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

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

Appearances as themselves (12)

• 2020The Beastmaster Chronicles — Self
• The Movies That Made Us — Self
• 2016Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You — Self
• 2015Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration — Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage)
• 2002Remembering Roots — Self
• The Chris Rock Show — Self
• Dinah! — Self
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• Information Processing — Self
• John Amos: Roots of an American Legend — Self