John Amos
Actor
Born December 27, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey, USA
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.
Filmography
Devotion
Roger
Suits LA
John Amos
The Last Rifleman
Lincoln Jefferson Adams
Me Time
Gil
Block Party
Dennis
Christmas in Miami
Chief Host
Because of Charley
Grandpa
Coming 2 America
Cleo McDowell
The Truth About Santa Claus
Bob
The Beastmaster Chronicles
Self
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Fred Davis
The Movies That Made Us
Self
Christmas Belles
Pop Pop
Uncut Gems
Neighbor 33F
The Last O.G.
Uncle D
The Ranch
Ed
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Self
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage)
Tamales and Gumbo
The Patron
Ballers
Deacon Eller
Mercy for Angels
God
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Earl
Althea
Act of Faith
Mr. Brady
American Lowrider
Slick
Madea's Witness Protection
Pastor Nelson
NYC 22
Pappy Science
Zombie Hamlet
Edgar Mortimer
Royal Pains
Harrison Phillips
Lie to Me
Jim Weaver
Ascension Day
Henry
30 Rock
John Amos
Men in Trees
Buzz Washington
Psych
Uncle Burton
Voodoo Moon
Dutch
Dr. Dolittle 3
Jud
My Name Is Earl
Joe
Shadowboxing
Хилл
Countdown
Admiral Melory
My Baby's Daddy
Uncle Virgil
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
(archive footage)
Two and a Half Men
Ed
All About the Andersons
Joe Anderson
The Watermelon Heist
Old Man Amos
Remembering Roots
Self
Disappearing Acts
Mr. Swift
The District
Ethan Baker
Something to Sing About
Rev. Washington
The West Wing
Percy Fitzwallace
The Players Club
Freeman
The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
Booker Hutch
The Chris Rock Show
Self
King of the Hill
Glen Johnson (voice)
Hologram Man
Wes Strickland
In the House
The Outer Limits
Peter 'Yas' Yastrzemski
For Better or Worse
Gray
Touched by an Angel
James Mackey
704 Hauser
Ernie Cumberbatch
Night Trap
Capt. Hodges
Walker, Texas Ranger
Pastor Roscoe Jones
Mac
Nat
Martin
Sgt. Strawn
Ricochet
Reverend Styles
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Fred Wilkes
Die Hard 2
Major Grant
Two Evil Eyes
Det. Legrand
Lock Up
Captain Meissner
Coming to America
Cleo McDowell
Bonanza: The Next Generation
Mr. Mack
Beauty and the Beast
Farrell
Shark's Paradise
Taxi Driver
American Flyers
Dr. Conrad
Murder, She Wrote
Doc Penrose
The Cosby Show
Dr. Herbert
Hunter
Capt. Dolan (uncredited)
Hardcastle and McCormick
Albie Meadows
Dance of the Dwarfs
Esteban
The A-Team
Rev. Taylor
The Beastmaster
Seth
Here's Boomer
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
Bumpy Johnson
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
Bumpy Johnson
Touched by Love
Tony
Willa
Virgil
Cops and Robin
Officer Bill Bundy
The Love Boat
Duke Taylor
Future Cop
Bill Bundy
Roots
Toby
Future Cop
Officer Bill Bundy
Let's Do It Again
Kansas City Mack
Dinah!
Self
Good Times
James Evans Sr.
The President's Plane Is Missing
Marine Corporal
Police Story
Walt Kyles
The World's Greatest Athlete
Coach Sam Archer
Sanford and Son
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
Mark Cooper
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Biker
Vanishing Point
Super Soul's Engineer
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Gordy Howard
Love, American Style
Bell Captain
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Self