John Amos
57 movies · 42 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Dec 27, 1939
- Died
- Aug 21, 2024 (age 84)
- Place of birth
- Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Also known as
- Jon Amos · Johnny Amos · John A. Amos Jr. · John Allen Amos Jr.
Biography
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.
Known for
John Amos: movies and TV shows
Acting (98)
- Upcoming Devotion
as Roger
- Upcoming Future Cop: Cops and Robin
as Officer Bundy
- 2025
- 2023 The Last Rifleman
as Lincoln Jefferson Adams
- 2022 Me Time
as Gil
- 2022 Block Party
as Dennis
- 2021 Christmas in Miami
as Chief Host
- 2021 Because of Charley
as Grandpa
- 2021 Coming 2 America
as Cleo McDowell
- 2020 The Truth About Santa Claus
as Bob
- 2019
- 2019 Uncut Gems
as Neighbor 33F
- 2019 Christmas Belles
as Pop Pop
- 2018
- 2016
- 2015 Tamales and Gumbo
as The Patron
- 2015
- 2015 Mercy for Angels
as God
- 2015 Bad Asses on the Bayou
as Earl
- 2014 Act of Faith
as Mr. Brady
- 2013 American Lowrider
as Slick
- 2012 Madea's Witness Protection
as Pastor Nelson
- 2012
- 2012 Zombie Hamlet
as Edgar Mortimer
- 2009
- 2009
- 2007 All Over Again
as Coach Zeller
- 2007 Ascension Day
as Henry
- 2006
- 2006
- 2006
- 2006 Voodoo Moon
as Dutch
- 2006 Dr. Dolittle 3
as Jud
- 2005
- 2005 Shadowboxing
as Хилл
- 2004 Countdown
as Admiral Melory
- 2004 My Baby's Daddy
as Uncle Virgil
- 2004 TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as (archive footage)
- 2003
- 2003
- 2003 The Watermelon Heist
as Old Man Amos
- 2000 Disappearing Acts
as Mr. Swift
- 2000
- 2000 Something to Sing About
as Rev. Washington
- 1999
- 1998 The Players Club
as Freeman
- 1997 The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
as Booker Hutch
- 1997
- 1995 Hologram Man
as Wes Strickland
- 1995
- 1995
- 1995 For Better or Worse
as Gray
- 1994
- 1994
- 1993 Night Trap
as Capt. Hodges
- 1993
- 1992 Mac
as Nat
- 1992
- 1991 Ricochet
as Reverend Styles
- 1990
- 1990 Die Hard 2
as Major Grant
- 1990 Two Evil Eyes
as Det. Legrand
- 1989 Lock Up
as Captain Meissner
- 1988 Coming to America
as Cleo McDowell
- 1988 Bonanza: The Next Generation
as Mr. Mack
- 1987
- 1986 Shark's Paradise
as Taxi Driver
- 1985 American Flyers
as Dr. Conrad
- 1984
- 1984
- 1984
- 1983
- 1983 Dance of the Dwarfs
as Esteban
- 1983
- 1982 The Beastmaster
as Seth
- 1981
- 1980 Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
as Bumpy Johnson
- 1980
- 1980 Touched by Love
as Tony
- 1979 Willa
as Virgil
- 1978 Cops and Robin
as Officer Bill Bundy
- 1977
- 1977
- 1977
- 1977
- 1976 Future Cop
as Officer Bill Bundy
- 1975 Let's Do It Again
as Kansas City Mack
- 1974
- 1973 The President's Plane Is Missing
as Marine Corporal
- 1973
- 1973 The World's Greatest Athlete
as Coach Sam Archer
- 1972
- 1971
- 1971
- 1971 Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
as Biker
- 1971 Vanishing Point
as Super Soul's Engineer (uncredited)
- 1970
- 1969
Talk shows and appearances (12)
- Upcoming
- Upcoming
- 2020
- 2019 The Movies That Made Us
1 episode
- 2016
- 2015
- 2002
- 1997 The Chris Rock Show
1 episode
- 1974 Dinah!
6 episodes
- 1962 The Merv Griffin Show
1 episode
- 1962 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1 episode
- 1961 The Mike Douglas Show
1 episode