On-screen, he was married to Florida Evansplayed by Esther Rolleand they had three grown children: J.J.; Thelma; and Michael. } ); 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. 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. Free shipping for many products! The show had six seasons on CBS from February 8 . 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.As per reports, Amos shares his children with three different women. xhr.send(payload); document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ It meant so much to me on so many levels, Amos says. He shared a picture of her holding her horse named Oneday, known for his endurance. | 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.. } In November of 2022, John uploaded a video on the internet showing him and K.C. 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. I still receive offers to do guest shotsI'd like to play a bad guy. John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on "Good Times." One of them read, This video needs a tear jerker warning. Amos has one grand child,a grand-daughter, Quiera Williams. Other series which John has either appeared in supporting or guest roles include CBS's The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The District, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, and Maude. }); window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { He also appeared in an episode of The Righteous Gemstones and the movie Block Party. '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. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { He married his third wife, Elisabete De Sousa, in 1982 and lived with her in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey. 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. The politically charged storyline was fitting for its Wednesday night airtime, as the broadcast was interrupted several times due to updates from the House of Representatives vote to impeach President Donald Trump happening simultaneously in Washington, D.C. For the All in the Family live show, actors Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ike Barinholtz, Ellie Kemper, Kevin Bacon and Jesse Eisenberg also took on retro roles. As a student, he had been part of the inaugural desegregating classes of two schools in New Jersey. In the post's caption, he thanked Shannon for sending him the photo. John Amos may be days away from celebrating his 80th birthday, but so many of his wishes have already come true. And the differences I had with the producers of the show I felt too much emphasis was being put on J.J. and his chicken hat and saying dy-no-mite every third page when just as much emphasis and mileage could have been gotten out of my other two children., John Amos on March 10, 2011. He has kept up a steady stream of appearances on movies and television alike, which constantly augments his income and keeps him fresh in the minds of his audiences. American actor John Amos was born on December 27, 1939. As part of ABCs second installment of Live in Front of a Studio Audience, produced by Jimmy Kimmel among others, a cast of current A-listers took on roles from the 1970s Norman Lear sitcom, as well as All In the Family. Because what the writers on the Norman Lear shows realize is that human nature hasnt changed, Braugher added. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' In November, the father-son duo entertained their fans singing to Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now as the caption read, Always #GoodTimes Kickin it w my son @k.c.amos over the holiday.. Although cast as a hard-working middle-aged father of three, Amos was 34 when the show began production in 1973, only eight years older than the actor who played his oldest son ( Jimmie Walker) and 19 years younger than his screen wife ( Esther Rolle ). However, it was a tumultuous time in the world around them. John Amos Reveals Why He Was Fired From Good Times - Ambrosia For Heads 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. 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. His first marriage, from 1965 to 1975, was to artist and equestrian Noel Mickelson, with whom he has two children: Shannon Amos, a writer/producer and founder of Afterglow Multimedia, LLC, and Grammy-nominated director K.C. He also appeared in a commercial for McDonalds. 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. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Why John Amos Was Fired From 'Good Times' - Here's Why is a director, writer, and producer, the same occupations his sister holds. John Amos is a footballer turned actor who is well known for his role as James Evans Sr. on the CBS television show Good Times. 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. 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. gads_event = event; ), 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.'". 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. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ John Amos Reveals How His Departure From 'Good Times' Went Down pg.acq.push(function() { He once revealed what drove the series creator to kill his character without remorse. lip-syncing to a song while having a nice time together. Rolle and John desired to give the Black-American family they represented a positive image with their casting. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ For more celebrity updates sent right to your inbox,sign up for our daily newsletter. Big John, I got some good news and some bad news. As per reports, Amos shares his children with three different women. Even if you don't know his name, you've surely seen him onscreen, whether you're . 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!' hitType: 'event', If you do not know, We have prepared this article about details of John Amoss short biography-wiki, career, professional life, personal life, todays net worth, age, height, weight, and more facts. Obituaries from the Perry County Times (3/4/23) - pennlive.com John Amos, better known for his role as James Evans in the 70s series Good Times, was written off the show on its fourth season. His versatility extends to the theatre as well, which he declares as his first love. 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, it was not because of a third party, and they did not have any children together. Amos had also served in the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard. }); eventAction: 'click_ads' 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. It was brought to the fore on November 30, 2020, when Shannon shared several images of herself and her daughter as she celebrated the latter's 29th birthday. John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on 'Good Times.' See Him Now at 82. - MSN hitType: 'event', While reflecting on his long and amazing career and the impact his roles had on his life, he said every working experience he had as a young man and later in his life served him in good stead as an actor because they all gave him hands-on experience. John was 34 when "Good Times" began production in 1973. 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. Instead, the writers focused more on the obvious and comedic Jimmie Walker, which John was not proud of. The catering was good. He was nominated for a Emmy in 1977 for his role on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning ABC-TV miniseries Roots. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. pg.acq.push(function() { GOOD TIMES - 10 Episodes of Norman Lear's 1970s Classic Featuring John eventAction: 'view' 'Good Times' Live: John Amos Makes Surprise Appearance in New Role - TV 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}} He portrayed James Evans, a hard-working middle-aged dad of three children. At the time of their divorce, neither of them commented on the reason for their split. He portrayed the character of Percy Fitzwallace in the critically acclaimed show The West Wing. John Amos carries eight decades of American history in his sturdy 6-foot frame. John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on "Good Times." See Him Now - Yahoo! The sitcom star was unceremoniously fired after pushing back on the direction of the show. 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'. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ He possessed a degree in sociology and became a qualified social worker. As a child I didnt know my parents were different colors. 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. Good Times: John Amos' Biracial Daughter Shows Off Mom & Follows In Pop 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 . Good Times. He is also popular for his appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. }); On-screen, he was married to Florida Evansplayed by Esther Rolleand they had three grown children: J.J.; Thelma; and Michael. However, at the time John and his ex-wife started dating, interracial marriage was illegal. Her television work included 'Moesha', 'The Steve Harvey Show', 'A Different World', and 'The Wayans Bros'. I left because I was told that my services were no longer needed because I had become a disruptive element,'" the actor says. Shannon spoke about it on her Instagram page while sharing a throwback photo of the couple. Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. That is a very sobering feeling., To pay the bills, he took on many gigs in commercials. 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. He married his first wife Noel Jean Mickelson despite a ban on interracial marriages.