Place of Birth: Newark, New Jersey, USA
John Amos
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.
| Movie | Cast | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Die Hard 2 | Major Grant | 1990 |
| The Truth About Santa Claus | Bob | 2020 |
| Vanishing Point | Super Soul's Engineer | 1971 |
| Ricochet | Reverend Styles | 1991 |
| The World's Greatest Athlete | Coach Sam Archer | 1973 |
| Coming to America | Cleo McDowell | 1988 |
| Lock Up | Captain Meissner | 1989 |
| Let's Do It Again | Kansas City Mack | 1975 |
| Two Evil Eyes | Det. Legrand | 1990 |
| The Beastmaster | Seth | 1982 |
| Dr. Dolittle 3 | Jud | 2006 |
| Shadowboxing | Хилл | 2005 |
| Countdown | Admiral Melory | 2004 |
| Madea's Witness Protection | Pastor Nelson | 2012 |
| Against Time | Coach | 2007 |
| Zombie Hamlet | Edgar Mortimer | 2012 |
| For Better or Worse | Gray | 1995 |
| The President's Plane Is Missing | Marine Corporal | 1973 |
| Devotion | Roger | 1970 |
| Dance of the Dwarfs | Esteban | 1983 |
| Block Party | Dennis | 2022 |
| American Lowrider | Slick | 2013 |
| Touched by Love | Tony | 1980 |
| Cops and Robin | Officer Bill Bundy | 1978 |
| Me Time | Gil | 2022 |
| Uncut Gems | Neighbor 33F | 2019 |
| Bad Asses on the Bayou | Earl | 2015 |
| Night Trap | Capt. Hodges | 1993 |
| The Watermelon Heist | Old Man Amos | 2003 |
| Shark's Paradise | Taxi Driver | 1986 |
| Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story | Bumpy Johnson | 1980 |
| Countdown | Admiral | 1970 |
| The Last Rifleman | Lincoln Jefferson Adams | 2023 |
| Ascension Day | Henry | 2007 |
| Christmas in Miami | 2021 | |
| Bonanza: The Next Generation | Mr. Mack | 1988 |
| Future Cop | Officer Bill Bundy | 1976 |
| Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song | Biker | 1971 |
| Something to Sing About | Rev. Washington | 2000 |
| Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You | Self | 2016 |
| Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration | Self / Gordy Howard (archive footage) | 2015 |
| Hologram Man | Wes Strickland | 1995 |
| The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda | Booker Hutch | 1997 |
| Act of Faith | Mr. Brady | 2014 |
| Voodoo Moon | Dutch | 2006 |
| Mercy for Angels | God | 2015 |
| TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | (archive footage) | 2004 |
| American Flyers | Dr. Conrad | 1985 |
| Disappearing Acts | Mr. Swift | 2000 |
| Mac | Nat | 1992 |
| My Baby's Daddy | Uncle Virgil | 2004 |
| Willa | Virgil | 1979 |
| Coming 2 America | Cleo McDowell | 2021 |
| Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times" | Fred Davis | 2019 |
| The Players Club | Freeman | 1998 |
| Christmas Belles | Pop Pop | 2019 |
| Tamales and Gumbo | The Patron | 2015 |
| The Beastmaster Chronicles | Self | 2020 |
| Because of Charley | Grandpa | 2021 | Series | Cast | Year |
| In the House | 1995 | |
| Murder, She Wrote | Doc Penrose | 1984 |
| Hardcastle and McCormick | 1983 | |
| Good Times | James Evans Sr. | 1974 |
| Martin | 1992 | |
| The District | Mayor Ethan Baker | 2000 |
| Psych | Uncle Burton | 2006 |
| The A-Team | Rev. Taylor | 1983 |
| Touched by an Angel | Sheriff James Mackey | 1994 |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Fred Wilkes | 1990 |
| Men in Trees | Buzz | 2006 |
| The Cosby Show | Dr. Herbert | 1984 |
| Two and a Half Men | Ed | 2003 |
| Walker, Texas Ranger | Pastor Roscoe Jones | 1993 |
| Sanford and Son | 1972 | |
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Gordy Howard | 1970 |
| 30 Rock | John Amos | 2006 |
| 704 Hauser | Ernie Cumberbatch | 1994 |
| All About the Andersons | Joe Anderson | 2003 |
| Police Story | 1973 | |
| Here's Boomer | 1980 | |
| Roots | Toby | 1977 |
| Future Cop | Bill Bundy | 1977 |
| Roots | Older Kunta Kinte | 1977 |
| Hunter | Capt. Dolan | 1984 |
| The Chris Rock Show | 1997 | |
| The Outer Limits | Peter 'Yas' Yastrzemski | 1995 |
| The Funny Side | Minority Husband | 1971 |
| The West Wing | Percy Fitzwallace | 1999 |
| The Ranch | Ed | 2016 |
| The Movies That Made Us | Self | 2019 |
| My Name Is Earl | Joe | 2005 |
| King of the Hill | Glen Johnson (voice) | 1997 |
| Ballers | Deacon Eller | 2015 |
| The Last O.G. | Uncle D | 2018 |
| Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story | Bumpy Johnson | 1980 |
| Dinah! | Self | 1974 |
| NYC 22 | Pappy Science | 2012 |
| Suits LA | John Amos | 2025 |
| Love, American Style | Bell Captain | 1969 |
