They killed my character off and as God would have it, just when they told me I would never work again, I got cast in a little program called Roots, and as they would say, the rest is history.

Amos has been a resident of Tewksbury Township New Jersey. In 1965 he played with the Norfolk Neptunes and Wheeling Ironmen of the Continental Football League. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades.

His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show the miniseries Roots for which he received an Emmy nomination and a recurring role in The West Wing. John Amos (born December 27 1939) is an American actor and former football player best known for his role as James Evans Sr. He has received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and NAACP Image Award.