John Amos
Known for
An American actor of powerful presence, John Amos became a household name as the strong-willed father James Evans on the sitcom 'Good Times' (1974) and as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries 'Roots' (1977), which earned him an Emmy nomination. On film he appeared in 'Coming to America' (1988) and 'Die Hard 2' (1990). A former professional footballer, Amos, who died in 2024, was a dignified and commanding American actor whose authority-figure roles left a lasting mark on television history.
John Amos
41 Movies
38 Series
An American actor of powerful presence, John Amos became a household name as the strong-willed father James Evans on the sitcom 'Good Times' (1974) and as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries 'Roots' (1977), which earned him an Emmy nomination. On film he appeared in 'Coming to America' (1988) and 'Die Hard 2' (1990). A former professional footballer, Amos, who died in 2024, was a dignified and commanding American actor whose authority-figure roles left a lasting mark on television history.
Movies
Plays Major Grant
Die Hard 2
1990
Plays Cleo McDowell
Coming to America
1988
Plays Neighbor 33F
Uncut Gems
2019
Plays Captain Meissner
Lock Up
1989
Plays Cleo McDowell
Coming 2 America
2021
Plays Gil
Me Time
2022
Plays Seth
The Beastmaster
1982
Plays Reverend Styles
Ricochet
1991
Plays Super Soul's Engineer
Vanishing Point
1971
Plays Det. Legrand
Two Evil Eyes
1990
Plays Jud
Dr. Dolittle 3
2006
Plays Pastor Nelson
Madea's Witness Protection
2012
Plays Lincoln Jefferson Adams
The Last Rifleman
2023
Plays Dr. Conrad
American Flyers
1985
Plays Dutch
Voodoo Moon
2006
Plays Earl
Bad Asses on the Bayou
2015
Plays Freeman
The Players Club
1998
Plays Slick
American Lowrider
2013
Plays Biker
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
Plays Wes Strickland
Hologram Man
1995
Plays Capt. Hodges
Night Trap
1993
Plays Uncle Virgil
My Baby's Daddy
2004
Plays Coach Sam Archer
The World's Greatest Athlete
1973
Plays Kansas City Mack
Let's Do It Again
1975
Plays Хилл
Shadowboxing
2005
Plays Tony
Touched by Love
1980
Plays Pop Pop
Christmas Belles
2019
Plays Admiral Melory
Countdown
2004
Plays Nat
Mac
1992
Plays Dennis
Block Party
2022
Plays Rev. Washington
Something to Sing About
2000
Plays Mr. Brady
Act of Faith
2014
Plays Gray
For Better or Worse
1995
Plays Grandpa
Because of Charley
2021
Plays Esteban
Dance of the Dwarfs
1983
Plays Edgar Mortimer
Zombie Hamlet
2012
Plays Old Man Amos
The Watermelon Heist
2003
TV Shows
Plays James Evans Sr.
Good Times
1974
Plays Buzz Washington
Men in Trees
2006
Plays Percy Fitzwallace
The West Wing
1999
Plays Joe Anderson
All About the Andersons
2003
Plays Gordy Howard
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
1970
Plays Ethan Baker
The District
2000
Plays Ernie Cumberbatch
704 Hauser
1994
Plays Bill Bundy
Future Cop
1977
Plays Self
Dinah!
1974
Plays Fred Wilkes
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990
Plays Ed
Two and a Half Men
2003
Plays Kunta Kinte
Roots
1977
Plays Pastor Roscoe Jones
Walker, Texas Ranger
1993
Plays Deacon Eller
Ballers
2015
Plays Bumpy Johnson
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
1980
Plays Doc Penrose
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Plays Albie Meadows
Hardcastle and McCormick
1983
Plays Sgt. Strawn
Martin
1992
Plays Uncle Burton
Psych
2006
Plays Rev. Taylor
The A-Team
1983
Plays James Mackey
Touched by an Angel
1994
Plays Dr. Herbert
The Cosby Show
1984
Plays John Amos
30 Rock
2006
Plays Peter 'Yas' Yastrzemski
The Outer Limits
1995
Plays Ed
The Ranch
2016
Plays Joe
My Name Is Earl
2005
Plays Glen Johnson (voice)
King of the Hill
1997
Plays Uncle D
The Last O.G.
2018
Plays Pappy Science
NYC 22
2012
Plays John Amos
Suits LA
2025
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Last Rifleman
Full Filmography
Suits LA
John Amos · 1 episode
2025–
TV
The Last Rifleman
Lincoln Jefferson Adams
2023
Film
Me Time
Gil
2022
Film
Block Party
Dennis
2022
Film
Because of Charley
Grandpa
2021
Film
Coming 2 America
Cleo McDowell
2021
Film
The Truth About Santa Claus
Bob
2020
Film
Christmas Belles
Pop Pop
2019
Film
Uncut Gems
Neighbor 33F
2019
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is John Amos still alive?
John Amos passed away on August 21, 2024 at age 84.
What are the most famous roles of John Amos?
John Amos is best known for roles in Die Hard 2, Uncut Gems, Coming to America.
How many movies has John Amos been in?
Over a 53-year career (since 1971), John Amos has appeared in 41 movies and 37 TV shows.
What was John Amos's first movie?
The career of John Amos began with Vanishing Point (1971).
What is John Amos's most recent movie or series?
John Amos's most recent release is Suits LA, which premiered on February 23, 2025.
What TV shows has John Amos appeared in?
On television, John Amos has appeared in Two and a Half Men, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lie to Me, My Name Is Earl.
John Amos
1939-12-27 · 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.