John Amos, who was best known for playing the role of James Evans Sr. on Good Times, passed away on August 21st this year, and the news was announced on October 2nd by his son K.C. Amos. He was 84.
His son is working on a documentary on what his father left behind in TV history. His portrayal of James Evans Sr. will always be entrenched in the hearts of viewers worldwide as a nurturing black father at a time when such representations were rare on-screen. However, his exit from the show in 1976 was a crucial turning point in television history.
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Creative spats over racist tones in the writing of the show, with its producers, got John Amos written off Good Times after the third season.
In one of television's most memorable moments when he left the show, his co-star Esther Rolle’s character Florida Evans lamented:
“Damn, damn, DAMN!”
Following the media attention he received when he left, Amos proved himself in other productions, such as Roots and Coming to America.
What was the real reason for John Amos' Good Times exit?
John Amos was fired from Good Times and did not leave the show as everybody believed. It had become too much of a nuisance for both parties in the end.
Talking to the Archive of American Television in 2014, Amos clarified his frustrations with the show itself, which started becoming caricaturish instead of accurately portraying the working-class African American family.
Referencing the popular catchphrase that made Jimmie Walker's character a breakout star, John Amos explained:
"There was too much emphasis being put on J.J. and his chicken hat saying 'Dyn-o-mite!' every third page."
He was highly distressed by the fact that the writers did not fulfill the expectations of his other two on-screen children, Michael and Thelma, who had ambitions to be a Supreme Court Justice and a surgeon, respectively.
Amos' outspokenness did not cut much ice among the writers. He recalled how often his efforts to speak out for better representation of black family dynamics were not considered. His persistence finally led him to be labeled by some who worked on the set as a "disruptive element."
As John Amos would like it to be said:
"The writers tired of having their lives threatened over jokes."
He was referring to the heated arguments he used to have with them over the direction the show ought to have taken.
Although he left early, Amos, as James Evans Sr, made his mark on the show's audience and many remember him as a loving father figure. The role transcended at the time, what had been seen before in shows representing black people.
What happened after John Amos left Good Times?
Amos's departure from the series was a blow. Of course, the show was never really the same. J.J. Evans was still somewhat the comic center of the show but had certainly changed in tone with James Evans Sr. no longer there.
Esther Rolle shared many of Amos' concerns and also quit the show after the fourth season before briefly returning.
Speaking to Time Magazine in 2021, Amos discussed the situation but said that leaving was probably the best solution for both parties.
“It got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included,” he said.
It was after he had left the Good Times that Amos took the next jump in his career as he starred in movies like Hard 2. By getting nominated for an Emmy, John Amos ensured his place among television's most versatile acting legends.
His departure from Good Times exposed the challenges that black actors faced in the predominantly white Hollywood space at the time, especially concerning the influence they could exert on popular media's representation of their communities.
The challenge, however, only steeled him for the rest of his career.
Good Times is streaming on Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus.
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