Before he was James Evans, John Amos played a weatherman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
John Amos is mainly known for his role as James Evans, the head of the Evans household on Good Times. He was the provider and protector of his wife and three children while they navigated through life in Chicago.
However, before he got the classic part, he was seen on another classic show: The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
There, he wasn't James Evans. He was Gordy Howard, the weatherman. Amos credited the show and Mary Tyler Moore for helping him get a break-out role.
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In a 2015 interview with Vulture, the actor talked about what it was like working with the talented actress on her show. "The joy of working with Mary was, you knew who the star of the show was," he said.
"It was the Mary Tyler Moore Show. So there were no attempts to upstage her, or any of the other things that usually go with actors surrounding the star. It was a harmonious set."
Amos also talked about the set environment and how he finally felt part of something meaningful. He snagged the role after auditioning for it in front of various people, including Mary Tyler Moore.
"She and Phyllis and Valarie got along great because all they would talk about, all day long, was diets and healthy food. As soon as they got to the set, the conversation would start. So they had a nice little [group] going. And they all got along great. It was a wonderful atmosphere. I felt, for the first time, that I was a part of a real, meaningful ensemble."
The actor said he had no idea how successful the show was until later, but he was grateful to be a part of the production. The role of Gordy was supposed to be a one-off appearance, but the co-creator, Allen Burns, loved how Amos portrayed it and told him, "you did good; we'll see you later."
Amos would appear on several episodes throughout the series run, and everyone loved Gordy, the weatherman.
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