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. eventAction: 'click_ads' Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! } Following his stint with the CBS sitcom, he went on to star in the 1977 miniseries 'Roots' and earned one among his countless Emmy nominations to follow through the course of his career. }); hitType: 'event', }); Amos has been married two times. '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. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ She also expressed love towards him. I've played a lot of lovable dads in my time.". With the 'Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times' special heading our way, it only makes sense to wonder where the main cast of the original that we so loved and adored is these days. Hollywood star, John Amos, looked evergreen in new photos he shared with fans as he ages gracefully. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Images. I love the way that Aaron Sorkin had written this characters dialogue, as it reflected on the mans position and the military, he says. In a lengthy post, she wrote, IT WAS ILLEGAL IN 16 STATES FOR WHITES TO MARRY BLACKS WHEN MY PARENTS GOT MARRIED IN 1965. 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. Most of us Old Schoolers . if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Amos was born on December 27, 1939, to Annabelle P. and John A. Amos, Sr. in Newark, New Jersey. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); But while the show would air for an additional three years without Amos, his career would hardly stop there. In November of 2022, John uploaded a video on the internet showing him and K.C. 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. The series would star Esther Rolle, Jimmie Walker. eventAction: 'load' eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He once revealed what drove the series creator to kill his character without remorse. John, who is an Emmy-nominated actor who played Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on the first five seasons of The West Wing. On May 5, he also shared a picture that showed him posing with the cast of "The Last O.G." if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ The star was not brought back for the fourth season, and the character of James Evans, Sr. was sent off to a new job in Mississippi before being killed off in a car accident. John's second marriage was to actress and producer Lillian Lehman, who is known for "Body of Evidence," "Defending Your Life," and "Spectres.". ), In a 2017 interview with Sway in the Morning, Amos minced no words as he recounted leaving the series stating, "I left because I was told that my services were no longer needed because I had become a 'disruptive element.'". }); It was tooth and nail over what we felt was right. At the beginning of the third season, Amos delayed taping for a week as part of a contract dispute a source described to the magazine as being about "more than money," but also about his objections to the show reinforcing "how Black men have been treated in this country all along." He portrayed James Evans, a hard-working middle-aged dad of three children. He also starred in the motion pictures Coming to America, Lock Up and Die Hard 2. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The U.S. Supreme court struck down laws banning interracial marriage. John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on "Good Times." Too Old Blues (Season 1, Episode 1 Feb 8, 1974) This episode was filmed after the pilot but aired as the series premiere. The 1970s represented a period of drastic changes in the TV landscape. I was born a year before my parents would be recognized as a legal couple in 16 states.Shannon explained, By 1968, Loving vs. Think of the word "princess" as more of a nickname and less of an adjective. John Amos, who starred in the original 1970s sitcom, made a cameo in ABC's updated restaging of a classic Good Times episode By Benjamin VanHoose Published on December 19, 2019 09:20 AM 'In Living Color' Cast: Where Are They Now? Ill be the expert on that, if you dont mind, he recalls. John said Lear realized that he was right about some things but was not the most diplomatic guy to voice his grievances. },false) He explained he was not jealous of Jimmie Walker but felt it was a disservice to Thelma and Michael and young people's image to say they did not matter. By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our. Amos. But while the show would air for an additional three years without Amos, his career would hardly stop there. }); John was 34 when "Good Times" began production in 1973. Big John, I got some good news and some bad news. Didnt care. Amos appeared roughly a dozen times over the course of the show's first three seasons, and even though he left to take a regular gig on Good Times in 1974, his character was vital enough. As proof of his excellence as an actor, John was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2020, an honor he well and truly deserved. If youre blessed to still have your Dad, we challenge you to create a precious moment. He was from the inner city of Newark, NJ she was from the small mid-west town of Esterville, Iowa. READ THIS NEXT:See '70s Icon Pam Grier Now at 72. John Amos during the 2014 Doe Fund Benefit & Gala Celebration at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on October 30, 2014. However, it was not because of a third party, and they did not have any children together. He even had a recurring role in Two and a Half Men as well as Netflixs The Ranch. pg.acq.push(function() { Mary was quite a skilled comedienne, but her forte was really underplaying. }); }); The iconic actor has held many recent roles and reprised his role as Cleo McDowell in the "Coming to America" sequel, "Coming 2 America," released in March 2021. Here are excerpts from the conversation. At a fundraiser for a good cause in Denver, Colorado, in July 2021, John was captured on film by his son KC, who then posted it on Instagram. I wanted to right every wrong with every line.". And on top of being a walking Hollywood encyclopedia, the actor has also charted the course of an American century in many other ways, from being one of the first young Black students at mostly white schools following Brown v. Board of Education to playing with the Denver Broncos to being a social worker at the Brooklyn House of Detention. 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.". MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. lip-syncing to a song while having a nice time together. My role was to try to acquire pretrial freedom for indigent defendants. On May 11, John shared a throwback picture of himself and his mom, Annabelle Amos. In a Vlad TV interview, John gave more insight into his firing from the cast and his relationship with Lear afterward. What do you want to hear first? Amos recalls Lear asking him. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Amos father was a military man, which made him proud to take on such roles. Got us all blurry eyed. This song always brings me to tears! The episode finds the Evans family in political disagreement as they lean individually toward voting for Davis or his opponent, played by recent Emmy winner for When They See Us, Jharrel Jerome. Amos may not have started a revolution on Good Times, but he was about to be part of a different one: Roots. She also posted a heartwarming tribute to her. Being born on 27 December 1939, John Amos is 83 years old as of todays date 5th March 2023. He has been in the industry since the 1970s and plays incredibly relevant roles even in the present day. 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. He has also been nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards and the NAACP Image Award. In the caption, she wrote, Grateful for this precious moment with my Dad @officialjohnamos. In the post's caption, he urged fans to watch the show and said he enjoyed working with the cast. Amos. Much to the chagrin of the shows supporters, James Evanswas killed during the height ofGood Times popularity. on tour.The following year he returned to New York to take his first Broadway bow in "Tough To Get Help". In a strange scene in a movie full of them, Amos plays a version of himself who slams the door on Sandlers character Howard, who asks if his son can use Amos bathroom. }); In May of 2015, in histhree-and-a-half-hour interviewwith the Archive of American Television, Amos shed light on exactly why he leftGood Times. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! ga('ads.send', { He is one of the greatest actors in American history and surely deserves the best. He married his first wife Noel Jean Mickelson despite a ban on interracial marriages. Calling my daddy now! another read, while yet another person commented, So moved by this, dear Shannon. However, at the time John and his ex-wife started dating, interracial marriage was illegal. ga('ads.send', { 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. The 1977 show, which followed the story of the enslaved Kunta Kinte and his descendants, was an immediate cultural phenomenon, drawing an estimated 130 million viewers and prompting many frank discussions about the brutality of slavery and its continuing impact. But the film was no ordinary Sandler flick: it was Uncut Gems, the Safdie Brothers chaotic and abrasive thriller which has already taken on the status of cult classic in some circles. John's kids are also fond of their mother. Along with a few parts (the mini-movie Willa (1979) and the films The Beastmaster (1982) and Coming to America (1988)), he had to endure the mediocre (guest spots on The Love Boat (1977), "The A-Team", "Murder, She Wrote" "One Life to Live").
