Suits LA: What role did John Amos play in the NBC legal drama spin-off? Star's final on-screen appearance, explored

Suits LA, the spinoff series of the popular legal drama Suits premiered on February 23, 2025, and has quickly grabbed fans' attention. Created by Aaron Korsh, who also produced the original Suits series, the show follows a former New York prosecutor Ted Black, played by Stephen Amell, who now represents big Hollywood clients in his entertainment and criminal law firm in LA.

One of those big Hollywood clients of Amell’s Black is veteran American actor John Amos who played a fictionalized version of himself. It also happens to be Amos’s final appearance on-screen as he died of a heart attack on August 21, 2024.

While talking to People, Aaron Korsh shared how thrilled he was to be working with John Amos, who he grew up watching. He said:

“I'm of the age where he was a huge, iconic figure for me as a child. So when I meet someone like that, I think of what would 10, 11, 12, 7-year-old me think of this? And it was amazing. He was an amazing guy, and it was such a great experience.”

Continue reading to learn more about John Amos's role in Suits LA.

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John Amos played a fictionalized role of himself in Suits LA

In his final onscreen role, 84-year-old John Amos played a fictionalized role of himself as a client of Ted Black's firm who demands them to get him an audition so that he can prove that he still can do a good job on screen.

After Bryan Greenberg’s Rick Dodsen refuses to reach out on his behalf, Amos tells them that he wants to die while working rather than waiting for a call.

Also Read: Suits: LA cast and character guide - Who plays whom in the upcoming 2025 legal drama spin-off?

In the episode, viewers also get to see Stephen Amell’s personal struggles, mainly his strained relationship with his father who is on his deathbed due to a long-term illness.

In John Amos’s final appearance on screen, he advises Amell’s Black to visit his father before he dies and forgive him for himself.

Creator Aaron Korsh was deeply affected by John Amos’s death. Therefore, he decided to write about it in the upcoming episode of Suits LA, which will reportedly show how Stephen Amell’s character Ted Black deals with his longtime client’s death.

Korsh told People:

“I thought if [Amos’ death is affecting] me, it would affect Ted Black a hell of a lot more than me since I only met him once and Ted had known him for 20 years. I thought if [Amos’ death is affecting] me, it would affect Ted Black a hell of a lot more than me since I only met him once and Ted had known him for 20 years.”

He further added:

“He's an icon, and we wanted to give him a proper goodbye.”

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More about John Amos from Suits LA

John Amos’s first known role was in a McDonald’s commercial in 1971. Since then, Amos has been part of the Hollywood industry for more than 50 years.

Other than Suits LA, he appeared in CBS’s TV show Good Times as James Evans Sr. which is also one of his most notable roles. He also appeared in Two and a Half Men and The Righteous Gemstones.

His most prominent film role was as Major Grant in Die Hard 2. He also appeared in movies like Dr. Dolittle 3 and Uncut Gems.

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Also Read: Will there be a Suits LA Season 2? Speculations Explored