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.
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
The Truth About Santa Claus
2020
Die Hard 2
1990
Future Cop
1976
Devotion
N/A
Coming to America
1988
The Beastmaster
1982
Something to Sing About
2000
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
2015
Uncut Gems
2019
Lock Up
1989
Zombie Hamlet
2012
The President's Plane Is Missing
1973
Coming 2 America
2021
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
1980
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
2016
Madea's Witness Protection
2012
Cops and Robin
1978
American Flyers
1985
Me Time
2022
Christmas Belles
2019
Dr. Dolittle 3
2006
Vanishing Point
1971
Act of Faith
2014
The Players Club
1998
The Last Rifleman
2023
The Watermelon Heist
2003
Two Evil Eyes
1990
Countdown
2004
Ricochet
1991
Night Trap
1993
Voodoo Moon
2006
Let's Do It Again
1975
Hologram Man
1995
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
2019
Bad Asses on the Bayou
2015
The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
1997