Tonight Amos can be seen talking about his experiences on the show, alongside Betty White, Valerie Harper, Ed Asner, Dick Van Dyke, and others, as part of Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration, airing at 8 p.m. Amos appeared roughly a dozen times over the course of the show’s first three seasons, and even though he left to take a regular gig on Good Times in 1974, his character was vital enough that he returned with his own spotlight episode during the final season of Mary Tyler Moore. But he first won fame with a smaller, yet still enduring, part: Gordy the weatherman on CBS’s The Mary Tyler Moore Show. on Good Times and as the elder Kunta Kinte on Roots.

His two biggest parts were as patriarch James Evans Sr. Scott would fill-in for Roker from time to time, but officially retired from The Today Show and television in general in 2015, ending a 35-year career with the morning news and entertainment show.John Amos is one of those actors fortunate enough to have more than one iconic role on his r ésum é. In 1996, Scott stepped into retirement and was replaced by weather person Al Roker. Joined with the team of John Palmer, Bryant Gumbel, and Jane Pauley, the morning show catapulted to first place in the ratings for the time slot. Ryan, who had a bachelor’s degree in physics and a masters in atmospheric science, was replaced by Scott to help boost ratings against Good Morning America. To make way for Scott, NBC fired meteorologist Rob Ryan. Scott had no background in science nor any interest in the science itself in an interview, he had said anyone can tell the weather if they “have the telephone number to the National Weather Service.” On WRC-TV, he used different stunts and antics to get attention from his audience, including dressing up as a groundhog for Ground Hog’s day. As a result of that, Scott became the first Ronald McDonald character on TV.īeyond playing a clown, Willard Scott started to report the weather for WRC-TV in 1967. That inspired McDonald’s to tap him to serve as a clown for their television advertising campaign. In addition to his radio program, Scott played the star of “Bozo the Clown” on WRC-TV, from 1952 to 1962.

Willard Scott appears as “Ronald McDonald” on WTAE-TV in 1969. Known more as a court jester for the morning news show than a meteorologist, Scott would dress up in flashy outfits, wish 100+ year olds happy birthdays, and occasionally discuss the weather before tossing the broadcast to local affiliates for more weather information.Īfter earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religion from American University, Scott paired off with a classmate, Ed Walker, to host a comedic radio show known as the “Joy Boys” on WRC-AM from 1955 to 1972 and on WWDC-AM from 1972 to 1974. In 1980, NBC television hired Scott for the Today Show to compete against ABC Television’s Good Morning America. His wife, Paris Keena Scott, said he died after suffering from a brief illness, but did not elaborate on what the illness was. Image: NBCįamous for being a long-term weather person on NBC’s “Today Show” and for being McDonalds original Ronald McDonald clown, Willard Scott, at age 87, passed away at his home in Delaplane, Virginia. Willard Scott debuted on The Today Show on NBC in 1980.

Famous weatherman