Juan Amos has passed away. The Good Times actor was 84 years old.
John Amos passed away at age 84 on August 21, 2024 in Los Angeles of natural causes.
“It is with deep sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” Amos' son, Kelly Christopher Amos, said in a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved all over the world. Many fans consider him their television father. He lived a good life. “His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.”
Amos was born on December 27, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey. He played football at Colorado State University and tried out in training camp with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.
Amos' acting career began in 1970 when he played meteorologist Gordon “Gordy” Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He went on to play James Evan Sr. in 61 episodes of Good Times, although he was fired from the show at the end of season 3 after clashing with the writers.
“We had several differences,” Amos previously said. “I felt like there was too much emphasis being placed on JJ with his chicken hat, saying 'Dy-no-mite!' every third page. I felt that the same emphasis and benefit could have been gained from my other two children, one of whom aspired to become a Supreme Court justice, played by Ralph Carter, and the other, BernNadette Stanis, who aspired to become a surgeon. But I wasn't the most diplomatic guy in those days, and [the show’s producers] They got tired of having their lives threatened for jokes. So they said, 'I'll tell you what, why don't we kill him? We can get on with our lives!' That taught me a lesson: I wasn't as important as I thought to the show or to Norman Lear's plans.”
After that, Amos starred in shows like Future Cop, Hunter, 704 Hauser, In the House, The West Wing, The District, All About the Andersons and more. He played Fred Wilkes in three episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Her filmography included 1982's The Beastmaster, 1988's Coming to America, 1990's Die Hard 2, 2012's Madea's Witness Protection, 2021's Coming 2 America, and more.
ComingSoon sends its deepest condolences to Amos' family and friends at this time.