“Good Times” star John Amos has died at the age of 84

John Amos, best known for his role as James Evans Sr. in “Good Times,” has died at the age of 84.

The actor’s son, Kelly Christopher Amos, announced that his father died of natural causes on August 21 in Los Angeles.

“It is with deep sadness that I inform you that my father has made the transition,” Kelly said in a statement.

“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.”

Kelly said his father “loved acting his whole life… most recently in ‘Suits LA,’ where he played himself, and in our documentary ‘America’s Dad,’ about his journey as an actor.

“He was my father, my best friend and my hero. Thank you for your prayers and support during this time,” he concluded.

John got his start in show business after landing the role of WJN-TV weatherman Gordy Howard on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” from 1970 to 1973.

In 1974, he became known for his portrayal of James Evans Sr., Florida Evans’ husband, in the hit series “Good Times.”

Although John was originally cast as a hard-working father of three on the CBS show, he and his wife, played by Esther Rolle, wanted to portray a positive image of an African-American family on television.

John often clashed with the show’s writers over their refusal to portray the family, who were in financial trouble and living in a Chicago housing project, in a better light.

In a 2017 interview with Sway In the Morning, John claimed that the writers did not understand black people and their experiences in America.

“When the show started, we didn’t have any African-American writers on the show, and some of the takes that they had written for my character and, frankly, some of the other characters as well, made me say, ‘We can’t do this.’ do, we can’t do that,” he recalled.

“And they said, ‘What do you mean we can’t do this?’ They kept talking about their successes… and I looked at every single one of them and said, ‘Well, how long have you been black?’ That just doesn’t happen in the community,” he added.

“We don’t think like that. We don’t behave like that. We won’t let our children do that.’”

John starred in three seasons of Good Times until he was fired by executive producer Norman Lear. His character was removed from the series in 1976 at the start of the fourth season.

In 1977, John received an Emmy nomination for his role as the adult Kunta Kinte in Roots.

The actor has also appeared in several films and television shows, including “The West Wing,” “The District,” “Hunter,” “Coming to America” and “Dr. Dolittle 3, “The Player’s Club” and many more.

Last year, John’s children Kelly and Shannon Amos got into a public dispute over the actor’s alleged negligence.

Shannon claimed her brother did not provide proper care to John, who suffered from health problems, and the LAPD launched an investigation into the matter.

However, Kelly shared a video of her father in the hospital accusing Shannon of harming him.

“My main issue is that before I was admitted to hospital I felt I had ongoing issues with my daughter who I believe took advantage of me. If you will, she would be the prime suspect. She is the one I would attribute my elder abuse to,” he claimed.

Shannon denied her father’s claims, saying she only wanted to “prioritize the safety of my father, who is primarily vulnerable.”

The Die Hard 2 star is survived by his son Kelly and daughter Shannon, whom he shared with his first ex-wife Noel Mickelson.

He was also married to actress Lillian Lehman from 1978 to 1979.