John Amos
Known For
Acting
Born
1939-12-27 in Newark, New Jersey, USA
Died
2024-08-21
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.
Most Known For
Two and a Half Men
as Ed
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
The West Wing
as Percy Fitzwallace
King of the Hill
as Glen Johnson (voice)
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
Psych
as Uncle Burton
Murder, She Wrote
as Doc Penrose
The A-Team
as Rev. Taylor
The Love Boat
as Duke Taylor
30 Rock
as John Amos
The Cosby Show
as Dr. Herbert
The Outer Limits
as Peter 'Yas' Yastrzemski
Lie to Me
as Jim Weaver
My Name Is Earl
as Joe
Walker, Texas Ranger
as Pastor Roscoe Jones
Ballers
as Deacon Eller
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
Touched by an Angel
as Sheriff James Mackey
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as Fred Wilkes
Hunter
as Capt. Dolan (uncredited)