‘Coming To America’ actor John Amos dies at 84

John Amos, the Hollywood actor known for his roles in ‘Coming To America’ and ‘Good Times’, has died aged 84.

In a statement on Tuesday, Kelly Christopher Amos, his son, revealed that the actor passed away of natural causes on August 21.

He described his father as a man with a “heart of gold”, adding that his legacy “will live on”.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned. He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold and he was loved the world over,” the statement reads.

“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.”

Born in New Jersey on December 27, 1937, Amos started a football career, playing at Colorado State University and trying out for the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League. His entertainment career began while he was cast as WJN-TV weatherman Gordy Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Amos delved into acting in 1970. His career spanned over 50 years in television and film.

His film résumé also included ‘The World’s Greatest Athlete’ (1973), ‘Let’s Do It Again’ (1975), ‘The Beastmaster’ (1982), ‘Die Hard 2’ (1990), ‘Ricochet’ (1991), ‘Mac’ (1992), ‘Night Trap’ (1993), ‘For Better or Worse’ (1995), ‘The Players Club’ (1998), ‘Coming to America 2’ (2021) and ‘Because of Charley’ (2021).

He featured in over 40 films and was nominated for the Emmys, CableACE Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and DVD Exclusive Awards.

In 1965, Smith tied the knot with Noel Mickelson. However, they divorced in 1975.

He then married Lilian Lehman in 1978 but they parted ways barely a year later in 1979.

Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2020.