Actor starred as serious-minded James Evans Sr. on Norman Lear’s provocative 1970s series set in Chicago public housing.
John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84.
Amos’ publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday. No other details were immediately available.
He played James Evans Sr. on “Good Times,” which featured one of television’s first Black two-parent families. Produced by Norman Lear and created by actor Mike Evans, who played Lionel Jefferson on “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” and Chicago-born screenwriter Eric Monte, it ran from 1974-79 on CBS.
“That show was the closest depiction in reality to life as an African American family living in those circumstances as it could be,” Amos told Time magazine in 2021.
His character, along with wife Florida, played by Esther Rolle, originated on another Lear show, “Maude.” James Evans often worked two manual labor jobs to support his family that included three children, with Jimmie Walker becoming a breakout star as oldest son J.J.
Such was the show’s impact that Alicia Keys, Rick Ross and the Wu-Tang Clan are among the musicians who name-checked Amos or his character in their lyrics.
Amos and Rolle (who died in 1998) were eager to portray a positive image of a Black family, struggling against the odds in a public housing project in Chicago. But they grew frustrated at seeing Walker’s character being made foolish and his role expanded.
