
8.0
The President's Plane Is Missing
as Marine Corporal
1973
6.2
Police Story
1973
6.9
The World's Greatest Athlete
as Coach Sam Archer
1973
5.3
Sanford and Son
1972
7.4
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
as Mark Cooper
1971
4.0
🎬
The Funny Side
as Minority Husband
1971
0.0
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
as Biker
1971
5.2
Vanishing Point
as Super Soul's Engineer
1971
7.1
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
as Gordy Howard
1970
7.5
Love, American Style
as Bell Captain
1969
6.0
Love, American Style
1969
6.0
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.4
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
1962
5.8
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
1961
5.4
Devotion
as Roger
N/A
0.0
🎬
Future Cop: Cops and Robin
as Officer Bundy
N/A
0.0
🎬
John Amos: Roots of an American Legend
as Self
N/A
0.0
🎬
Countdown
as Admiral
N/A
0.0