John Amos
Date of birth: 1939-12-27
Place of birth: Newark, New Jersey, USA
Known for: Acting
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.
Movie Credits
Die Hard 2
1990-07-03
One year after his heroics in Los Angeles, John McClane is an off-duty cop who is the wrong guy in t
The Truth About Santa Claus
2020-12-21
A man does not want children but after a “run-in” with Santa finds the true “gift” of Christmas.
Vanishing Point
1971-01-15
Kowalski works for a car delivery service, and takes delivery of a 1970 Dodge Challenger to drive fr
Ricochet
1991-10-04
An attorney is terrorized by the criminal he put away years ago when he was a cop.
The World's Greatest Athlete
1973-02-14
Stuck with a feeble sports department, college coach Sam Archer (John Amos) faces the ax unless he c
Coming to America
1988-06-29
An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his
Lock Up
1989-08-04
Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is pa
Let's Do It Again
1975-10-11
Clyde Williams and Billy Foster are a couple of blue-collar workers in Atlanta who have promised to
Two Evil Eyes
1990-01-25
A duo of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations about a greedy wife's attempt to embezzle her dying husband's f
The Beastmaster
1982-08-16
Dar, is the son of a king, who's hunted by a priest after his birth and grows up in another family.
Dr. Dolittle 3
2006-04-25
Lisa Dolittle sends her daughter to 'Durango', a Dude Ranch, to find herself. While there, she uses
Shadowboxing
2005-03-05
Artem Kolchin was one of many, but he wanted glory. And he has chosen the way: he became the boxer.
Countdown
2004-12-09
A terrorist organization known as "Ansar Allah" is preparing to turn the city of Rome into a City of
Madea's Witness Protection
2012-06-29
For years, mild-mannered Wall Street banker George Needleman has meandered through life oblivious to
All Over Again
2007-06-12
About to finish high school, budding inventor Z.T. dreams of escaping both his sleepy town and his g
Zombie Hamlet
2012-04-14
Desperate filmmaker Osric Taylor dreams of making his civil war Hamlet but when production funding d
For Better or Worse
1995-03-19
A comic love triangle wherein a loser falls in love with his recently-married brother's wife.
The President's Plane Is Missing
1973-10-23
When the President's plane mysteriously disappears with him on board, it is left to the seemingly we
Devotion
A pastor bumps into an old trainer and begins boxing after his wife retires from MMA fighting.
Dance of the Dwarfs
1983-06-10
An anthropologist and an alcoholic helicopter pilot discover a race of predatory reptile men in the
Block Party
2022-06-08
Recent Harvard grad Keke McQueen, 23, is eager to ditch her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan for h
American Lowrider
2013-09-17
Lefty-a hard working, light hearted man is looking to make a decent buck. But when a simple bet goes
Touched by Love
1980-10-31
A teenager with cerebral palsy attempts to become pen pals with her idol, Elvis Presley.
Cops and Robin
1978-03-28
A veteran street cop and his partner, a robot programmed to be the perfect policeman, are assigned t
Me Time
2022-08-26
With his family away, a devoted stay-at-home dad enjoys his first me time in years by joining his ha
Uncut Gems
2019-08-30
A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score makes a series of h
Bad Asses on the Bayou
2015-03-06
The third installment in the successful Bad Ass action-comedy franchise. Bad Asses on the Bayou reun
Night Trap
1993-05-01
A New Orleans cop tries to track down and stop a vicious and demonic killer whom has sold his soul t
The Watermelon Heist
2003-01-01
To make money fast the Browns come up with a plan to win a contest for "Watermelon Juice Afro Sheen,
Shark's Paradise
1986-03-13
A mad man threatens to lure hundreds of sharks to the beach at Surfers Paradise Australia at the sta
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
1980-11-05
Filmed on location at Alcatraz Island, this two-part "whole story" actually concentrates on a handfu
The Last Rifleman
2023-12-07
A WWII veteran escapes his care home in Northern Ireland and embarks on an arduous but inspirational
Ascension Day
2007-02-02
A drama focused on Nat Turner and the 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia.
Christmas in Miami
2021-12-24
Akpos jets off with his family to the exotic city of Miami, Florida to represent Nigeria at the Inte
Bonanza: The Next Generation
1988-03-22
This is the continuing saga of the Cartwrights, only none of the original Cartwrights are here anymo
Future Cop
1976-05-01
A veteran street cop is assigned a new partner. The partner is not exactly what he seems to be, thou
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971-03-31
After saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black male prostitute goes on the run from "th
Something to Sing About
2000-06-10
Tommy is a troubled young man with a history of crime. When he meets Memaw, an elderly lady, the two
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
2016-01-21
Arguably the most influential creator, writer, and producer in the history of television, Norman Lea
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
2015-10-13
Not only did Mary Tyler Moore “turn the world on with her smile,” as her show’s theme song declared,
Hologram Man
1995-06-27
Five years after the mad terrorist Slash Galagher was sentenced to holographic stasis, he is given a
The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda
1997-11-21
After a quiet fishing trip, Rockford is tricked into taking over a fellow PI's case involving allege
Act of Faith
2014-04-08
After the death of his beloved wife, Mr. Brady struggles to maintain a neighborhood diner in Atlanta
Voodoo Moon
2006-06-04
Voodoo Moon takes place in the mid-west United States, where a demonic figure murders the entire pop
Mercy for Angels
2015-04-15
Runaway Tracy is snatched from a dangerous L.A. neighborhood by sadistic thugs while searching for h
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004-01-01
Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the m
American Flyers
1985-08-16
When Dr. Marcus Sommers realizes that he and his troubled, estranged brother David may be prone a fa
Disappearing Acts
2000-12-09
A struggling construction worker and an aspiring musician find themselves falling in love.
Mac
1992-09-17
Niccolo "Mac" Vitelli is the eldest of three brothers in 1950s Queens. Mac is a construction builder
My Baby's Daddy
2004-01-09
A trio of young men are forced to grow up quick when their girlfriends all become pregnant around th
Willa
1979-03-17
A truck-stop waitress, determined to make a better life for her young children after being abandoned
Coming 2 America
2021-03-04
Prince Akeem Joffer is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew ab
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
2019-12-18
Live performances of classic holiday-themed episodes from Norman Lear's hit shows "All in the Family
The Players Club
1998-04-08
Single mother Diana struggles to provide for her child and pay for her college education. When she m
Christmas Belles
2019-11-23
Despite being successful in their careers, two 30-something BFFs never stop hearing that they both n
Tamales and Gumbo
2015-08-21
A beautiful Latina and a lovable African-American try to survive the crazy cultural clashes between
The Beastmaster Chronicles
2020-11-27
Documentary about the making of the film The Beastmaster.
Because of Charley
2021-04-09
Two estranged stepfamilies reluctantly gather at a Central Florida home for an anniversary party, fu
Future Cop: Cops and Robin
To protect his former partner's widow, a veteran cop teams up with an android to keep her safe.
John Amos: Roots of an American Legend
An intimate look at the life, diversity, challenges, and accomplishments of John Amos. He would go o
Information Processing
Analyses how people process information. Pretty girls, bizarrely dressed men and some improvisationa
Remembering Roots
2002-01-15
The cast and crew of Roots (1977) recall its phenomenal success on its 25th anniversary.