John Amos

The Firing That Defined a Stance

John Amos was cut from more football teams than most players ever get to know in their entire lives. In 1967 the Kansas City Chiefs showed him the door, and that sporting failure ended up being the prelude to one of the most rock-solid presences on American television. He had no Plan B, but he had a square jaw that jumped off the screen.

His arrival on Good Times in 1974 made him the face of the hardworking father in a stifling Chicago. Audiences loved him because James Evans Sr. was no joke. But Amos began clashing with the writers, feeling that his fictional son's character was turning into a buffoonish caricature that ridiculed the Black community.

Tension on set escalated until, in 1976, the producers decided it was easier to kill him in a car accident than to put up with his demands for quality. It was the first major public clash between an actor with a conscience and an industry that only wanted cheap applause.

And that slammed door didn't end with him.

Just one year after his forced departure, he appeared in the miniseries Roots, playing the adult Kunta Kinte. That 1977 production stopped the United States in its tracks and earned him an Emmy nomination. Amos showed that leaving comedy was not career suicide but a statement of intent about the kind of stories he wanted to tell.

From Rural Drama to a Queens Burger Joint

Amos's physique allowed him to move from historical drama to physical comedy without losing an ounce of authority. In 1988 he played Cleo McDowell in Coming to America (Coming to America in Spain). His role as the owner of a brazen knockoff of McDonald's is a lesson in how to steal scenes from stars like Eddie Murphy using nothing but a suspicious glare and an invented employee handbook.

During the 80 and 90 years, he specialized in authority figures who always seemed to know something the protagonist didn't. In 1990 he faced Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2, playing Major Grant. His betrayal on the airstrip remains one of the driest twists in the action cinema of that decade.

His work pace never dropped below three or four productions a year across television and film. Yet he always kept a careful distance from the glitz of Hollywood, preferring projects with a rawer social or technical foundation.

He wasn't after fame, but the respect of his peers.

In 1999 he joined the cast of The West Wing (El ala oeste de la Casa Blanca) to bring Admiral Percy Fitzwallace to life. Over 22 episodes he brought a much-needed sobriety to the halls of the White House in Aaron Sorkin. His deep voice and his ability to deliver cutting lines without blinking made him the audience's favorite military adviser until 2004.

Closing a Chapter in Los Angeles

Despite his age, Amos never considered retirement a real option. In 2021 he returned to his role as Cleo McDowell for the sequel Coming 2 America, proving his comedic talent was still intact three decades later. The shoot was driven by an energy that surprised the younger members of the crew.

His final stage of his career was marked by a painful, very public family dispute that made headlines in 2023. Despite his health problems and the accusations exchanged between his children, the actor remained firm in defending his personal autonomy. In 2024 he filmed his last scenes for the series Suits: L.A., where he played a version of himself.

John Amos died on August 21, 2024 in Los Angeles of natural causes at the age of 84. His death was not made public until October of that same year, at the express wish of his son. At the end of his life, his net worth was estimated at 3 million dollars after taking part in more than 100 different productions.