John Amos
1939 – 2024

John Amos

American actor (1939–2024)

film actortelevision actorfilm producerstage actorfilmmaker
Born
1939-12-27, Newark
Died
2024-08-21
Birthplace state
New Jersey

Biography

John Allen Amos Jr. was an American actor. He was best known for his role as James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series Good Times. His other well known roles were as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries Roots and for portraying Captain Meissner in Lock Up (1989) and Major Grant in Die Hard 2 (1990). His other television work includes The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on The West Wing, and the role of the Mayor of Washington DC Ethan Baker in the series The District. Amos was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and an NAACP Image Award. In film, he played numerous supporting roles in movies such as The Beastmaster (1982), Coming to America (1988), and Coming 2 America (2021).

Occupation

John Amos is recorded as a film actor, a television actor, a film producer, a stage actor, a filmmaker and a actor, born in New Jersey (1939–2024).

Connections to New Jersey

John Amos was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1939. Explore other notable figures from New Jersey, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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More notable figures from New Jersey

Other historical figures born in New Jersey, ranked by historical prominence.

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Grover Cleveland
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Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
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Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
American poet and writer (1926–1997)
James Gandolfini
James Gandolfini
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Philip Roth
Philip Roth
American novelist (1933–2018)
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
American writer (1789–1851)

Frequently asked about John Amos

Who was John Amos?
John Amos was American actor (1939–2024), born in New Jersey (1939 – 2024).
When and where was John Amos born?
John Amos was born on 1939-12-27 in Newark.
When did John Amos die?
John died on 2024-08-21.
What was John Amos known for?
John Amos is recorded as a film actor, a television actor, a film producer, a stage actor, a filmmaker and a actor.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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