American actor John Amos has died of natural causes at the age of 84. He was best known for his many television roles, on Good Times and Roots, but he also co-starred in the cult film Beastmaster (1982) as Seth.

Who could forget that classic exchange between Dar and Seth?

• Dar: I’ve never seen a… pilgrim… who could use a staff the way you did.
• Seth : Ah, but sir; all pilgrims share a deep love of life; especially their own!

Amos’ first big role came in 1970, when he played weatherman Gordy Howard on CBS’ The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Not long after, Amos landed perhaps the most iconic role of his career: patriarch James Evans Sr. on Good Times, the groundbreaking Norman Lear sitcom that ran from 1974 to 1979 and was a spinoff of Maude. He earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the mini-series Roots, where he shared the role of Kunta Kinte with Star Trek‘s LeVar Burton. Burton played the young Kunta. Amos played the same character as an older man.

Primarily a TV actor, one of his many guest roles was in the fantasy-horror comedy, Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell as War. He also appeared in The Rockford Files, Two and a Half Men, and the popular West Wing., Sanford and Son, and many others.

John Amos starred in the horror short Two Evil Eyes (1993). He co-starred in Disney’s The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973) as the frazzled Coach Sam Archer, the Black coach of a perennially losing college team who takes a vacation in Africa to get back to his roots. In Africa, he sees a young white man who can outrun a gazelle and outjump a rabbit. He tricks the naive boy into coming back to the US with him and enrolling at Merrivale College.

Amos and Rip Torn, the villain of Beastmaster, both appeared in The President’s Plane Is Missing (1973). In the horror/adventure movie Dance of the Dwarfs (1983) he played Estaban. Amos appeared in Dr. DoLittle 3 (2006) as Jud Jones. In Coming to America (1988) and its sequel, Coming 2 America (2021), John Amos played Cleo McDowell.

John Amos, Jr. was born September 27, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He died September 21, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. He was married and divorced twice, first to artist Noel J. Mickelson from 1965 to 1975, then to actress Lillian Lehman from 1978 to 1979. He had two children: writer/producer Shannon Amos and director K.C. Amos, writer/director of the horror film Hauntsville (2016).

John Amos starred in The Watermelon Heist (2003(, which his daughter produced, and his son directed).

John Amos served in both the New Jersey National Guard and the U. S. Coast Guard.

Awards

A hard-working actor, who had many roles, he naturally received many accolades for his work.

• 2021 Nominee, Orlando Film Festival, Best Actor, Grandpa in Because of Charley.
• 2015 Nominee, Voice Arts Award, Best Voiceover, Outstanding Body of Work
• 2007 Winner, TV Land Awards, Anniversary Award, Roots, in honor of its 30th Anniversary, shared with his castmates.
• 2006 Winner, TV Land Awards, Impact Award, Good Times, shared with his castmates
• `996 Nominee Image Awards (NAACP), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Coach Sam Wilson, In the House
• 1993, nominee Cable Ace Award, Best Actor in a Dramatic Series: Blue Berry in Without a Pass
• 1977 Emmy Nominee Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama Series: Toby/Kunta Kinte in Roots