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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
February 1, 1938
Died
July 24, 2012
Place of Birth
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Sherman Hemsley
0.9 Popularity
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
Known For
0.0
Boss
Clunkers
2015
5.3
Pastor
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
2009
5.4
George O'Donnell
For the Love of a Dog
2008
🎬
0.0
Back to the Grind
2007
🎬
0.0
Living in TV Land
2004
🎬
1.5
Mr. Ed (voice)
Mr. Ed
2004
7.8
Self
The Surreal Life
2003
5.5
Chip Oswald
Screwed
2000
5.7
Edward Marshall / Steel Condor
Up, Up, and Away
2000
7.4
Sherman Hemsley (voice)
Family Guy
1999
Credits
Clunkers
as Boss
2015
0.0
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
as Pastor
2009
5.3
For the Love of a Dog
as George O'Donnell
2008
5.4
🎬
Back to the Grind
2007
0.0
🎬
Living in TV Land
2004
0.0
🎬
Mr. Ed
as Mr. Ed (voice)
2004
1.5
The Surreal Life
as Self
2003
7.8
Screwed
as Chip Oswald
2000
5.5
Up, Up, and Away
as Edward Marshall / Steel Condor
2000
5.7
Family Guy
as Sherman Hemsley (voice)
1999
7.4
V.I.P.
as Sherman Hemsley
1998
5.3
The Hughleys
1998
6.8
Jane Austen's Mafia!
as George Jefferson (uncredited)
1998
5.5
Senseless
as Smythe/Bates Doorman
1998
6.2
Casper: A Spirited Beginning
as Grocer
1997
5.4
City Guys
1997
8.0
Sprung
as Brotha #1
1997
5.4
🎬
A Christmas Journey Home
as Homeless Guy
1996
0.0
Clueless
1996
6.2
🎬
Goode Behavior
as Willie Goode
1996
0.0
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as The Miller (voice)
1995
6.0
The Wayans Bros.
as Mr. Stone
1995
7.1
The Misery Brothers
as Rev. Scheister
1995
2.0
The Secret World of Alex Mack
as Professor Lake
1994
7.8
The Magic School Bus
as Mr. Junkett (voice)
1994
7.6
Sister, Sister
as Jimmy
1994
7.1
Sister, Sister
as Grandpa Campbell
1994
7.1
Burke's Law
as Judge Powell
1994
6.7
Home of Angels
1994
0.0
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
as Mr. Schott
1993
7.0
Mr. Nanny
as Burt Wilson
1993
5.1
The Ben Stiller Show
1992
4.8
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
as Wallace Pitney
1992
6.5
🎬
Vicki!
as Self
1992
5.0
Martin
1992
7.6
Dinosaurs
as B.P. Richfield (voice)
1991
7.8
Camp Cucamonga
as Herbert Himmel
1990
4.8
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as George Jefferson
1990
7.9
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as Judge Carl Robertson
1990
7.9
Club Fed
as The Reverend
1990
3.7
Who Shrunk Saturday Morning?
as The Master Programmer
1989
0.0
Family Matters
as Captain Savage
1989
6.7
Golden Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
as Magic Mirror
1987
0.0
Ghost Fever
as Buford / Jethro
1987
2.5
Combat Academy
as Judge Daley
1986
5.3
Designing Women
1986
6.7
Amen
as Deacon Ernest Frye
1986
6.6
Stewardess School
as Mr. Buttersworth
1986
4.8
Alice in Wonderland
as Mouse
1985
6.9
The Twilight Zone
as Sam (segment "I of Newton")
1985
7.8
E/R
as George Jefferson
1984
5.2
Purlie
as Gitlow
1981
5.3
The Big Show
as Self
1980
0.0
Pink Lady
as Self
1980
5.0
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
as Self
1980
0.0
Love at First Bite
as Reverend Mike
1979
5.9
The Incredible Hulk
as Robert
1977
7.2
The Love Boat
as Maurice Marshall
1977
6.3
Battle of the Network Stars
1976
7.2
The Sonny and Cher Show
1976
6.0
Donny & Marie
as Self
1976
6.5
The Jeffersons
as George Jefferson
1975
7.3
Tony Orlando and Dawn
as Self
1974
3.5
Dinah!
as Self
1974
6.7
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self
1973
5.4
All in the Family
as George Jefferson
1971
7.9