John Amos: A Television Icon's Journey Made Him TV’s Most Watched Father

Govind tekale Govind tekale

John Amos, the American actor passed away on August 21, 2024 in Los Angeles due to natural causes, as confirmed by Belinda Foster, his publicist. He was well-known for his roles in "Good Times," "Roots," and "Coming to America."

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Amos's first role was that of the weatherman Gordy Howard on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" which he landed in 1970, this oppurtunity paved the way for his iconic role as James Evans Sr. on "Good Times," which aired for six year, from 1974 to 1979.

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Amos' role, following "Good Times," as the adult Kunta Kinte in the 1977 series "Roots" earned him an Emmy nomination, the show had over 130 million viewers tuning in.

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According to the Hollywood Diversity Report 2020 published by the UCLA College of Social Sciences, the number of Black actors in lead roles on broadcast scripted shows went from 11.4% in 2011-12 to 18.2% in 2018-19.

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