Unhappy information out of Hollywood at this time, as one among TV’s most beloved father figures has handed away.
John Amos, the actor finest identified for his work on the enduring ’70s sitcom Good Instances has died on the age of 84.
Information of Amos’ demise got here courtesy of an announcement from his son, Okay.C. Amos.
“It’s with heartfelt unhappiness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” he mentioned in an announcement.
“He was a person with the kindest coronary heart and a coronary heart of gold… and he was beloved the world over. Many followers contemplate him their TV father. He lived an excellent life. His legacy will dwell on in his excellent works in tv and movie as an actor.”
John Amos and the Period of the Difficult Sitcom
Amos and Good Instances had been each consultant of a bygone period on this planet of tv.
The actor portrayed a hard-nosed character on a present that generally handled troublesome material — till it didn’t.
Amos was solely eight years older than Jimmie “J.J.” Walker, who performed his eldest son on the present, however there was no confusion amongst viewers as to which star represented serious-minded authority within the family.
A by-product of Maude, which was itself a by-product of All within the Household, Good Instances was the primary American sitcom to painting a two-parent Black household.
The sequence was meant to concentrate on severe social points within the vein of earlier Norman Lear sitcoms.
However as Walker and his catchphrase (“dy-no-mite!”) skyrocketed in recognition, Good Instances started to focus extra on his lighthearted antics.
This shift in tone understandably upset Amos and led to onset clashes with Lear and members of the writing employees.
Amos Takes a Stand
“The writers would like to place a rooster hat on J.J. and have him prance round saying ‘DY-NO-MITE,’ and that method they might waste a couple of minutes and never have to put in writing significant dialogue,” Amos as soon as informed the LA Instances.
Whereas Esther Rolle, who performed Amos’ spouse, Florida Evans, was truly extra vocal in her criticism of Walker’s character, it was Amos who was fired on the conclusion of Good Instances third season.
In a plot twist that many viewers discovered unnecessarily merciless, his character was killed whereas pursuing a enterprise deal that might’ve enabled the household to maneuver out of public housing.
In lots of vital methods, Amos and Good Instances are consultant of their period.
A Completely different Time
What number of sitcom actors this present day would threat their jobs and future employment prospects by standing up for his or her rules?
And what number of fashionable sitcoms have “addressing well timed social points in a accountable trend” as an merchandise on their mission assertion.
Conditions like Amos’ are exceedingly uncommon nowadays, as tv writers and actors have lowered the stakes, notably on this planet of comedy.
Certain, there are nonetheless exhibits that take care of troublesome matters, however the common community sitcom would possibly provide one “very particular episode” over the course of a whole season.
Lear made a profession out of confronting audiences with troublesome points, and Amos was rightfully upset when the producer deserted that enterprise mannequin to chase straightforward laughs on Good Instances.
Fortunately, John Amos went on to take pleasure in a protracted and illustrious profession, with recurring roles on sequence comparable to Roots, The West Wing, and The Contemporary Prince of Bel-Air, and memorable appearances in movies like Die Laborious 2 and Uncut Gems.
However it’s possible his work on Good Instances for which he’ll be finest remembered.
And his family members needs to be as pleased with his firing as they’re of his efficiency on that iconic sequence.
Our ideas exit to the Amos household throughout this enormously troublesome time.
Please share your fondest reminiscences from John Amos’ sterling profession within the feedback part beneath.
Watch Good Instances On-line
