John Allen Amos Jr.[1] (December 27, 1939 – August 21, 2024) was an American actor.
He was 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. His other television work includes The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on The West Wing, and the role of the Mayor of Washington DC Ethan Baker in the series The District. Amos was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and an NAACP Image Award. In 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).
The “Good Times” star died of congestive heart failure in a Los Angeles-area hospital on Aug. 21, according to a death certificate obtained by USA TODAY on Oct. 8.