}); He shared a picture of her holding her horse named Oneday, known for his endurance. He has also been nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards and the NAACP Image Award. 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. Rolle and John desired to give the Black-American family they represented a positive image with their casting. ga('ads.send', { Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. He wrote and has frequently directed the show, which continues to play into the 2007-2008 season.In recent years, John has enjoyed recurring parts on "The West Wing" and "The District", and is more recently appearing in the offbeat series Men in Trees (2006) starring Anne Heche. ga('ads.send', { Still, they continued and had Shannon a year before being recognized as a legal couple following the famous Supreme Court "Loving vs. } ); "It was a matter of me maturing, and [understanding the impact of] the post-traumatic stress syndrome I'd suffered as a result of playing football and boxing," Amos told Vulture in 2015. The West Wing. He said Lear explained that the rest of the cast and the production company described him in those terms. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), A tough, often hot-headed guy with a somewhat tender side, John would succeed far better on stage than on film and TVwith one extremely noteworthy exceptions.Born on December 27, 1939, John was first employed as an advertising copywriter, a social worker at New York's Vera Institute of Justice, and an American and Canadian semi-professional football player before receiving his calling as an actor. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Past Commencement Speakers & Honorary Degree Recipients. He rose to fame with his role as James Evans Sr. in Good Times. pg.acq.push(function() { 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. 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. }); MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. on tour.The following year he returned to New York to take his first Broadway bow in "Tough To Get Help". },false) As such, he formed his own theater company and produced "Norman, Is That You?" And when he arrived at The Mary Tyler Moore Show, he says the cast and crew welcomed him with open arms. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), If youre blessed to still have your Dad, we challenge you to create a precious moment. | Photo: Getty Images. He also guest starred on an episode of Psych as West Wing co-star Dul Hill's uncle. 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. John, who is an Emmy-nominated actor who played Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on the first five seasons of The West Wing. Amos has been married two times. Getting fired from Good Times is one of the best things that could have ever happened to John Amos.. After three seasons of fighting with executive producer Norman Lear and the CBS sitcom's . On June 12, 1967, the court issued a unanimous decision in the Lovings favor and overturned their convictions. Because what the writers on the Norman Lear shows realize is that human nature hasnt changed, Braugher added. In addition, John directed two well-received productions, "Miss Reardon Drinks a Little" and "Twelve Angry Men", in the Bahamas. 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. 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. As we pulled into a gas station in Arizona, a white man came out of the service station w/ a loaded shot gun. John Amos Played James Evans, Sr. on "Good Times." For many, Good Timeswas the first and only glimpse into the dynamic of the African-American household. Get inside the legendary actor's life and know details about the major events surrounding him. 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. And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.. 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. We are one of the worlds fastest growing For more celebrity updates sent right to your inbox,sign up for our daily newsletter. sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices. Amos was born on December 27, 1939, to Annabelle P. and John A. Amos, Sr. in Newark, New Jersey. 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? is a director, writer, and producer, the same occupations his sister holds. "Let's face it, our planet, or at least the United States, is being confronted with divisiveness, the likes of which we haven't seen since the '40s and another generation coming along, not knowing the history of our country, and not knowing what's being lost with this divisiveness, is unacceptable," he said. Mary was quite a skilled comedienne, but her forte was really underplaying. One of the pictures Shannon shared showed John posing with her daughter and his granddaughter, Quiera Williams. 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. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. These were teenagers who werent a threat to society: they just caught a bad break at a bad time, he recalls. On June 16, 2020, Shannon shared her parents' wedding picture and described how they fell in love while attending Colorado State University. gads_event = event; I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint, he says. I knew what it was to be a bottom-of-the-rung laborer; a garbage man on an open-backed truck, Amos says. 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!' 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. 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 . He believed the scripts were not authentic enough to portray the Black-American experience and felt he knew better about such families than the show's white writers. John Amos a.k.a. Their marriage violated Virginias Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which criminalized marriage between people classified as white and people classified as colored.'". Amos had also served in the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. When Amos told Lear it was his call, he proceeded to inform John that the show had been picked up for a new season, which wasnt really a surprise considering its success. In a surprise nod to the original series which ran between 1974 and 1979 original cast member John Amos made an appearance on the live broadcast. On Father's Day, she shared several pictures of him and wished him a Happy Father's Day. ga('ads.send', { }); In an interview with the American Archive of Television, Amos explained that he always saw the series like an opportunity to present a good example for African American families, especially for the kids. In a Zoom interview, Amos watched some of the most iconic scenes from across his career and reflected on the life experiences that impacted those rolesand the impact those roles in turn had on his life. Think of the word "princess" as more of a nickname and less of an adjective. Shannon spoke about it on her Instagram page while sharing a throwback photo of the couple. Come over to the studio, do a walk-through with Adam, real casual-like, Amos recalls. }); A 44-year-old script of "Good Times" provided surprising prescience Wednesday. I said, sure, why not?. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { ", The post continued, On Feb 21st, 1965, just 2 months after their marriage, Malcom Ex would be assassinated. Look no further, because we have you sorted right here with what the faces of the Evans family are up to now. }); Eventually, he played on the Colorado State Rams football team. In an article, K.C. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { Many wondered why the shows producers would make such a decision and, over the years, rumors surfaced that they and Amos could not reach an agreement in their contractual negotiations. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), John Amos has two children by his former wife Noel Amos and two children. 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 has found it a constant uphill battle to further himself in an industry that tends to diminish an actor's talents with severe and/or demeaning stereotypes and easy pigeonholing. He portrayed James Evans, a hard-working middle-aged dad of three children. DuBois also co-wrote and sang 'The Jeffersons' theme song, before co-starring in movies like 'I'm Gonna Git You Sucka' (1988) and 'Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle' (2003.) After about the third one, I turned into a human fountain, he recalls. Full interview at http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/john-amos if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { lip-syncing to a song while having a nice time together. After reading an then becoming impressed with a poem which he had written about a mythical figure which crossed the door of all of the players who were cut; Stram would have him read the poem aloud to the rest of the players during one training camp practice session, to loud applause and a standing ovation. His filmography is expansive: The Mary Tyler Moore Show. 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. scientific studies and medical journals. The series would star Esther Rolle, Jimmie Walker. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ In addition to that, he is an Honorary Master Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Magazines, Digital Amos director, writer, producer, editor and daughter Shannon Amos a director, writer and producer. And our convictions were predicated on the experience, he remembers. John Amos at the 2nd Annual Giant Night of Comedy on September 26, 2016 in New York. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb. 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. His second marriage was to actress Lillian Lehman . Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. Overseas he received plaudits for his appearance in a heralded production of "The Life and Death of a Buffalo Soldier" at the Bristol's Old Vic in England. ga('ads.send', { I love the way that Aaron Sorkin had written this characters dialogue, as it reflected on the mans position and the military, he says. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Amos, who is also known for his work in Die Hard 2 and The West Wing, is set to reprise his role alongside Eddie Murphy in next years long-awaited comedy sequel to 1988s Coming to America. Amos is not just a great father but also an adoring lover and a husband. (Detroit rapper Royce da 59 even confessed to being raised by Gregory [his brother] and James Evans on I Play Forever). In 1979, Rolle also won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Special for 'Summer of My German Soldier'. 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}} 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. Do yourself a favor and skip these at your next parent-teacher conference. However, it was not because of a third party, and they did not have any children together. 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. ga('ads.send', { By this time he had secured secondary work on the classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) as Gordy the weatherman. 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. John Amos (born December 27, 1939) played the part of James Evans Sr. in the first three seasons of Good Times. 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. 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. In his 2017 Sway in the Morning interview, he described his motivation for writing the empathy-themed book: Nevertheless, both men established a great working relationship. READ THIS NEXT:See '70s Teen Idol Robby Benson Now at 66. Jean E. Himes. 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. But while the show would air for an additional three years without Amos, his career would hardly stop there. By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our. John Amos may be his real name, but even though its been more than 30 years since the last new episode of Good Times aired, he's still James Evans to most of us. Therapists say it can damage your connection. 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. John also appeared in two other Bud Yorkin/Norman Lear TV projects: As Ernie Cumberbatch in the short-lived CBS-TV All In The Family spin-off series 704 Hauser and he also played the part of TV weatherman Gordy Howard from 1970 until 1973 on the CBS-TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Amos holds a unique position in that he has won more TV Land Awards than anybody else, winning them for his roles in Good Times, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the miniseries Roots. So, when the writers started to rely too much on the non-sensical humor of J.J, Amos was outspoken about his disappointment. Everything changed that 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. 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. His clashes with the writers often marred John's time on the show. His versatility extends to the theatre as well, which he declares as his first love. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); In a Vlad TV interview, John gave more insight into his firing from the cast and his relationship with Lear afterward. 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! window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { pg.acq.push(function() { 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. 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}} if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ eventAction: 'click_ads' Too Old Blues (Season 1, Episode 1 Feb 8, 1974) This episode was filmed after the pilot but aired as the series premiere. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Amos father was a military man, which made him proud to take on such roles. If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing All I knew was their love. John's kids are also fond of their mother. 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]. },false) John Amos carries eight decades of American history in his sturdy 6-foot frame. Find out more about the iconic actor and happenings in his life since then. He makes the transition seamlessly, and he is an award-winning actor as well. 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. John was 34 when "Good Times" began production in 1973. John Amos Net Worth 2023: Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Kids, Bio-Wiki, Lillian Lehman(m. 19781979),Noel J. Mickelson(m. 19651975). When asked whether Amos knew why he was asked to make a cameo in the film, he responded: Didnt have a clue. Read on to find out what he did next, and where the legendary actor is now at age 82. } I grew up watching John do this role, so for the three years that I think he played this role, he was really a role model, he told Entertainment Tonight. So it was a win-win all the way around., Perhaps Amos best known role is Coming to Americas Cleo McDowell. 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." } You can catch him on social media with his son. Hence, he was not going to portray something less than redeeming. John has been married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage to Noel Mickelson in 1965 ended ten years later. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 2 years later, on April 4th 1968, Martin Luther King would be gunned down. The Real Reason John Amos Was Fired From Good Times. The two were seen shaking a leg at the Spread The Cheeer USA gala in Denver in 2021. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 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. 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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. Amos affable and talented weatherman Gordy was often the straight man in his scenes, genially absorbing a maelstrom of antics. If there is to be a Coming to America 3, and I hope there will be, they can wheel me to Zamunda in a wheelchair, and maybe Ill be selling zebra burgers or hippo lips, he says, laughing.