Sad news out of Hollywood today, as one of TV’s most beloved father figures has passed away.
John Amos, the actor best known for his work on the iconic ’70s sitcom Good Times has died at the age of 84.
News of Amos’ death came courtesy of an announcement from his son, K.C. Amos.
“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” he said in a statement.
“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.”
John Amos and the Era of the Challenging Sitcom
Amos and Good Times were both representative of a bygone era in the world of television.
The actor portrayed a hard-nosed character on a show that commonly dealt with difficult subject matter — until it didn’t.
Amos was only eight years older than Jimmie “J.J.” Walker, who played his eldest son on the show, but there was no confusion among viewers as to which star represented serious-minded authority in the household.
A spinoff of Maude, which was itself a spinoff of All in the Family, Good Times was the first American sitcom to portray a two-parent Black family.
The series was intended to focus on serious social issues in the vein of previous Norman Lear sitcoms.
But as Walker and his catchphrase (“dy-no-mite!”) skyrocketed in popularity, Good Times began to focus more on his lighthearted antics.
This shift in tone understandably upset Amos and led to onset clashes with Lear and members of the writing staff.
Amos Takes a Stand
“The writers would prefer to put a chicken hat on J.J. and have him prance around saying ‘DY-NO-MITE,’ and that way they could waste a few minutes and not have to write meaningful dialogue,” Amos once told the LA Times.
While Esther Rolle, who played Amos’ wife, Florida Evans, was actually more vocal in her criticism of Walker’s character, it was Amos who was fired at the conclusion of Good Times third season.
In a plot twist that many viewers found unnecessarily cruel, his character was killed while pursuing a business deal that would’ve enabled the family to move out of public housing.
In many important ways, Amos and Good Times are representative of their era.
A Different Time
How many sitcom actors in this day and age would risk their jobs and future employment prospects by standing up for their principles?
And how many modern sitcoms have “addressing timely social issues in a responsible fashion” as an item on their mission statement.
Situations like Amos’ are exceedingly rare these days, as television writers and actors have lowered the stakes, particularly in the world of comedy.
Sure, there are still shows that deal with difficult topics, but the average network sitcom might offer one “very special episode” over the course of an entire season.
Lear made a career out of confronting audiences with difficult issues, and Amos was rightfully upset when the producer abandoned that business model to chase easy laughs on Good Times.
Thankfully, John Amos went on to enjoy a long and illustrious career, with recurring roles on series such as Roots, The West Wing, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and memorable appearances in films like Die Hard 2 and Uncut Gems.
But it’s likely his work on Good Times for which he’ll be best remembered.
And his loved ones should be as proud of his firing as they are of his performance on that iconic series.
Our thoughts go out to the Amos family during this enormously difficult time.
Please share your fondest memories from John Amos’ sterling career in the comments section below.
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