The actor, whose death was announced this week, made it known he didn’t like the direction the hit show was going. His character was then killed off.

The actor became a household name when he starred as James Evans, Sr. in Good Times and earned an Emmy nomination for his turn as the elder version of Kunta Kinte in the celebrated miniseries Roots.

The actor died at the age of 84 in August 2024, but his family didn’t confirm his death until two months later.