- Born
- Died
- Place
John Amos
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.
As actor
The Last Rifleman
Block Party
Me Time
Christmas in Miami
Coming 2 America
Because of Charley
The Truth About Santa Claus
The Beastmaster Chronicles
Uncut Gems
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Christmas Belles
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
Mercy for Angels
Tamales and Gumbo
Act of Faith
American Lowrider
Madea's Witness Protection
Zombie Hamlet
All Over Again
Ascension Day
Dr. Dolittle 3
Voodoo Moon
Shadowboxing
Countdown
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
My Baby's Daddy
The Watermelon Heist
Remembering Roots