John Amos
December 27, 1939 (85 years old) 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.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Suits LA as John Amos
- 2023 · The Last Rifleman as Lincoln Jefferson Adams
- 2022 · Me Time as Gil
- 2022 · Block Party as Dennis
- 2021 · Christmas in Miami as Chief Host
- 2021 · Because of Charley as Grandpa
- 2021 · Coming 2 America as Cleo McDowell
- 2020 · The Truth About Santa Claus as Bob
- 2020 · The Beastmaster Chronicles as Self
- 2019 · Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times" as Fred Davis
- 2019 · The Movies That Made Us as Self
- 2019 · Christmas Belles as Pop Pop
- 2019 · Uncut Gems as Neighbor 33F
- 2018 · The Last O.G. as Uncle D
- 2016 · The Ranch as Ed
- 2016 · Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You as Self
- 2015 · Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration as Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage)
- 2015 · Tamales and Gumbo as The Patron
- 2015 · Ballers as Deacon Eller
- 2015 · Mercy for Angels as God
- 2015 · Bad Asses on the Bayou as Earl
- 2014 · Act of Faith as Mr. Brady
- 2013 · American Lowrider as Slick
- 2012 · Madea's Witness Protection as Pastor Nelson
- 2012 · NYC 22 as Pappy Science
- 2012 · Zombie Hamlet as Edgar Mortimer
- 2009 · Royal Pains as Harrison Phillips
- 2009 · Lie to Me as Jim Weaver
- 2007 · All Over Again as Coach Zeller
- 2007 · Ascension Day as Henry
- 2006 · 30 Rock as John Amos
- 2006 · Men in Trees as Buzz
- 2006 · Psych as Uncle Burton
- 2006 · Voodoo Moon as Dutch
- 2006 · Dr. Dolittle 3 as Jud
- 2005 · My Name Is Earl as Joe
- 2005 · Shadowboxing as Хилл
- 2004 · Countdown as Admiral Melory
- 2004 · My Baby's Daddy as Uncle Virgil
- 2004 · TV in Black: The First Fifty Years as (archive footage)
- 2003 · Two and a Half Men as Ed
- 2003 · All About the Andersons as Joe Anderson
- 2003 · The Watermelon Heist as Old Man Amos
- 2000 · Disappearing Acts as Mr. Swift
- 2000 · The District as Mayor Ethan Baker
- 2000 · Something to Sing About as Rev. Washington
- 1999 · The West Wing as Percy Fitzwallace
- 1998 · The Players Club as Freeman
- 1997 · The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda as Booker Hutch
- 1997 · The Chris Rock Show as Self
- 1997 · King of the Hill as Glen Johnson (voice)
- 1995 · Hologram Man as Wes Strickland
- 1995 · In the House as
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Peter 'Yas' Yastrzemski
- 1995 · For Better or Worse as Gray
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Sheriff James Mackey
- 1994 · 704 Hauser as Ernie Cumberbatch
- 1993 · Night Trap as Capt. Hodges
- 1993 · Walker, Texas Ranger as Pastor Roscoe Jones
- 1992 · Mac as Nat
- 1992 · Martin as Sgt. Strawn
- 1991 · Ricochet as Reverend Styles
- 1990 · The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Fred Wilkes
- 1990 · Die Hard 2 as Major Grant
- 1990 · Two Evil Eyes as Det. Legrand
- 1989 · Lock Up as Captain Meissner
- 1988 · Coming to America as Cleo McDowell
- 1988 · Bonanza: The Next Generation as Mr. Mack
- 1986 · Shark's Paradise as Taxi Driver
- 1985 · American Flyers as Dr. Conrad
- 1984 · Murder, She Wrote as Doc Penrose
- 1984 · The Cosby Show as Dr. Herbert
- 1984 · Hunter as Capt. Dolan (uncredited)
- 1983 · Hardcastle and McCormick as Albie Meadows
- 1983 · Dance of the Dwarfs as Esteban
- 1983 · The A-Team as Rev. Taylor
- 1982 · The Beastmaster as Seth
- 1980 · Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story as Bumpy Johnson
- 1980 · Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story as Bumpy Johnson
- 1980 · Touched by Love as Tony
- 1980 · Here's Boomer as
- 1979 · Willa as Virgil
- 1978 · Cops and Robin as Officer Bill Bundy
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Duke Taylor
- 1977 · Future Cop as Bill Bundy
- 1977 · Roots as Toby
- 1977 · Roots as Older Kunta Kinte
- 1976 · Future Cop as Officer Bill Bundy
- 1975 · Let's Do It Again as Kansas City Mack
- 1974 · Dinah! as Self
- 1974 · Good Times as James Evans Sr.
- 1973 · The President's Plane Is Missing as Marine Corporal
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1973 · The World's Greatest Athlete as Coach Sam Archer
- 1972 · Sanford and Son as
- 1971 · The New Dick Van Dyke Show as Mark Cooper
- 1971 · The Funny Side as Minority Husband
- 1971 · Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song as Biker
- 1971 · Vanishing Point as Super Soul's Engineer
- 1970 · The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Gordy Howard
- 1969 · Love, American Style as Bell Captain
- 1969 · Love, American Style as
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- Future · John Amos: Roots of an American Legend as Self
- Future · Future Cop: Cops and Robin as Officer Bundy
- Future · Devotion as Roger
- Future · Information Processing as Self