John Amos, Actor Who Starred In ‘Good Times’ And ‘Coming To America,’ Has Died

American actors John Amos as James Evans, Sr., and Esther Rolle (1920 – 1998) as Florida Evans, in a promotional portrait for the sitcom, ‘Good Times’, 1974. | Source: Silver Screen Collection / Getty

UPDATED: 3:00 p.m. ET, Oct. 1

John Amos, the legendary actor who transformed his roles into timeless characters on TV and in films that became cult classics, particularly within the African American community, has died at 84.

The star of the “Good Times” sitcom who portrayed family patriarch James Evans Sr. died in August in Los Angeles from reported natural causes. However, Amos’ death was only publicly reported on Tuesday.

Amos’ son, Kelly Christopher Amos, confirmed his father’s death, Deadline reported:

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” Kelly Christopher Amos said in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life…. most recently in Suits LA playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, America’s Dad. He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero. Thank you for your prayers and support at this time.”

Aside from starring in the role of Jame Evans, Amos also portrayed other timeless characters like the adult version of Kunta Kinte in the celebrated “Roots” miniseries in 1977 and Ceo McDowdell, a cartoonish fast-food magnate alongside Eddie Murphy in the box office smash “Coming To America.”

Amos’ work on the small screen earned him nominations for an Emmy as well as an NAACP Image Award.

Amos seemingly shined brightest on “Good Times” playing the blue-collar married father of three living in a cramped two-bedroom apartment in Chicago’s public housing. It was in that role that he and his co-stars — the late Esther Rolle, Jimmy Walker, Bern Nadette Stanis and Raph Carter — helped deliver two years of classic episodes of television.

The role has regularly placed his James Evans Sr character on lists of top Black TV dads of all time.

When Amos was written off the show following a dispute with the portrayal of a Black family on TV, the next role he accepted was for “Roots.”

While Amos enjoyed steady work in bit roles for the next decade, his career got a nice little boost when he was cast a McDowell in “Coming to America” in 1988.

Amos is survived by his two children — the aforementioned Kelly Christopher Amos and his daughter, Shannon Amos, the latter of whom just lat year started an online crowdfunding effort under the false pretenses that her father had been hospitalized and “fallen victim to elder abuse and financial exploitation.”

The GoFundMe account Shannon Amos started ultimately raised more than $10,000 before John Amos told TMZ that no one was abusing him and that he hadn’t been fighting for his life. He also said he had no idea why his daughter really started the GoFundMe.

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