John Amos dead: “Good Times,” star of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was 84

Legendary actor John Amos died at the age of 84.

Amos’ son KC announced that his father died on August 21 in Los Angeles.

“It is with deep sadness that I inform you that my father has transitioned,” KC said in a statement on Tuesday, October 1 The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved around the world. Many fans consider him to be their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding work as an actor on television and film.”

A cause of death was not announced.

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Before coming to Hollywood, Amos played football and signed with the Denver Broncos in 1964. After injuring his hamstring during training camp, Amos was cut from the team.

Amos then pursued acting and landed his first major role as weatherman Gordy Howard The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He then starred in the groundbreaking historical miniseries roots as Kunta Kinte and became the legendary TV father James Evans Sr Good times. Amos was nominated for an Emmy in 1977 roots.

Amos starred in the series “Good Times” for its first three seasons. The sitcom that was directed by Norman Learwas the first series to depict a two-parent black family in America. During his tenure, Amos clashed with the show’s writers over stereotypical storylines. He was ultimately eliminated before Season 4 and his character died in a car accident.

“Their perception or idea of ​​what a black family and a black father would be was completely different than mine, and mine was steeped in reality,” Amos said in a 2020 interview with VladTV.

After his departure, Amos continued to land iconic roles including 704 houses, In the house, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The West Wing, Men in trees and more. Amos also had supporting roles in several films including The Beastmaster, Die Hard 2 and more. His most notable film role was as fast food restaurateur Cleo McDowell in the 1988s Coming to America. He reprized his role for the long-awaited sequel Comes 2 America which premiered in 2021.

In his personal life, Amos has been married twice. He married his first wife Noel J. Mickelson in 1965. The ex-partners, who separated in 1975, have two children together: daughter Shannon and son KC Amos later married the actress Lillian Lehman in 1978, but their marriage was short-lived as they divorced the following year.