John Amos
Acting • Born 1939-12-27 – 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.
Filmography
110 credits
Die Hard 2
Movie • 1990
Major Grant
The Truth About Santa Claus
Movie • 2020
Bob
Vanishing Point
Movie • 1971
Super Soul's Engineer
Ricochet
Movie • 1991
Reverend Styles
The World's Greatest Athlete
Movie • 1973
Coach Sam Archer
Coming to America
Movie • 1988
Cleo McDowell
Lock Up
Movie • 1989
Captain Meissner
Let's Do It Again
Movie • 1975
Kansas City Mack
Two Evil Eyes
Movie • 1990
Det. Legrand
The Beastmaster
Movie • 1982
Seth
Dr. Dolittle 3
Movie • 2006
Jud
Shadowboxing
Movie • 2005
Хилл
Countdown
Movie • 2004
Admiral Melory
Madea's Witness Protection
Movie • 2012
Pastor Nelson
All Over Again
Movie • 2007
Coach Zeller
Zombie Hamlet
Movie • 2012
Edgar Mortimer
For Better or Worse
Movie • 1995
Gray
The President's Plane Is Missing
Movie • 1973
Marine Corporal
Devotion
Movie
Roger
Dance of the Dwarfs
Movie • 1983
Esteban
Block Party
Movie • 2022
Dennis
American Lowrider
Movie • 2013
Slick
Touched by Love
Movie • 1980
Tony
Cops and Robin
Movie • 1978
Officer Bill Bundy
Me Time
Movie • 2022
Gil
Uncut Gems
Movie • 2019
Neighbor 33F
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Movie • 2015
Earl
Night Trap
Movie • 1993
Capt. Hodges
The Watermelon Heist
Movie • 2003
Old Man Amos
Shark's Paradise
Movie • 1986
Taxi Driver
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
Movie • 1980
Bumpy Johnson
The Last Rifleman
Movie • 2023
Lincoln Jefferson Adams
Ascension Day
Movie • 2007
Henry
Christmas in Miami
Movie • 2021
Chief Host
Bonanza: The Next Generation
Movie • 1988
Mr. Mack
Future Cop
Movie • 1976
Officer Bill Bundy
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Movie • 1971
Biker
Something to Sing About
Movie • 2000
Rev. Washington
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Movie • 2016
Self
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
Movie • 2015
Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage)
Hologram Man
Movie • 1995
Wes Strickland
The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
Movie • 1997
Booker Hutch
Act of Faith
Movie • 2014
Mr. Brady
Voodoo Moon
Movie • 2006
Dutch
Mercy for Angels
Movie • 2015
God
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Movie • 2004
(archive footage)
American Flyers
Movie • 1985
Dr. Conrad
Disappearing Acts
Movie • 2000
Mr. Swift
Mac
Movie • 1992
Nat
My Baby's Daddy
Movie • 2004
Uncle Virgil
Willa
Movie • 1979
Virgil
Coming 2 America
Movie • 2021
Cleo McDowell
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Movie • 2019
Fred Davis
The Players Club
Movie • 1998
Freeman
Christmas Belles
Movie • 2019
Pop Pop
Tamales and Gumbo
Movie • 2015
The Patron
The Beastmaster Chronicles
Movie • 2020
Self
Because of Charley
Movie • 2021
Grandpa
Future Cop: Cops and Robin
Movie
Officer Bundy
John Amos: Roots of an American Legend
Movie
Self
Information Processing
Movie
Self
Remembering Roots
Movie • 2002
Self
In the House
TV • 1995
Murder, She Wrote
TV • 1984
Doc Penrose
Hardcastle and McCormick
TV • 1983
Albie Meadows
Good Times
TV • 1974
James Evans Sr.
Martin
TV • 1992
Sgt. Strawn
The District
TV • 2000
Ethan Baker
Psych
TV • 2006
Uncle Burton
The A-Team
TV • 1983
Rev. Taylor
Touched by an Angel
TV • 1994
Sheriff James Mackey
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
TV • 1990
Fred Wilkes
Men in Trees
TV • 2006
Buzz Washington
The Cosby Show
TV • 1984
Dr. Herbert
Two and a Half Men
TV • 2003
Ed
Walker, Texas Ranger
TV • 1993
Pastor Roscoe Jones
Sanford and Son
TV • 1972
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
TV • 1970
Gordy Howard
30 Rock
TV • 2006
John Amos
704 Hauser
TV • 1994
Ernie Cumberbatch
All About the Andersons
TV • 2003
Joe Anderson
Here's Boomer
TV • 1981
Roots
TV • 1977
Toby
Future Cop
TV • 1977
Bill Bundy
Hunter
TV • 1984
Capt. Dolan (uncredited)
The Chris Rock Show
TV • 1997
Self
The Outer Limits
TV • 1995
Peter 'Yas' Yastrzemski
The Funny Side
TV • 1971
Minority Husband
The West Wing
TV • 1999
Percy Fitzwallace
The Ranch
TV • 2016
Ed
The Movies That Made Us
TV • 2019
Self
My Name Is Earl
TV • 2005
Joe
King of the Hill
TV • 1997
Glen Johnson (voice)
Ballers
TV • 2015
Deacon Eller
The Last O.G.
TV • 2018
Uncle D
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
TV • 1980
Bumpy Johnson
Dinah!
TV • 1974
Self
NYC 22
TV • 2012
Pappy Science
Suits LA
TV • 2025
John Amos
Love, American Style
TV • 1969
Bell Captain
Lie to Me
TV • 2009
Jim Weaver
Royal Pains
TV • 2009
Harrison Phillips
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Duke Taylor
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
TV • 1971
Mark Cooper
Love, American Style
TV • 1969
The Merv Griffin Show
TV • 1962
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
The Mike Douglas Show
TV • 1961
Self
Roots
TV • 1977
Kunta Kinte
Police Story
TV • 1973
Walt Kyles