EL PASO, Texas —
George Jefferson was a bigot. A loudmouth. Rude. Obsessed with money. Arrogant. And yet he was one of the most enjoyable, beloved characters in television history.
Much of that credit belongs to Sherman Hemsley, the gifted character actor who gave life to the blustering black Harlem businessman on “The Jeffersons,” one of TV’s longest running and most successful sitcoms — particularly noteworthy with its mostly black cast.
The Philadelphia-born Hemsley, who police said late Tuesday died at his home in El Paso, Texas, at age 74, first played George Jefferson on CBS’s “All in the Family” before he was spun off onto “The Jeffersons.” The sitcom ran for 11 seasons from 1975 to 1985.
With the gospel-style theme song of “Movin’ On Up,” the hit show depicted the wealthy former neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker in Queens as they made their way on New York’s Upper East Side. Hemsley and the Jeffersons (Isabel Sanford played his wife) often dealt with contemporary issues of racism, but more frequently reveled in the sitcom archetype of a short-tempered, opinionated patriarch trying, often unsuccessfully to control his family.
Hemsley’s feisty, diminutive father with an exaggerated strut was a kind of black corollary to Archie Bunker — a stubborn, high-strung man who had a deep dislike for whites (his favorite word for them was honkies). Yet unlike the blue-collar Bunker, played by Carroll O’Connor, he was a successful businessman whose was as rich as he was crass. His wife, Weezie, was often his foil — yet provided plenty of zingers as well.
Despite the character’s many faults — money-driven, prejudiced, temperamental, a boor — Hemsley managed to make the character endearing, part of the reason it stayed on the air for so long. Much like O’Connor’s portrayal of Archie Bunker, deep down, Hemsley’s Jefferson loved his family, his friends (even the ones he relentlessly teased) and had a good heart. His performance was Emmy and Golden Globe nominated.
“He was a love of a guy” and “immensely talented,” Norman Lear, producer of “The Jeffersons” and “All in the Family,” said after learning of his death. El Paso police said the actor was found dead at a local home where neighbors said he’d lived for years, and that no foul play is suspected.
“When the Jeffersons moved in next door to the Bunkers, I wanted to deliver the George Jefferson who could stand up to Archie Bunker,” Lear recalled Tuesday. “It took some weeks before I remembered having seen Sherman in ‘Purlie’ on Broadway.”
Hemsley read for the part and “the minute he opened his mouth he was George Jefferson,” Lear said. Hemsley was smaller than O’Connor’s Archie but “he was every bit as strong as Archie,” Lear said.
Sherman Alexander Hemsley, though, was far less feisty. The son of a printing press-working father and a factory-working mother, Hemsley served in the Air Force and worked for eight years as a clerk for the Postal Service.
Having studied acting as an adolescent at the Philadelphia Academy of Dramatic Arts, he began acting in New York workshops and theater companies, including the Negro Ensemble Company. For years, he kept his job at the post office while acting at night, before transitioning to acting full-time.
He made his Broadway debut in 1970’s “Purlie,” a musical adaptation of Ossie Davis’ Jim Crow-era play “Purlie Victorious.” (Hemsley would later star in a 1981 made-for-TV version of “Purlie,” as well.) It was while touring the show that Hemsley was approached by Lear about playing a character on the sitcom that would become “All in the Family.”
Hemsley joined the show in 1973, immediately catapulting himself from an obscure theater actor to a hit character on the enormously popular show. Two years later, “The Jeffersons” was spun off. Among the numerous “All in the Family” spin-offs (”Maude,” ‘’Archie Bunker’s Place, “704 Hauser”), “The Jeffersons” was the longest-running.
The character, the owner of a chain of dry-cleaning stores, was devised, Hemsley said, as “pompous and feisty.”
“All of it was really hard ... because — rude, I don’t like to be that way,” Hemsley said in a 2003 interview for the Archive of American Television. “But it was the character, I had to do it. I had to be true to the character. If I was to pull back something, then it just wouldn’t work.”
And he brought some of his hometown with him. “That dance I do (as George Jefferson), it’s the Philly Slop,” he told the Philadelphia Daily News in 1996.
After “The Jeffersons” was abruptly cancelled, Hemsley starred in the sitcom “Amen” as a fiery Philadelphia church deacon, Ernest Frye. The show latest five years, running 1986 to 1991.
Jackee Harry, a longtime friend who made appearances on the show, said she and Hemsley had planned to tour in the musical “Ain’t Misbehavin”’. She said they had discussed it recently and that he seemed in good health and in good spirits.
“It’s a sad, sad, sad day,” she said from her home in Beverly Hills, Calif.
She recalled when the two of them were on a Manhattan sidewalk during the era of “The Jeffersons,” and passers-by went wild.
“He got mauled and mugged,” she laughed. “He said, ‘What’s all the screaming about?’ He was so popular and he didn’t even know it.”
She described him as “a very private person unlike George Jefferson. But he was very kind and very sweet, and generous to a fault.”
Hemsley frequently turned up as a guest on sitcoms like “Family Matters,” ‘’The Hughleys” and even, in a voice role, “Family Guy.” He twice reprised George Jefferson, appearing as his famous character on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and, in 2011, on “House of Payne.”
Hemsley, whose films include 1979’s “Love at First Bite,” 1987’s “Stewardess School” and 1987’s “Ghost Fever,” released an album, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” in 1989.
In an interview with the Gloucester County Times in 2011, Hemsley said his show business career actually began in childhood.
“Making people laugh was automatic,” he said. “I was in a play in elementary school and had to jump up and run away. I was nervous and tripped and fell down and everyone laughed. Their laughter made me relax, so I pretended it was part of the show.”
“I always told my mother I wanted a job where I could have a lot of fun and have a lot of time off,” Hemsley added. “She asked me where I was going to find that, and I said, ‘I don’t know, but it’s out there.”’
Coyle reported from New York City. AP Television Writers Lynn Elber and Frazier Moore in Beverly Hills, Calif., and Associated Press writer Terry Wallace in Dallas contributed to this report.
Top Story 3
Related Photos
-
In this May 6, 1998, file photo, Isabel Sanford, left, and Sherman Hemsley, stars of the television sitcom "The Jeffersons," pose for a photograph in New York. Hemsley, the actor who made the irascible, bigoted George Jefferson of "The Jeffersons" one of television's most memorable characters and a symbol for urban upward mobility, was found dead Tuesday, July 24, 2012, at his El Paso, Texas home. He was 74. (AP File Photo/Kathy Willens)
Discussion
Sherman Hemsley of ‘The Jeffersons’ dies
- Top Story 3
-
-
A battle of secret tactics
The embarrassing arrest of a suspected CIA officer in Moscow is the latest reminder that, even after the Cold War, the U.S. and Russia are engaged in an espionage battle with secret tactics, spying devices and training that sometimes isn't enough to avoid being caught.
-
UPDATE: Fire damages buildings in downtown Greencastle
GREENCASTLE, Ind. — Fire badly damaged several buildings today near the courthouse square in Greencastle, with flames shooting through the roofs as firefighters from several communities were called in to the central Indiana city to help.
-
‘A Song for Indiana’ to raise money for Dresser sculpture
Art Spaces will present “A Song for Indiana – The Paul Dresser Project” at 5:30 p.m. on June 6 at the Holiday Inn of Terre Haute.
-
MARK BENNETT: Local summer music series idea remains a good one
One-of-a-kind ideas happen rarely.
As the biblical adage goes, there is nothing new under the sun. We humans succeed occasionally, inventing electricity, automobiles, telephones and the Internet. Invariably, though, someone else insists, “Hey, my grandpa thought of that years before Edison.” -
Rapper Drake leads BET Awards with 12 nominations
NEW YORK — He started from the bottom, but now he’s on top at the BET Awards: Drake has 12 nominations. BET announced the nominees Tuesday. Rappers Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz are up for eight awards each.
-
Popular psychologist Joyce Brothers dead at 85
Joyce Brothers, the pop psychologist who pioneered the television advice show in the 1950s and enjoyed a long and prolific career as a syndicated columnist, author, and television and film personality, has died. She was 85.
-
More than just a mother, now she's your 'friend'
Josh Knoller, a young professional in New York City, spent years refusing his mother's "Friend Request" on Facebook before, eventually, "caving in."
-
Terre Haute’s Judson Hill band to unveil new album
The four-member group hopes its new album, “Beauty in Goodbye,” catches ears in the recording industry. They’ll unveil the 10-song CD in their hometown of Terre Haute this weekend, and play it live in March at Nashville’s iconic 12th & Porter club.
-
VIDEO: Mural unveiling today at Children's Museum
The public unveiling of the mural "Flightful Fantasy: We Can Fly, We Can Fly!" is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today, Oct. 5, on the third floor of the Terre Haute Children's Museum at Eighth Street and Wabash Avenue.
-
Motorcycle ride to celebrate Mellencamp’s birthday, support charities
Harley-Davidson Motorcycle rides in southern Indiana have plans to host a Hurts So Good charity ride as a tribute to Seymour native John Mellencamp in honor of his 61st birthday on Sunday, Oct. 7.
-
J.K. Rowling’s debut novel for adults worth a read
“The Casual Vacancy” (Little, Brown and Company), by J.K. Rowling.
So look, here’s the thing: This. Is. Not. A. Children’s. Book. If you’re looking for what made Harry Potter magical — Wizards! Spells! Flying Broomsticks! — you’re not going to find it. -
SLIDESHOW: This year's 15 hottest toys
Is it too early to start your holiday shopping? Not according to Toys R Us, which just released its "Hot Toy List" for 2012. Check out the top 15 toys that made the list. Find all 50 at toysrus.com/hottoys.
-
Silly Safaris brings live show to Children’s Museum
Do you want to get really close to some amazing animals? Would you like to touch some of your favorites? Then join the Terre Haute Children’s Museum at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, for a live animal show with Silly Safaris.
-
VIDEO: Mark Bennett: Hoosier trio dodges ditches on way to Terre Haute Blues Fest
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band has a critically acclaimed new album and video, and will perform Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Blues at the Crossroads Festival in downtown Terre Haute.
-
VIDEO: Outdoor Indiana magazine features Shades State Park, namesake of Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Outdoor Indiana magazine’s September-October issue features Shades State Park, located near Waveland in Parke, Montgomery and Fountain counties. Once known as The Shades of Death before it became a state park, it’s the most primitive state park in Indiana.
-
Art of the camera phone: Best photo apps
There are hundreds of apps out there for the iPhone photographer — some great, others less so. But just as with coffee, it's all a matter of taste. The fun thing is, it's only your own taste that matters.
-
Take a trip to Little Italy
Where can you find authentic Italy and be welcomed as an “honorary Italian” during Labor Day weekend in the Wabash Valley? Only in Clinton can visitors find themselves taking a step back in time and enjoying a piece of history created by Italian immigrants.
-
Listen to radios? Watch TVs? Not for the Class of ’16
Those born mostly in 1994 see the world in a much different way.
-
Max Jones: Dances for CHANCES — great fun for worthy cause
Many years ago — too many to ponder at the moment — I joined a community theater troupe in Sullivan and had the opportunity to perform in several Broadway musicals. In one instance, I was fortunate to have the lead role portraying George M. Cohan in the musical “George M!”
-
Mark Bennett: Food hub puts focus on overlooked sector of state
The ideal setting for a campaign ad is rural Indiana.
Candidates crave to be filmed strolling through rows of bean fields, wearing rolled-up sleeves, jeans and boots, and pointing into the distance, while a farmer in bib-overalls and a grain cap looks on in admiration. -
The call you can't answer with an iPhone to your ear
On family vacations, it's important for parents to be "present" (that is, not glued to their smartphones).
-
What the next iPhone is going to look like
When CEO Tim Cook announces the next iPhone sometime next month, industrial designers and Apple obsessives are going to scrutinize all of the changes, but I bet ordinary users won't look twice.
-
Terre Haute Community Band marches out 2012 season in style
Marches are a staple of all community bands and audiences expect to hear some of their favorite marches at each concert. But a whole concert of marches? The Terre Haute Community Band is throwing out a challenge with their last concert “The Best Marches You Never Heard,” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at Fairbanks Park.
-
Avoid the back pain of back-to-school
A properly sized backpack with the right weight can be a very good way to carry school necessities. Unfortunately, many kids overload their backpacks and suffer back pain as a result. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says more than 13,700 kids, ages 5-18 years old, are treated in hospitals and doctors' offices for injuries related to backpacks.
-
Your Green Valley: Water’s importance magnified during drought
Only 3 percent of Earth’s water is fresh water. Of that, 1.7 percent of the world’s water is frozen and therefore unusable. Clearly, water is a precious resource, its importance only magnified during a drought.
-
Lunch box choices numerous in 2012
It's a different era from the days when we toted PB&Js in our metal “Empire Strikes Back” lunch boxes.
-
State Fair opens to heat and crowds
The 156th Indiana State Fair opened Friday under the shadow of last year’s fatal stage collapse by celebrating its usual traditions: barns full of prize-winning livestock, acres of amusement rides, a field full of marching bands, and a seemingly endless bounty of corn dogs, caramel corn and lemon shake-ups.
And a lot of heat and humanity. -
Indiana State Fair opens today
The Indiana State Fair that opened today is trying to shake off the emotional and economic shadow of last year’s deadly stage collapse, pumping up the event’s appeal in hopes of drawing back crowds whose faith in the annual tradition was shaken by the tragedy.
-
Flying back into the past
Archie Goodwin looked skyward out of a large window as he waited for a piece of history to land Wednesday at the Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field.
-
5 Olympic things to know for today
Here’s what to watch for at the London Olympics today, Aug. 1:
- More Top Story 3 Headlines
-
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Raw: Germany Protestors Picket Barbie House
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
China, Others Want What's Under the Arctic Ice
Raw: Suicide Bomber Kills 2 Americans, 13 Others
Officials Arrest Man in Idaho in Terrorism Case
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
Music Therapy Bonds Parents and Preemies
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Raw: Pope Frees Doves From Cage
Raw: 6 Die in Russian Ship Fire
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Raw: Marines Come to Obama's Aid in the Rain
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes
CUTE: Monkey shares lollipop with dog, then HITS pooch on head with it
Miranda Kerr Looks Sexy in a Bikini Photo Shoot
Hatchet-wielding viral video star, once a hero, now a murder suspect
