Current:Home > ScamsJohn Amos' cause of death revealed: 'Roots' actor died of heart failure -Zenith Investment School
John Amos' cause of death revealed: 'Roots' actor died of heart failure
View
Date:2025-04-12 11:39:40
"Roots" and "Coming 2 America" actor John Amos' cause of death has been released.
The "Good Times" star died of congestive heart failure in a Los Angeles-area hospital on Aug. 21, according to a death certificate obtained by USA TODAY on Oct. 8.
The veteran actor, whose legal name was John Allen Amos Jr., had the condition – caused by the heart's inability to circulate adequate blood and oxygen to the body's organs – for years before his death, the document notes. No other significant conditions that attributed to his death were noted. He was cremated nine days later.
His son, Kelly Amos, was named as the person who'd informed the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health about his father's death.
"It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned," Kelly Amos said in a statement shared with USA TODAY on Oct. 1. "He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold ... and he was loved the world over."
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart failure was mentioned in 13.9% of causes of death issued in 2022.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, John Amos' first big role came in 1970, when he played weatherman Gordy Howard on CBS' "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
Not long after, Amos landed perhaps the most iconic role of his career: patriarch James Evans Sr. on "Good Times," the groundbreaking Norman Lear sitcom that ran from 1974 to 1979 and was a spinoff of "Maude." He departed the series following disagreements with the writers over how Black characters were depicted.
'This one hits different'John Amos remembered by Al Roker, 'West Wing' co-stars
Amos was also best known for playing the older Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries "Roots," a role that earned him an Emmy nomination.
Throughout his five-decade career, Amos turned in dozens of other performances, from Major Grant in "Die Hard 2" to Cleo McDowell in the Eddie Murphy comedy "Coming to America." He reprised the latter character in the 2021 sequel, "Coming 2 America."
Amos also had a memorable role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on NBC's "The West Wing" and in recent years appeared on shows including CBS' "Two and a Half Men," Netflix's "The Ranch" and HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones.
veryGood! (3426)
Related
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- UN will repatriate 9 South African peacekeepers in Congo accused of sexual assault
- Norway’s prime minister shuffles Cabinet after last month’s local election loss
- Sports, internet bets near-record levels in New Jersey, but 5 of 9 casinos trail pre-pandemic levels
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- AP Top 25: Washington into top 5 for 1st time in 6 years. Air Force ranked for 1st time since 2019
- A $1.4 million speeding ticket surprised a Georgia man before officials clarified the situation
- After her partner's death, Lila Downs records 'La Sánchez,' her most personal album
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Trump-backed Jeff Landry wins Louisiana governor's race
Ranking
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- A British man pleads guilty to Islamic State-related terrorism charges
- Delaware forcibly sterilized her mother. She's now ready to share the state's dark secret.
- Social media disinformation spreads amid war in Israel
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Trump’s Iowa campaign ramps up its organizing after his infamously chaotic 2016 second-place effort
- Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, dies at 86
- Israel's U.N. mission hears from families of kidnapped, missing: We want them back. It's all we want.
Recommendation
Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
Adidas, Ivy Park have released the final installment of their collaboration. What to know
Train derailment closes down I-25 in Colorado, semi-truck driver killed
Wildfire smoke leaves harmful gases in floors and walls. Research shows air purifiers don't stop it — but here's how to clean up
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
Slave descendants are suing to fight zoning changes they say threaten their island homes off Georgia
Brody Jenner Drank Fiancée Tia Blanco's Breast Milk—But Is It Worth It? A Doctor Weighs In
Train derailment closes down I-25 in Colorado, semi-truck driver killed