Sherman Helmsley Dead at 74

[EmpireWF]

From People

BY MAGGIE COUGHLAN

Sherman Hemsley, who played George Jefferson on The Jeffersons, has died at 74, according to police.

The actor, who first played the role of Jefferson in All in the Family, also played Deacon Ernest Frye on TV's Amen.

Hemsley died at his home in El Paso, Texas, police say.

Born in South Philadelphia, Hemsley dropped out of high school to join the Air Force. He returned to Philadelphia and worked for the U.S. Postal Service, while taking acting classes at night.

After performing with local groups in Philadelphia, Hemsley moved to New York to make his Broadway debut as Gitlow in Purlie.

While touring with the production, television writer and producer Norman Lear contacted Hemsley to play the role of Jefferson on his new sitcom, All in the Family. Hemsley hesitated to accept but Lear held the role open for him and two years later, Hemsley joined the cast.

Less than two years after Hemsley made his television debut, he and All in the Family costar Isabel Sanford were given their own spin-off in The Jeffersons. The series earned Hemsley Emmy and Golden Globe nominations in 1984 and 1985 respectively.

Sanford died in 2004 at age 86.

In 1986, Hemsley was cast as Deacon Ernest Frye in the NBC series, Amen. The role would last five seasons, ending in 1991.

He was also a professional singer and released a single on Sutra Record called "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" in 1989. In 1992, he released Dance, an R&B album.

Although he retired from television acting, Hemsley joined Sanford through the late '90s and early 2000's to reprise their roles as George and Louise "Weezy" Jefferson on guest spots. The duo appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and in commercials for Old Navy, Gap and Denny's.

Hemsley had no wife or children.

Classic sitcom actor

 

[IamMedellin]

RIP

 

[krulmichael]

Either I can't read or they didn't state cause of death? Natural causes? Heart attack? No wife or kids either...figure he would have lived to a 100.

 

[Glenbino]

Movin' on up

 

[Maynard]

 

[jeffx]

Amazing that Norman Lear waited two years for him to play George Jefferson. Good move.

 

[Maynard]

what do u mean? if i remember right, he wasnt the original george on all in the family.

this show was really groundbreaking. george and archie going at it was nothing but halarious....but when you think back on some of the things they touched on, it was amazing.

the jeffersons was also the first show i remember that showed a black family in an upper class manor. it was always getto shows back then....until the jeffersons came along...even that show having a black woman married to a white man was something you never saw back then.

great show. great actor who will be missed

 

[tigstah]

what do u mean? if i remember right, he wasnt the original george on all in the family.

this show was really groundbreaking. george and archie going at it was nothing but halarious....but when you think back on some of the things they touched on, it was amazing.

the jeffersons was also the first show i remember that showed a black family in an upper class manor. it was always getto shows back then....until the jeffersons came along...even that show having a black woman married to a white man was something you never saw back then.

great show. great actor who will be missed

no not the original george jefferson you are correct sir.....

 

[jms493]

i miss the old days

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

Anybody watch as an adult ?
It was funny as a kid because he was so animated....but man o man its hysterical as an adult.

RIP to a superb actor.

 

[bluntside]

RIP

Great actor with the greatest strut in all of television.