BARELY three weeks after the legendary actor in the movie Coming To America’, James Earl Jones, who acted in the role of King Jaffe Joffer, Ruler Of Zamunda, passed, another cast in the iconic movie, John Amos, has equally died.
John Amos, whose long career included a range of iconic roles in such works as “Roots,” “Good Times” and “The West Wing,” died in August, his family said Tuesday. He was 84 when he died from natural causes in Los Angeles on 21 August according to a statement from the actor’s publicist.
“With a career spanning over five decades, Amos leaves behind a legacy of groundbreaking work on both television and film and a dedication to positive African American representation in media,” the statement read.
“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” Kelly Christopher Amos said.
“He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold … and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.”
Before he got on the screen, Amos played football at Colorado State University and was a short-time Kansas City Chief.
After Amos left the gridiron, his ‘big acting break came in 1970, when he was cast as Gordy the weatherman on the beloved “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
But the role that cemented him as one of TV’s great sitcom dads came in 1974, when he landed the role of stoic father, James Evans, on “Good Times.”
He starred in 61 episodes of the Norman Lear comedy about a hard-working family trying to keep their heads above water in a Chicago housing project.
Amos went on to play the adult Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking 1977 TV miniseries “Roots,” starring alongside several of that generation’s greatest Black actors, including Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett Jr. and Leslie Uggams.
Movie buffs might know him best as fast-food magnate Cleo McDowell from 1988’s hit Eddie Murphy comedy, “Coming to America,” or as Bruce Willis’ foil in 1990’s “Die Hard 2”
His television career was revitalized in 1999 when he was cast on the acclaimed White House drama “The West Wing,” where he appeared for five seasons as Adm Percy “Fitz” Fitzwallace.
“My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life …. most recently in Suits LA playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, America’s Dad,” his son said.
It will be recalled that James Earl Jones, who also voiced Star Wars villain Darth Vader, starred in Field of Dreams and numerous other films and Broadway shows, died Monday morning (9 September) at his home in Dutchess County, New York. No cause of death was given.
Known for his deep, booming voice, Jones was born on 17 January 1931, in Mississippi. He had a career spanning over seven decades, during which he became one of the most iconic figures in the entertainment industry. He’s widely recognized for his distinctive voice work, most notably as not just the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise but also Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King.
Eighteen-Eleven Media