how old is john amos from good times

John Amos Once Revealed Why His 'Good Times' Character Was - AmoMama window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by Norman Lear, the sitcom featuring the Evans family, started off as a casual and honest portrayal of the inner city African-American family life back in the mid-1970s. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} However, that desire was often slighted by lower comedy, for which John expressed his dissatisfaction. He was nominated for a Emmy in 1977 for his role on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning ABC-TV miniseries Roots. In the special, starring Viola Davis, Andre Braugher, Tiffany Haddish, and Jay Pharoah, had a surprise appearance from John Amos, the actor who originated the role of James Evans Sr. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Images. Amos first major role, starting in 1970, was on one of the most successful sitcoms in America: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which consistently drew high ratings and would rack up 29 Emmys over its seven-year run. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. hitType: 'event', eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital He is extremely versatile in the roles that he has played both on television as well as on the big screen. gads_event = event; John Amos Net Worth 2023: Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Kids, Bio-Wiki While the elder Amos makes appearances on both of his children's social media accounts, K.C. He is an illustrious actor who has been nominated for Primetime Emmy Award and the NAACP Image Award. The differences I had with the producers of the show, I felt that there was too much emphasis being put on J.J. and his chicken hat saying Dynomite! every third page, when just as much emphasis and mileage could have been gotten out of my other two children and the concomitant jokes and humor that could have come out of that., In aninterviewwithVladTV, Amos alsospoke in depth about the lack of diversity onGood Times writing team and how he believed the construction of those scripts lead to an inaccurate portrayal of African-Americans. Rolle played the matriarch of the Evans family, who alongside her husband James, was part of the working class duo raising three kids in a Chicago housing project back in the 70s. And I saw them become old men in front of my eyes. The U.S. Supreme court struck down laws banning interracial marriage. One of them read, This video needs a tear jerker warning. }); Weeks after Season 4 of Good Times began airing without him, Amos appeared as the older Kunta Kinte in the record-setting ABC miniseries, Roots. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. }); He has guest-starred in numerous shows, including the likes of Psych, The A-Team, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lie to Me, Murder, he Wrote, among others. ga('ads.send', { pg.acq.push(function() { Fired from Good times is one of the best things that could ever happen to John Amos.. After three seasons of struggling with executive producer Norman Lear and the white writers of the CBS sitcom about stereotypical Black Man portraits and dialogue the show has dragged on, especially when it comes to Starring Jimmie Walker, Amos' contract to play patriarch James Evans was not renewed at the . But Amos also remembers growing frustrated by the incongruity of the shows white writers like Lear penning Black storylines he felt were inauthentic. Amos had also served in the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), John Amos at the SiriusXM Studios on October 10, 2017 in New York City. interview with the American Archive of Television. When asked whether Amos knew why he was asked to make a cameo in the film, he responded: Didnt have a clue. In addition to that, he is an Honorary Master Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard. Eventually, he played on the Colorado State Rams football team. "Let's face it, our planet, or at least the United States, is being confronted with divisiveness, the likes of which we haven't seen since the '40s and another generation coming along, not knowing the history of our country, and not knowing what's being lost with this divisiveness, is unacceptable," he said. As such, he formed his own theater company and produced "Norman, Is That You?" But subsequent episodes were taken over by others and John was increasingly disgruntled by the lack of quality of the scripts and the direction Lear was taking the show. She was best known for her role in the 'Good Times' parent show 'Maude', where she starred for two seasons, before venturing off to the sitcom that earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1976. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { The show had six seasons on CBS from February 8 . hitType: 'event', We are one of the worlds fastest growing window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { John Amos was only 34-year-old when he earned the role as the middle-aged father of family, James Evans, on the first African American sitcom with two parents and a functioning family. 'Good Times' Live: John Amos Makes Surprise Appearance in New Role - TV They thought I was talking about a revolution here in the studioand I was, he says. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of On June 16, 2020, Shannon shared her parents' wedding picture and described how they fell in love while attending Colorado State University. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. He makes the transition seamlessly, and he is an award-winning actor as well. He possessed a degree in sociology and became a qualified social worker. The Man from Enterprise: The Biography of John Amos by Shubin, Seymour "Good Times" alum, John Amos had no hair out of place in the recent photos he shared on Instagram. Get inside the legendary actor's life and know details about the major events surrounding him. John Amos on Norman Lear, Good Times, Live in Front of a Studio Amos appeared in pilots for some of Lear's later shows, including 1994's 704 Hauser Street, again playing a hardworking patriarch who moves into the house previously inhabited by All in the Family's Archie Bunker. Joel Cunningham is a writer and editor who lives in Brooklyn. Mary was quite a skilled comedienne, but her forte was really underplaying. He began his career playing Gordy Howard, the weatherman in The Mary Tyler Moore Show(1970-73). } },false) Well, if youre ready, lets start. It meant so much to me on so many levels, Amos says. Now in his eighties, Amos continues to act, and recently reprised his role as fast food chain owner and father-in-law to Eddie Murphy's Prince Akeem in 2019's Coming 2 America. However, he noticed that the writers were losing focus on his other two kids on the show, Bernadette Stanis, who portrayed Thelma, and Ralph Carter, who played Michael. Too Old Blues (Season 1, Episode 1 Feb 8, 1974) This episode was filmed after the pilot but aired as the series premiere. It showed her lovingly dancing with her father toLuther Vandross' Dance with My Father. }); He said they did not talk for months but worked together again years later on three different pilots. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ K.C. Youre there. There was proof of both men's restored relationship when John made a surprise appearance on a "Good Times" live special during "Live in Front of a Studio Audience.". Two marriages and two children later, Amos has been a resident of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey. eventAction: 'click_ads' All I knew was their love. From 1974 to 1976, John Amos touched millions of lives as the iconic patriarch James Evans, Sr., on Good Times until he was unceremoniously dumped from the cast midway . (Rolle, who had been adamant that the show feature a two-parent family, would play a widowed Florida for one season before also leaving. He is an illustrious actor who has been nominated for Primetime Emmy Award and the NAACP Image Award. The 1970s represented a period of drastic changes in the TV landscape. Here are ten of his best episodes to look for on getTV: 1. Good Times Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Amos and daughter Shannon Amos. Jean Elizabeth Himes, 96, of Newport passed away Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. } The Roots actors son KC also shares a great bond with his father. When he said, beat that with a stick, it was like tossing a gauntlet: are you going to continue with this charade of inequities, or not?, In 2018, Amos got a call from his team about appearing in a new Adam Sandler movie. A native of New Jersey and son of a mechanic, African-American John Amos has relied on his imposing build, eruptive nature and strong, forceful looks to obtain acting jobs, and a serious desire for better roles to earn a satisfying place in the annals of film and TV. Overseas he received plaudits for his appearance in a heralded production of "The Life and Death of a Buffalo Soldier" at the Bristol's Old Vic in England. Rolle and John desired to give the Black-American family they represented a positive image with their casting. 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, Michael Schneider: Psychic detective gives '100%' verdict on whether Julia Wandelt is Madeleine McCann, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. "You just fail to show up to work one day. The experience made him excited to be involved in the franchise in any capacity going forward. A stand-up comic on the Greenwich Village circuit, the work eventually took him West and, ultimately, led to his hiring as a staff writer on Leslie Uggams' musical variety show in 1969. Their marriage violated Virginias Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which criminalized marriage between people classified as white and people classified as colored.'". } We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Instead of reprising his iconic role as patriarch James Evans, the 79-year-old actor played Alderman Fred Davis, a man running for local office. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Although Amos first said he was leaving the show to focus on his career in film, he later opened up about what really happened behind the scenes. John's second marriage was to actress and producer Lillian Lehman, who is known for "Body of Evidence," "Defending Your Life," and "Spectres.". document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ He has been in the industry since the 1970s and plays incredibly relevant roles even in the present day. Once focused on the importance of family values, it was shifting more and more toward the silly antics of Jimmie 'JJ' Walker, who was becoming a runaway hit on the show as the aimless, egotistical, jive-talking teenage son JJ. ': What Happened to the Stars of the Iconic Series through the Years, Meet John Amos' Kids with a 'Renaissance Woman' to Whom His Marriage Was Banned in 16 States, John Amos 2nd Wife Always Had a Response to Strange Women Telling Her How Much They Loved Her Husband, John Wayne Welcomed Son at 56 & Knew He Would Miss Him Growing Up He Did Not Let Him Go to School. He once revealed what drove the series creator to kill his character without remorse. His clashes with the writers often marred John's time on the show. John Amos Talks 'Good Times,' 'Roots' and Career - TVLine I knew what it was to be a bottom-of-the-rung laborer; a garbage man on an open-backed truck, Amos says. See Him Now at 82. Even if you don't know his name, you've surely seen him onscreen, whether you're . My early departure from the show, I felt that with two younger childrenone of whom aspired to become a Supreme Court Justicethat would be Ralph Carter (Michael Evans) and the other, Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma Evans) who aspired to become a surgeon, Amos stated. As per reports, Amos shares his children with three different women. }); Also featured in the Good Times live staging cast were SNL alum Jay Pharaoh, This Is Us Asante Blackk, and Corinne Foxx, daughter of Jamie Foxx, who starred in the first iteration of Live in Front of a Studio Audience back in May. However, it was a tumultuous time in the world around them. The actor, who is best known for his role as James Evans Sr in CBS' 'Good Times', is a father of six children, who love and respect him immensely. On Tuesday night, he was reunited with legendary television producer Norman Lear . Married four times and a mother of two daughters, Stanis' latest credits are from 2015, in the TV show 'Black Jesus' and the film '36 Hour Layover'. The Evans' oldest child, JJ, with his goofball ladies man persona and a flair for art was made iconic by Walker and then, of course, there is the catchphrase: 'Dy-no-mite!' John has been active in Hollywood for five decades and has credits in multiple films and television series. The Real Reason John Amos Was Fired From Good Times.