John Amos
Birthday: 1939-12-27
Deathday: 2024-08-21
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned
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.
Credits
| Year | Title | Character | |
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Devotion | Roger | |
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Countdown | Admiral | |
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2023-12-07 | The Last Rifleman | Lincoln Jefferson Adams |
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2022-08-26 | Me Time | Gil |
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2022-06-08 | Block Party | Dennis |
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2021-12-24 | Christmas in Miami | |
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2021-04-09 | Because of Charley | Grandpa |
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2021-03-04 | Coming 2 America | Cleo McDowell |
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2020-12-21 | The Truth About Santa Claus | Bob |
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2019-12-18 | Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times" | Fred Davis |
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2019-11-23 | Christmas Belles | Pop Pop |
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2019-08-30 | Uncut Gems | Neighbor 33F |
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2015-08-21 | Tamales and Gumbo | The Patron |
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2015-04-15 | Mercy for Angels | God |
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2015-03-06 | Bad Asses on the Bayou | Earl |
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2014-04-08 | Act of Faith | Mr. Brady |
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2013-09-17 | American Lowrider | Slick |
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2012-06-29 | Madea's Witness Protection | Pastor Nelson |
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2012-04-14 | Zombie Hamlet | Edgar Mortimer |
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2007-06-12 | Against Time | Coach |
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2007-02-02 | Ascension Day | Henry |
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2006-06-04 | Voodoo Moon | Dutch |
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2006-04-25 | Dr. Dolittle 3 | Jud |
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2005-03-05 | Shadowboxing | Хилл |
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2004-12-09 | Countdown | Admiral Melory |
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2004-01-09 | My Baby's Daddy | Uncle Virgil |
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2003-01-01 | The Watermelon Heist | Old Man Amos |
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2000-12-09 | Disappearing Acts | Mr. Swift |
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2000-06-10 | Something to Sing About | Rev. Washington |
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1998-04-08 | The Players Club | Freeman |
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1997-11-21 | The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda | Booker Hutch |
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1995-06-27 | Hologram Man | Wes Strickland |
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1995-03-19 | For Better or Worse | Gray |
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1993-05-01 | Night Trap | Capt. Hodges |
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1992-09-17 | Mac | Nat |
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1991-10-04 | Ricochet | Reverend Styles |
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1990-07-03 | Die Hard 2 | Major Grant |
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1990-01-25 | Two Evil Eyes | Det. Legrand |
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1989-08-04 | Lock Up | Captain Meissner |
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1988-06-29 | Coming to America | Cleo McDowell |
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1988-03-22 | Bonanza: The Next Generation | Mr. Mack |
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1986-03-13 | Shark's Paradise | Taxi Driver |
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1985-08-16 | American Flyers | Dr. Conrad |
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1983-06-10 | Dance of the Dwarfs | Esteban |
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1982-08-16 | The Beastmaster | Seth |
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1980-11-05 | Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story | Bumpy Johnson |
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1980-10-31 | Touched by Love | Tony |
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1979-03-17 | Willa | Virgil |
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1978-03-28 | Cops and Robin | Officer Bill Bundy |
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1976-05-01 | Future Cop | Officer Bill Bundy |
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1975-10-11 | Let's Do It Again | Kansas City Mack |
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1973-10-23 | The President's Plane Is Missing | Marine Corporal |
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1973-02-14 | The World's Greatest Athlete | Coach Sam Archer |
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1971-03-31 | Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song | Biker |
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1971-01-15 | Vanishing Point | Super Soul's Engineer |