History of John Amos in Timeline

John Allen Amos Jr. was an acclaimed American actor celebrated for his portrayal of iconic characters like Kunta Kinte in the miniseries "Roots" and James Evans Sr. in "Good Times." His illustrious five-decade career spanned television, with notable appearances in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The West Wing," and "The District," as well as Broadway and numerous films.

December 27, 1939: John Amos Jr.'s Birth

John Allen Amos Jr. was born on December 27, 1939.

1958: Graduation from High School

John Amos graduated from East Orange High School in 1958.

1964: Signing with Denver Broncos

John Amos signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos in 1964.

1965: Playing in the Continental Football League

In 1965, John Amos played for the Norfolk Neptunes and Wheeling Ironmen of the Continental Football League.

1965: First Marriage

John Amos married artist and equestrian Noel Mickelson in 1965.

1966: Playing in the Atlantic Coast Football League

John Amos played for the Jersey City Jets and Waterbury Orbits in the Atlantic Coast Football League during 1966.

1967: Joining the Kansas City Chiefs and Return to Continental League

John Amos briefly joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967 but returned to the Continental League, playing for the Victoria Steelers.

1967: Brief Stint with Kansas City Chiefs

John Amos had a brief stint with the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs during the 1967 offseason.

1970: Start of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" Role

John Amos began his role as Gordy Howard on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in 1970.

1971: McDonald's Commercial and "Vanishing Point" Role

In 1971, John Amos appeared in a McDonald's commercial with Anson Williams and had a small role in the film "Vanishing Point".

1971: Appearance in "Vanishing Point"

John Amos appeared in the film "Vanishing Point" in 1971.

1973: End of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" Role

John Amos concluded his role as Gordy Howard on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in 1973.

1973: Starring Role in "The World's Greatest Athlete"

John Amos landed his first starring film role in "The World's Greatest Athlete", released in 1973.

1973: Beginning of "Good Times" Production

Production for the show "Good Times" started in 1973, with John Amos playing a character significantly older than his actual age.

1974: Start of "Good Times" Role

John Amos began his role as James Evans Sr. on "Good Times" in 1974.

1975: Starring Role in "Let's Do It Again"

John Amos starred as Kansas City Mack in the film "Let's Do It Again" in 1975.

1975: End of First Marriage

John Amos's first marriage to Noel Mickelson ended in 1975.

1976: Dismissal from "Good Times"

John Amos was dismissed from "Good Times" in 1976 after disagreements with the show's writers over the portrayal of African-American experiences.

1976: End of "Good Times" Role

John Amos's time on "Good Times" ended in 1976.

1977: Starring Role in "Roots"

John Amos starred as the adult Kunta Kinte in the miniseries "Roots", which premiered in 1977.

1978: Second Marriage to Lillian Lehman

In 1978, John Amos married actress Lillian Lehman. This marked his second marriage.

1980: Appearance in "Touched by Love"

John Amos appeared in the movie "Touched by Love" in 1980.

1980: Starring Role in "Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story"

John Amos starred in the television film "Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story" in 1980.

1982: Appearance in "The Beastmaster"

John Amos appeared in the movie "The Beastmaster" in 1982.

1983: Appearance in "Dance of the Dwarfs"

John Amos appeared in the film "Dance of the Dwarfs" in 1983.

1984: Start of Role in "Hunter"

John Amos began playing the character Captain Dolan on the TV show "Hunter" in 1984.

1985: Appearance in "American Flyers"

John Amos had a role in the movie "American Flyers" in 1985.

1985: End of Role in "Hunter"

John Amos's time on the TV show "Hunter" as Captain Dolan concluded in 1985.

1988: Appearance in "Coming to America"

John Amos appeared in the movie "Coming to America" in 1988.

1989: Appearances in "Lock Up" and "Two Evil Eyes"

In 1989, John Amos appeared in two movies: "Lock Up" and "Two Evil Eyes".

1990: Appearance in "Die Hard 2"

John Amos appeared in the movie "Die Hard 2" in 1990.

1991: Appearance in "Ricochet"

John Amos appeared in the film "Ricochet", released in 1991.

1994: Appearance in "Natural Born Killaz" Music Video

John Amos made an appearance in the music video for "Natural Born Killaz" by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre in 1994.

1994: Role in "704 Hauser"

John Amos portrayed an Archie Bunker-esque character in the sitcom "704 Hauser" in 1994, which was canceled after a short run.

1995: Appearance in "For Better or Worse"

John Amos had a role in the movie "For Better or Worse", released in 1995.

1998: Appearance in "The Players Club"

John Amos played a police officer in the movie "The Players Club", released in 1998.

2003: Co-starring Role in "All About the Andersons"

John Amos co-starred with Anthony Anderson in the TV series "All About the Andersons" in 2003.

2004: Appearance in "My Baby's Daddy"

John Amos played Uncle Virgil in the film "My Baby's Daddy" in 2004.

2004: Hurricane Charley

The devastating Hurricane Charley tore through Florida in 2004.

2006: Starring Role in "Dr. Dolittle 3"

John Amos starred as Jud in the film "Dr. Dolittle 3", released in 2006.

2009: Release of "We Were Hippies" Album

John Amos released "We Were Hippies", an album of country songs by Gene and Eric Cash, in 2009.

2010: Recurring Role in "Two and a Half Men"

John Amos had a recurring role as Ed on the sitcom "Two and a Half Men" in 2010.

2012: Appearance in "Madea's Witness Protection"

John Amos played Jake's father in the movie "Madea's Witness Protection", which came out in 2012.

2016: Recurring Role in "The Ranch"

John Amos took on another recurring role, coincidentally also named Ed, in the Netflix sitcom "The Ranch" in 2016.

2017: John Amos's Interview About "Good Times"

In a 2017 interview, John Amos spoke about his departure from "Good Times", highlighting his clashes with the writers regarding the show's authenticity.

2018: Move to Colorado

After residing in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey for many years, John Amos moved to Colorado in 2018.

2020: Induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame

In recognition of his accomplishments, John Amos was honored with an induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2020.

2021: Starring Role in "Because of Charley"

John Amos played the patriarch of a step-family navigating the aftermath of Hurricane Charley in the 2021 film "Because of Charley".

2021: Appearance in "Coming 2 America"

John Amos reprised his role in the sequel "Coming 2 America", released in 2021.

2023: Residency in Westcliffe and Elder Abuse Investigation

In 2023, John Amos was residing in Westcliffe, Colorado. During this time, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation was looking into accusations of elder abuse against him.

August 21, 2024: John Amos Jr.'s Death

John Amos Jr. passed away on August 21, 2024.

October 1, 2024: Death Announcement

John Amos passed away from natural causes at the age of 84 in Los Angeles on August 21, 2024. However, his death was not publicly announced until October 1, 2024.