John Amos, the talented television actor recognized for his performances in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, The West Wing, and Roots, has passed away at the age of 84.
His family shared that Amos died of natural causes in his Los Angeles home on August 21, but the announcement was only made public today.
“With deep sadness, I announce that my father has transitioned,” his son, Kelly Christopher Amos, said in a statement to Deadline. “He was a man with an incredibly kind heart and a golden spirit… loved by people everywhere. Many fans regarded him as their TV father.”
Born on December 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, Amos initially pursued a career in football, playing in the Continental Football League and the Atlantic Coast Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos in 1964 but was released before the season due to an injury.
His acting career, however, proved more successful. He gained recognition as weatherman Gordy Howard on the popular sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a role he held from 1970 to 1973.
Amos is best remembered for his portrayal of James Evans, the father in the classic sitcom Good Times. At just 34 years old when he was cast, he convincingly depicted a hardworking father of three living in a low-income housing project.
The show was lauded for its exploration of significant issues like poverty and racism. However, as the series progressed, Amos had disagreements with the writers and producers regarding the portrayal of Black families and the show’s shift toward broader comedic themes. After season 3, he was let go, and his character met his end in a car accident.
Shortly thereafter, Amos took on another defining role as the adult Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking miniseries Roots, for which he received an Emmy nomination.
He is also known for his role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in the political drama The West Wing. Additionally, he had recurring roles in Two and a Half Men and The Ranch.
Among his notable film credits are Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, Die Hard 2, Coming to America, and its sequel.
“He led a fulfilling life, and his legacy will endure through his remarkable contributions to television and film,” his son expressed in the statement. “My father cherished his work as an actor throughout his life.”
“He was my father, my closest friend, and my hero. I appreciate your prayers and support during this difficult time.”
Rоdео stаr’s 3-yеаr-оld sоn diеs twо wееks аftеr trаgiс rivеr ассidеnt
Levi Wright, the young son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, has died.
The three-year-old died after suffering a trаumаtic brain injury from a near-drowning incident on May 21.
Levi was hospitalized at a Salt Lake City hospital after accidentally driving a toy tractor into a river near the family’s home on May 21. Local law enforcement found Levi unconscious about a mile downstream.
Although he was initially declared brain dеаd and not expected to survive, the boy began showing signs of improvement.
“LEVI WOKE UP! I am shook, we don’t know much but the doctor said it was okay for me to get excited about that and I AM! My baby is so tough!” his mother Kallie Wright wrote on Facebook.
Unfortunately, the following day the results of an MRI “wasn’t good.”
“We’re shattered but it is just images that suggest a certain quality of life. Our real teller of all will be what Levi does over the course of a few days,” Kallie shаrеd.
As Levi continued his fight in the hospital, his family and friends continued asking for prayers.
On June 2, Kallie shаrеd devastating news.
“After several sleepless nights, lots of research, multiple conversations with the world’s best neurologists & millions of prayers we are here in the face of our biggest fear,” she wrote. “Levi showed us just enough to buy us time for all of this. We prayed those things were him defying odds & proving to us that he wanted to stay here but we see now he wanted to give us time to find peace with letting him go.”
After countless tests, scans, and consultations, the Wright family took Levi off life support.
The following day, June 3, a family friend, Mindy Sue Clark, confirmed on Facebook that Levi had died.
“I cannot even begin to explain how hard the last two weeks have been. From the moment my phone rang the night of his accident, to last night receiving the message that he had to go. I don’t want to focus on the bad or sad, even though it feels likе someone ripped my heart out and squeezed it right in front of me. I want to focus on the many miracles we all got to bear witness to in those 12 days.”
“The most perfect three year old there ever was. So perfect we didn’t get to keep him. This baby boy moved mountains the last 12 days. He brought so many people together. In a world so dark, we got to see light at the hands of a child. He’s everything his mom and dad could’ve wanted him to be.”
Our prayers are with the Wright family during this extremely difficult time.
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