Remembering John Amos

We are so sad to learn that beloved actor John Amos has passed away at the age of 84. Amos started out as a writer on The Leslie Uggams Show which led to him being hired as “Gordy the Weatherman” on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. His career took off from there, with iconic roles on Good Times and Roots. In later years, he had memorable roles in film and television, including “Admiral Percy Fitzwallace” on The West Wing.

When asked in his 2014 interview how he would like to be remembered, he said: "As a guy that made people laugh. Who made people think a little bit ... someone they enjoyed watching and they enjoyed having me in their homes. I’ve had people come and say, 'I’ve been watching you for years and I love your work,' and they’ll relate some of the things that I’ve done, the different shows that I’ve been in and that’s a good feeling to know that some stranger sitting in some remote town somewhere laughed to the point that he forgot his ongoing miseries or problems and said to his friend, 'Hey John, Amos is on, come in here, let’s get a laugh.' I mean is there anything better than that?"

Below are some selections from his 2014 interview:

On being cast on Good Times:

On being cast in Roots:

On how he would like to be remembered:

Watch John Amos’ full interview and read his obituary in The Hollywood Reporter.