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John Amos

An imposing veteran actor of stage and screen, John Amos earned his greatest claim to fame as the hardworking but prideful James Evans, Sr. on the hit Norman Lear sitcom "Good Times" (CBS, 1974-79). Though only on the series for its first three seasons - the actor clashed repeatedly with producers and eventually departed - Amos earned a spot in the cultural zeitgeist with what was hailed as one of the most realistic portrayals of an African-American father at the time. In fact, his characterization set the template for other black actors to follow, most notably Bill Cosby in the next decade. Meanwhile, Amos went on to shine in a variety of projects that included the landmark miniseries "Roots" (ABC, 1977), a recurring role as a police captain on the first season of the drama "Hunter" (NBC, 1984-1991), and another recurring role as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006). Of course, he had a number of memorable big screen performances, playing a social climbing restaurateur in "Coming to America" (1988) and a rare villain in "Die Hard 2" (1990). Whether playing military commanders, curmudgeonly father figures or even the occasional terrorist, Amos always brought authority and gravitas to every project in which he appeared.