how old is john amos from good times

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc. Amos was born on December 27, 1939, to Annabelle P. and John A. Amos, Sr. in Newark, New Jersey. The West Wing. Past Commencement Speakers & Honorary Degree Recipients. | Photo: Getty Images. The experience made him excited to be involved in the franchise in any capacity going forward. 2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. However, it was a tumultuous time in the world around them. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ ga('ads.send', { 'James Evans' from Good Times. hitType: 'event', My Dad met & fell in love w/ my Mom while attending college at Colorado State University. I knew what it was to be a bottom-of-the-rung laborer; a garbage man on an open-backed truck, Amos says. Shannon is also fond of her father. eventAction: 'load' A Complete List of Christmas Movies Coming to Hallmark, Lifetime & More in 2019, The Black Shows That Revolutionized TV, from 'Julia' and 'The Jeffersons' to 'Empire', Janet Jackson Was 'Like a Little Sister' to 'Good Times' Costar BernNadette Stanis: 'Sweet as Pie'. This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. But Amos also remembers growing frustrated by the incongruity of the shows white writers like Lear penning Black storylines he felt were inauthentic. ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience got off to a rousing start thanks to Good Times. As Salon reports, shows like "All In The Family" offered a gritty and unflinching look at issues such as racism . eventAction: 'click_image_ads' These were teenagers who werent a threat to society: they just caught a bad break at a bad time, he recalls. One of them read, This video needs a tear jerker warning. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { However, at the time John and his ex-wife started dating, interracial marriage was illegal. John also toiled through a number of action-themed films that focused more on grit and testosterone than talent.He found one answer to this acting dilemma on the proscenium stage. Rolle and John desired to give the Black-American family they represented a positive image with their casting. Amos director, writer, producer, editor and daughter Shannon Amos a director, writer and producer. 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. 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. Although Amos fierce opinions got him fired, fans of the show complained about missing James Evans presence on the show, and for many people, Good Times lost part of its essence when Amos left. A lot has happened to "Good Times" actor John Amos since he departed from the show. Icons from 50 Years of 'The Young and the Restless' Celebrate Show's Golden Anniversary See the Cast Photo. It was very, very sobering., Amos says the job gave him a greater appreciation for the whole judicial system and the inequities in it. Every time I played a correction officer or a law enforcement officer, whether it be military or civilian, I had those experiences to draw on. The sitcom star was unceremoniously fired after pushing back on the direction of the show. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); },false) 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. 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. Jean Elizabeth Himes, 96, of Newport passed away Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=e7986e3b-8b16-40c6-a0f0-b8bdee3adc57&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=4989053684412828883'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); But. } With each woman, he had two children. As a student, he had been part of the inaugural desegregating classes of two schools in New Jersey. She also posted a heartwarming tribute to her. Amos is a veteran of the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard and Honorary Master Chief of the United States Coast Guard.[2][3]. One can describe him as a walking Hollywood encyclopedia. Amos has been married two times. Amos was the face of the patriarch James Sr a veteran of the Korean war who despite his commitment to provide for his family, only ends up finding odd jobs because of his lack of education. But if theres a buck to be made selling the McDowells product, then rest assured, I will be there in the form of Cleo McDowell. John described his surprise appearance as a beautiful and tearful moment because all the old wounds had been healed. My parents took me on cross country road trip. John Amos and Esther Rolle, 1974. In 2017, Amos released his first children's book, A World Without Color, a children's tale of a young boy living in the gray, mundane town of Bleakersville before it comes to be inhabited by characters who bring color to it. After about the third one, I turned into a human fountain, he recalls. In 1985, the play "Split Second" earned him the NAACP Award as Best Actor. }); I left because I was told that my services were no longer needed because I had become a disruptive element,'" the actor says. on tour.The following year he returned to New York to take his first Broadway bow in "Tough To Get Help". 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. John Amos at the 2nd Annual Giant Night of Comedy on September 26, 2016 in New York. He was nominated for a Emmy in 1977 for his role on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning ABC-TV miniseries Roots. He is also popular for his appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Good Times Season 3 Episode 24 The Rent PartyMarch 2, 1976The Evans organize a fund-raising party for the project's favorite senior citizen, who has fallen b. A 44-year-old script of "Good Times" provided surprising prescience Wednesday. We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including You can catch him on social media with his son. John Amos Reveals Why He Was Fired From Good Times - Ambrosia For Heads On May 25, John also shared a TikTok video K.C. 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. shot that showed him relaxing at the beach during one of his trips to Jamaica. On June 12, 1967, the court issued a unanimous decision in the Lovings favor and overturned their convictions. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); On a historic night in which Donald Trump became just the third U.S. president ever to be impeached, a 1975 . 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His on-screen wife on the show was Esther Rolle. 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. Although the actor is pushing 80, he has managed to embody the famous phrase, "Black don't Crack." In the photos which he shared, the star poses . eventAction: 'render' lip-syncing to a song while having a nice time together. We are one of the worlds fastest growing John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on 'Good Times.' See Him Now at 82. - MSN The State of Virginia" ruling. Even if you dont know his name, youve surely seen him onscreen, whether youre a baby boomer or a member of Gen Z. And when he arrived at The Mary Tyler Moore Show, he says the cast and crew welcomed him with open arms. It went on to win for Outstanding Variety Special, which made Lear the oldest Emmy winner ever. What really could have been passed off as pedestrian comedy became an actors lesson in how you get people togetherCloris Leachman, Mary and so many wonderful, wonderful actors with good materialto become a life form, almost., Even though Amos was sharing space with comedic legends, finding steady work wasnt always easy. They would be forced to introduce me to the existence of racism and my innocent view of the world was forever changed, she concluded. On-screen, he was married to Florida Evansplayed by Esther Rolleand they had three grown children: J.J.; Thelma; and Michael. His second marriage was to actress Lillian Lehman . 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 through its run. The original cast of 'Good Times' featuring (L-R) Ralph Carter, Bern Nadette Stanis, Ja'Net DuBois, John Amos (front), Esther Rolle and Jimmie Walker. Much to the chagrin of the shows supporters, James Evanswas killed during the height ofGood Times popularity. Eventually, he played on the Colorado State Rams football team. Randy Chrisley Is Todd Chrisley's Brother Who Was Diagnosed with Cancer in 2014, Johnny Depp's Weight Gain & Changes in Appearance over the Years, 'Whos the Boss? eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The bad news, Lear told Amos, you wont be with us.. }); He is also a Golden Gloves Boxing Champion. Get inside the legendary actor's life and know details about the major events surrounding him. And our convictions were predicated on the experience, he remembers. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Consequently, when you talk about real things, people are very interested in them., 9 Classic TV Shows That Could Come Back (and How We Imagine Them Happening), Tis the Season! By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our. And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Queira shares a striking resemblance with her mom. eventAction: 'click_adunit' So it was a win-win all the way around., Perhaps Amos best known role is Coming to Americas Cleo McDowell. }); It was the culmination of all of the misconceptions and stereotypical roles that I had lived and seen being offered to me. 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. By this time he had secured secondary work on the classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) as Gordy the weatherman. Her television work included 'Moesha', 'The Steve Harvey Show', 'A Different World', and 'The Wayans Bros'. The show had six seasons on CBS from February 8 . The show had six seasons on CBS from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. When I went back to work, I couldnt finish the day because I kept belching every 30 seconds.. Amos may not have started a revolution on Good Times, but he was about to be part of a different one: Roots. Calling my daddy now! another read, while yet another person commented, So moved by this, dear Shannon. Amos is not just a great father but also an adoring lover and a husband. He also appeared in a commercial for McDonalds. ", The post continued, On Feb 21st, 1965, just 2 months after their marriage, Malcom Ex would be assassinated. Amos. However, that desire was often slighted by lower comedy, for which John expressed his dissatisfaction. He married his first wife Noel Jean Mickelson despite a ban on interracial marriages. In the post's caption, he thanked Shannon for sending him the photo. ga('ads.send', { Amos had harbored football dreams out of college as a path to economic freedom and signed a contract with the Denver Broncos before getting injured; he drifted around various minor and professional football leagues before flaming out. He possessed a degree in sociology and became a qualified social worker. Everything changed that day. Their perception or their idea of what a Black family would be and what a Black father would be was totally different from mine, and mine was steeped in reality., Stating creative differences withthe shows writers and producers, Amos said of his 1976 departure: I left because I was told that my services were no longer needed because I had become a disruptive element. In other words, I didnt have the diplomacy that I think Ive cultivated over the last 10 or 15 years. John Amos during the 2014 Doe Fund Benefit & Gala Celebration at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on October 30, 2014. He has two children from that marriage. Mary was quite a skilled comedienne, but her forte was really underplaying. 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. Theirs was an interracial marriage that lasted from 1965 to 1975. And I saw them become old men in front of my eyes. I was born a year before my parents would be recognized as a legal couple in 16 states.Shannon explained, By 1968, Loving vs. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. He makes the transition seamlessly, and he is an award-winning actor as well. }); Each and every working experience that I had as a young man and then later in my life served me in good stead as an actor, because they all gave me hands-on experience.. He took on Shakespeare as Sir Toby Belch in "Twelfth Night" at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare and earned strong notices in the late August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences" at the Capital Repertory Company in Albany, New York. Dy-no-mite! John Amos on 'Good Times' - New York Daily News Capping his theatrical career was the 1990 inaugural of his one-man show "Halley's Comet", an amusing and humanistic American journey into the life of an 87-year-old who recalls, among other things, World War II, the golden age of radio, the early civil rights movement, and the sighting of the Comet when he was 11. 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!' They thought I was talking about a revolution here in the studioand I was, he says. Making his legit stage debut in a 1971 L.A. production of the comedy "Norman, Is That You? Throwback Thursday Interview: John Amos Reveals How Departure From 'Good Times' Went Down - Essence "I left because I was told that I had become a 'disruptive element,'" the actor told the. At the time of their divorce, neither of them commented on the reason for their split. Working with Eddie Murphy: I cant describe it to you. }); NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: December 27 is dedicated to John Amos, who turned 83 during the holiday season. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), We are one of the worlds fastest growing https://comedyhype.com/ - In 1974 Good Times would premiere showcasing black family life like never before. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), On February 8, 1974, CBS premieredGood Times the weekly sitcom that served as the first-ever TV show to highlight the full scope of a Black family. However, it was not because of a third party, and they did not have any children together. Well, if youre ready, lets start. On the bright side, he won the recurring role of the sporadically-unemployed husband of maid Florida Evans (played by Esther Rolle) on Norman Lear's Maude (1972) starring Bea Arthur. After decades of inoffensive family sitcoms, some producers, such as Norman Lear, began pushing the envelope. 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." . 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. Most of us Old Schoolers . Joel Cunningham is a writer and editor who lives in Brooklyn. }); In 1979, Rolle also won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Special for 'Summer of My German Soldier'. John, who is an Emmy-nominated actor who played Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on the first five seasons of The West Wing. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Having kids wipe their finger along your cheek to see if the black came off, or saying about my nose, Geez, can you breathe through that thing or walk through it?, But Amos says the teachers at those schools encouraged his thespian instincts and pushed him to explore his creativity. He went to Long Beach City College and completed his graduation from Colorado State University. When asked whether Amos knew why he was asked to make a cameo in the film, he responded: Didnt have a clue. Magazines, Digital }); document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Nevertheless, both men established a great working relationship. Its anathema to Black society. hitType: 'event', He even had a recurring role in Two and a Half Men as well as Netflixs The Ranch. What do you want to hear first? Amos recalls Lear asking him. John Amos | Good Times Wiki | Fandom John began frequently clashing with the higher-ups and, by 1976, was released from the series, with his character being killed in an off-camera car accident while finding employment out of state.Amos rebounded quickly when he won the Emmy-nominated role of the adult Kunte Kinte in the ground-breaking epic mini-series Roots (1977), one of the most powerful and reverential TV features ever to hit television. As the family's close friend, the sassy and sometimes gossipy Willona was made evergreen by DuBois the American actress, singer-songwriter and dancer. hitType: 'event', MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online. If youre blessed to still have your Dad, we challenge you to create a precious moment. The two characters were spun-off into their own popular series as the parental leads in Good Times (1974).Good Times (1974), a family sitcom that took place in a Chicago ghetto high-rise, initially prided itself as being the first network series ever to be created by African-Americans. Good Times: John Amos' Biracial Daughter Shows Off Mom & Follows In Pop When asked if those feelings led to his being kicked out of the show, John said Lear categorized him as a "disruptive element" when he called him to inform him about his sacking. Think of the word "princess" as more of a nickname and less of an adjective. 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. On February 18, K.C. Hollywood star, John Amos, looked evergreen in new photos he shared with fans as he ages gracefully. One day, when I was 5 years old, that all changed. See John Amos From "Good Times" Now at 82 - Best Life 'Downton Abbey' Cast: Where Are They Now? 'Good Times' star John Amos turns 83 as he celebrates his long life | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Images. Offers may be subject to change without notice. } John Amos Talks 'Good Times,' 'Roots' and Career - TVLine Amos affable and talented weatherman Gordy was often the straight man in his scenes, genially absorbing a maelstrom of antics. He continued to work in both TV and film, returning to his former role as The Mary Tyler Moore Show's weatherman, Gordy, for the show's final season and later taking on more notable roles, including Seth in Beastmaster, Cleo McDowell in Coming to America, antagonist Major Grant in Die Hard 2, Percy Fitzwallace in The West Wing, and Ed in Two and a Half Men. Why John Amos Was Fired From 'Good Times' - Here's Why John Amos - Biography - IMDb shared a heartwarming video showing him as his dad as they mimed a song. All I knew was their love. hitType: 'event', hitType: 'event', Maybe you know about John Amos very well But do you know how old and tall is he, and what is his net worth in 2023? Viewers received a special treat on Wednesday night during a star-studded live restaging of a classic episode of Good Times. While Amos did bring out the reality of a struggling family man in the 70s, he went on to quit the show after three of its six-year run owing to creative disputes with Lear. Amos also played the role of Anthony Anderson in All About the Andersons in 2003. Amoss second marriage to Lillian Lehman was between 1978-79. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 's TikTok serves up a particularly generous helping of father-son bonding alongside Amos' responses to fan questions, including what it was like to work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and his advice to current and future generationsall appropriately hashtagged #kickinitwithpops. } According to a 1975 Ebony article, co-stars Amos and Esther Rolle (Florida) were vocally opposed to the negative characterization of Black youth they felt J.J. represented, as well as other scenarios and characterizations on the show. See Him Now at 82. It affected me in terms of not just retentive abilities, but the tendency to be prone to violence, as a result of football primarily, Amos says. The case involved Mildred Loving, a black woman, and her white husband, Richard loving, who in 1958 were sentenced to a year in prison for marrying each other. Jean E. Himes. In the caption, she wrote, Grateful for this precious moment with my Dad @officialjohnamos. }); He married his third wife, Elisabete De Sousa, in 1982 and lived with her in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey. Hence, they had to kill him off. His versatility extends to the theatre as well, which he declares as his first love. John Amos has two children by his former wife Noel Amos and two children. John Amos, Coming 2 America Star, Reflects on 50-Year Career - Time Inside John Amos' Life after Firing from 'Good Times' Including His He was kicked off the show after a conflict with producers. John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on "Good Times." See Him Now - Yahoo! March 5, 2021 11:00 AM EST. (Rolle, who had been adamant that the show feature a two-parent family, would play a widowed Florida for one season before also leaving. From 1974 to 1976, John Amos touched millions of lives as the iconic patriarch James Evans, Sr., on Good Timesuntil he was unceremoniously dumped from the cast midway through its run. ga('ads.send', { ga('ads.send', { If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing He has also been nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards and the NAACP Image Award. He portrayed James Evans, a hard-working middle-aged dad of three children. It was an actors heaven, Amos says. I felt that with two other younger children, one of whom aspired to become a Supreme Court justicethat would be Ralph Carter or Michaeland the other, Bernadette Stanis, she aspired to become a surgeon. pg.acq.push(function() { John's second marriage was to actress and producer Lillian Lehman, who is known for "Body of Evidence," "Defending Your Life," and "Spectres.". The no-nonsense and responsible Thelma, who was also a terrible cook, was played by BernNadette Stanis, who went on to author five books: 'Situations 101: Relationships', 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly'; 'For Men Only'; 'Situations 101: Finances'; and 'The Last Night'. Hence, he was not going to portray something less than redeeming. Good Times' John Amos Makes Surprise Appearance on Live Special }) | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Images, Amos also admitted that he wasnt the most diplomatic guy at the time, and the writers were getting tired of having their lives threatened over jokes.. Therapists say it can damage your connection. During the re-staging of the Good Times episode The Politicians which originally aired in November 1975 as part of the shows third season actors like Andre Braugher, Viola Davis, and Tiffany Haddish inhabited the legendary TV roles for one night. On May 5, he also shared a picture that showed him posing with the cast of "The Last O.G." 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. John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on "Good Times." let gads_event; He was from the inner city of Newark, NJ she was from the small mid-west town of Esterville, Iowa. pg.acq.push(function() { 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 . As Good Times grew in popularity, it increasingly focused on the the "dy-no-mite"-spouting elder son J.J., portrayed by comedian Jimmie Walker.

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