Name
Sherman Hemsley
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1938-02-01
Deathday
2012-07-24 (74 years old)
Place of Birth
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Biography
Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 – July 24, 2012) was an American actor, best known for his roles as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen, and B.P. Richfield on the ABC series Dinosaurs. For his work on The Jeffersons, Hemsley was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. He also won an NAACP Image Award.
Hemsley was born and raised in South Philadelphia by his mother, who worked in a lamp factory.[1] He did not meet his father until he was 14. He attended Barrat Middle School, Central High School for 9th grade and Bok Technical High School for 10th, when he dropped out of school and joined the United States Air Force, where he served for four years.
On leaving the Air Force, he returned to Philadelphia, where he worked for the United States Postal Service during the day while attending the Academy of Dramatic Arts at night. He then moved to New York, continuing to work for the Post Office during the day while working as an actor at night. He starred as Gitlow in the early 1970s Broadway musical Purlie.
While Hemsley was on Broadway with Purlie, Norman Lear called him in 1971 to play the recurring role of George Jefferson in his new sitcom, All in the Family. Hemsley was reluctant to leave his theatre role, but Lear told him that he would hold the role open for him. Hemsley joined the cast two years later. The characters of Hemsley and co-star Isabel Sanford were supporting occasional roles on All in the Family, but were given their own spin-off, The Jeffersons, two years after Hemsley made his debut on the sitcom. The Jeffersons proved to be one of Lear's most successful series, enjoying a run of 11 seasons through 1985.
Hemsley was a shy and intensely private man, described by some as reclusive. He avoided the Hollywood limelight and little of his personal life was public knowledge beyond the facts that he never married and he had no children.[9] In 2003, however, Hemsley granted a rare video interview to the Archive of American Television. "It [playing George Jefferson] was hard for me. But he was the character. I had to do it."
On July 24, 2012, Hemsley died at his home in El Paso, Texas, at age 74. The cause of death was given as superior vena cava syndrome, a complication associated with lung and bronchial carcinomas. He had had a malignant mass on one of his lungs for which chemotherapy and radiation had been recommended, according to the El Paso County Texas Medical Examiner's report. CLR
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- 1980 The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's as Self
- 1990 Camp Cucamonga as Herbert Himmel
- 1979 Love at First Bite as Reverend Mike
- 1993 Mr. Nanny as Burt Wilson
- 2000 Screwed as Chip Oswald
- 1986 Stewardess School as Mr. Buttersworth
- 2008 For the Love of a Dog as George O'Donnell
- 2009 American Pie Presents: The Book of Love as Pastor
- 1987 Ghost Fever as Buford / Jethro
- 1990 Club Fed as The Reverend
- 2000 Up, Up, and Away as Edward Marshall / Steel Condor
- 1996 A Christmas Journey Home as Homeless Guy
- 1986 Combat Academy as Judge Daley
- 1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning as Store Owner
- 1995 The Misery Brothers as Rev. Scheister
- 1981 Purlie as Gitlow
- 2015 Clunkers as Boss
- 1997 Sprung as Brotha #1
- 1987 Golden Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Magic Mirror
- 1994 Home of Angels
- 1998 Jane Austen's Mafia! as George Jefferson (uncredited)
- 1989 Who Shrunk Saturday Morning? as The Master Programmer
- 1998 Senseless as Smythe/Bates Doorman
- 1992 The Ben Stiller Show ( 1 episode )
- 1992 Martin ( 1 episode ) as Mr. Washington
- 2003 The Surreal Life ( 9 episodes ) as Self
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Sherman Hemsley (voice)
- 1986 Designing Women ( 1 episode )
- 1976 The Sonny and Cher Show ( 2 episodes )
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 1 episode ) as Maurice Marshall
- 1990 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ( 2 episodes ) as George Jefferson
- 1995 The Wayans Bros. ( 1 episode ) as Mr. Stone
- 1985 The Twilight Zone ( 1 episode ) as Sam (segment "I of Newton")
- 1971 All in the Family ( 11 episodes ) as George Jefferson
- 1975 The Jeffersons ( 248 episodes ) as George Jefferson
- 1976 Donny & Marie ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 1996 Clueless ( 1 episode ) as Murray's Grandpa
- 1989 Family Matters ( 3 episodes ) as Captain Savage
- 1997 City Guys ( 1 episode )
- 1993 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman ( 1 episode ) as Mr. Schott
- 1998 The Hughleys ( 4 episodes ) as James Williams
- 1986 Amen ( 110 episodes ) as Deacon Ernest Frye
- 1976 Battle of the Network Stars ( 1 episode )
- 1996 Goode Behavior ( 23 episodes ) as Willie Goode
- 1980 The Big Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1980 Pink Lady ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2007 Back to the Grind ( 1 episode )
- 2004 Living in TV Land ( 1 episode )
- 1985 Alice in Wonderland ( 1 episode ) as Mouse
- 1974 Tony Orlando and Dawn ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1973 The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1994 The Secret World of Alex Mack ( 1 episode ) as Professor Lake
- 1990 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ( 3 episodes ) as Judge Carl Robertson
- 1984 E/R ( 2 episodes ) as George Jefferson
- 1974 Dinah! ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child ( 1 episode ) as The Miller (voice)
- 1991 Dinosaurs ( 29 episodes ) as B.P. Richfield (voice)
- 1994 Burke's Law ( 1 episode ) as Judge Powell
- 1994 The Magic School Bus ( 1 episode ) as Mr. Junkett (voice)
- 1977 The Incredible Hulk ( 1 episode ) as Robert
- 1998 V.I.P. ( 1 episode ) as Sherman Hemsley
- 1992 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper ( 1 episode ) as Wallace Pitney
- 1992 Vicki! ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1994 Sister, Sister ( 3 episodes ) as Jimmy
- 1994 Sister, Sister ( 1 episode ) as Grandpa Campbell
- Soon Mr. Ed ( 1 episode ) as Mr. Ed (voice)
- 1997 Figure It Out ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 1 episode ) as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- 1971 All in the Family ( 1 episode ) as George
- 1978 The Magic of David Copperfield ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 2 episodes ) as Henry Bullard
