John Amos: Steadfast as a Rock

With all due

respect to

Coming to America

Cleo McDowell — who owns a knockoff version of McDonald’s, distinguished by a logo featuring gold arcs.

arcs

, not arches, and a Big

Mick

hamburger, not a Big Mac – The two most recognizable roles of John Amos appeared over a decade earlier during the Seventies. In 1974, CBS launched

Good Times

In this scenario, Amos and Esther Rolle portrayed James and Florida Evans, who were battling to support their children amid challenging conditions within a Chicago housing complex. Following his dismissal from the series due to objections about how James and Florida’s genuine issues were becoming less prominent compared to the exaggerated behavior of their eldest son, JJ, he secured the principal part in an influential television miniseries.

Roots

where he portrayed the elder incarnation of Kunta Kinte, an Africa-born enslaved person, who was compelled by his white captors to respond to the name Toby.

Although the time periods and backgrounds varied greatly, the roles he portrayed were unmistakably John Amos characters: steadfast, reliable, and capable of being either formidable or tender, based on circumstances.

Amos, who passed away on August 21,
confirmed today
His remarkable physique was inherited from his family. Before venturing into entertainment, he aimed to become a professional footballer, playing at the collegiate level for the Colorado State Rams. He also participated in trials with both the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs of the former American Football League and competed on various squads within pro football’s lower divisions, such as the Canton Bulldogs in the United Football League. It is said that Chiefs coach Hank Stram once remarked to him, “You’re not just a football player; you’re a man attempting to play football.”

However, what an individual he became once he abandoned his aspirations of becoming an athlete and ventured into acting. During the early 1970s, he took up minor parts in television series—most prominently a repeated role on

The TV show “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”

As the amiable and cool-headed WJM meteorologist Gordy Howard – as well as in advertisements. (He probably leveraged his experiences)
this musical McDonald’s ad
When it was time for McDowell to appear, Esther Rolle’s portrayal of Florida emerged as an early standout role contrasting with Bea Arthur’s character.

Maude

, the show’s creators, such as the renowned Norman Lear, opted to give her a spouse – and concluded the episode with

Maude

Season Two, to provide the pair with their own series.

Good Times

was one of the first TV comedies centered on a Black nuclear family. It was meant to be in a similar vein as both

Maude

and

All in the Family

With Florida and James grappling with issues like poverty and racism, they offered a steady foundation amidst the chaos faced by their children—and resonated deeply with audiences navigating similar challenges in an America still healing from the aftermath of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Amos skillfully exchanged jokes with fellow cast members, notably when James would voice his dissatisfaction with the laid-back character JJ portrayed by actor-comedian Jimmie Walker. However, for those accustomed to watching only white actors portray idealized TV fathers, James’ presence—brought to life through Amos’s warmth and resilience—felt groundbreaking and significant.

Yet, it was JJ – along with his often-shouted catchphrase, “DYN-O-MITE!” – that elicited the strongest reaction from audiences. This led the program to refocus on him, relegating James and Florida to roles as bewildered foils within what should have been their narrative arc. Both Rolle and Amos strongly contested this change in direction. While her objections were typically voiced publicly, his tended toward a more confrontational approach. (“In those times, I wasn’t exactly known for my diplomacy,” he admitted later, adding that his superiors grew weary of threats made against them due to his humor). After the conclusion of the third season, Amos found himself dismissed, and at the start of the fourth season, viewers watched as the Evans family faced sorrow when an out-of-frame James perished in a vehicular crash during a career move attempt in Mississippi. Following this event, Rolle left too, making JJ’s character seem far less engaging without parental figures to anchor the storyline, which consequently saw declining viewer numbers.

There was a bright side to Amos’ unforeseen job loss: He had time to take on starring roles.

Roots

, a miniseries adaptation of Alex Haley’s novel chronicling America’s dark past of slavery, told from the perspective of Kunta Kinte and his descendants. LeVar Burton portrayed the young, rebellious Kunta in the initial two episodes until James Earl Jones stepped in to depict the elder version, who seems more accepting of his captivity despite continuing to plan escapes and find ways back to Africa. The book created a sensation, and its television rendition was even more impactful, drawing viewership from over half the U.S. population. Amos had once harbored hopes that

Good Times

Would spark discussions among Americans about both historical and contemporary challenges faced by the Black community;

Roots

, not only did he get to realize that dream.

Not many performers could surpass taking on the starring part in such an enormous production as this one.

Roots

, and Amos understandably couldn’t manage to.
Like James Earl Jones
, who would portray Amos’ in-law in both

Coming to America

and its 2021 sequel

Coming 2 America

, Amos found himself caught in a casting conundrum throughout much of his career: He didn’t quite get cast as a lead, yet his commanding presence and stature made it difficult for him to fit into typical supporting roles. As a result, he frequently got typecast to add weight to others’ narratives. (Even though he excelled in such parts, like playing Admiral Fitzwallace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,)

The West Wing

.) He has held notable positions from time to time — he is hilariously entertaining as Cleo McDowell and convincingly sparred with Bruce Willis as one of the antagonists in

Die Hard 2

– However, one of his limited chances to take the lead role in a project was an unexpected meeting with Norman Lear, almost two decades after Lear had dismissed him.

Good Times

.

704 Hauser

was an

All in the Family

This spin-off variation features Amos as a working-class character residing in the former residence of Archie Bunker in Queens. The central dynamics of the series have been inverted; here, Amos embodies a vocal liberal ideology, whereas his son adopts a conservative viewpoint (and has a Caucasian spouse portrayed by a young actress named Maura Tierney). Despite these developments, only six episodes were produced for this series, including one episode that did not make it to air.

To some extent, Amos entered the acting scene at an ideal time. During the 1970s, television was finally ready to embrace—and sometimes enthusiastically share—Black narratives after largely attempting to overlook them throughout much of its history.

Good Times

it felt like the perfect show for this moment, despite it somehow slipping out of Amos’ grasp.

Roots

Is likely the most significant TV series ever produced, and one of the finest. He stood at the center of these achievements. Additionally, Amos was pioneering for his era, dedicating much of his professional life to an industry yet to fully grasp how to utilize a Black actor possessing a resonant voice and the build of a football player.

However, how many actors manage to secure roles as enduringly iconic as James Evans or Kunta Kinte, not to mention securing both, and truly excel in them?