Sherman Hemsley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sherman Hemsley
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Hemsley in 1999
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| Born |
Sherman Alexander Hemsley
February 1, 1938 |
| Died | July 24, 2012 (aged 74) El Paso, Texas, U.S.
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| Resting place | Fort Bliss National Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1968–2012 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
United States Air Force |
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Sherman Alexander Hemsley (born February 1, 1938 – died July 24, 2012) was a famous American actor. He was best known for playing George Jefferson in the TV shows All in the Family and The Jeffersons. He also played Deacon Ernest Frye in Amen and B. P. Richfield (a voice role) in Dinosaurs. Hemsley also appeared as Judge Carl Robertson in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. For his amazing work on The Jeffersons, Hemsley was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. He also won an NAACP Image Award in 1982.
Contents
About Sherman Hemsley
Early Life and Joining the Air Force
Sherman Hemsley was born and grew up in South Philadelphia. His mother worked in a lamp factory. He didn't meet his father until he was 14 years old.
Sherman went to Barrat Middle School. For high school, he attended Central High School and then Bok Technical High School. He left school after tenth grade. Then, he joined the United States Air Force and served for four years.
After leaving the Air Force, Hemsley went back to Philadelphia. He worked for the United States Postal Service during the day. At night, he studied acting at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. Later, he moved to New York. He kept working for the post office while acting at night. He played Gitlow in the Broadway musical Purlie in the early 1970s.
Starting His Acting Career
Before moving to New York, Hemsley performed with local acting groups in Philadelphia. In New York, he studied acting with Lloyd Richards at the Negro Ensemble Company. Soon after, he joined Vinnette Carroll's Urban Arts Company. He appeared in several plays with them.
Hemsley made his first appearance on Broadway in Purlie. He toured with this show for a year. In 1972, he joined another musical called Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope. He performed solo songs in this show.
Working with Norman Lear
While Sherman Hemsley was performing in Purlie on Broadway, a famous TV producer named Norman Lear called him. In 1971, Lear wanted Hemsley to play George Jefferson in his new TV show, All in the Family. Hemsley wasn't sure about leaving his theater role. Norman Lear told him he would save the role for him.
Hemsley joined the cast of All in the Family two years later. His character, George Jefferson, and his co-star Isabel Sanford (who played Louise Jefferson) were supporting characters. They became so popular that they got their own spin-off show. This new show was called The Jeffersons, and it started in 1975. The Jeffersons became one of Norman Lear's most successful shows. It ran for eleven seasons, ending in 1985.
Later TV Roles and Voice Acting
After The Jeffersons ended, Hemsley continued to act. He often played characters similar to George Jefferson. He even joined the original cast of The Jeffersons for a short run on Broadway.
In 1986, Hemsley joined the cast of NBC's Amen. He played Deacon Ernest Frye, a church deacon. This show ran for five seasons until 1991. After that, Hemsley used his voice acting skills in the ABC puppet series Dinosaurs. He voiced Bradley P. Richfield, who was the boss of the main character. This series ran for four seasons.
In 1995, Hemsley appeared in the sitcom Sister, Sister as the grandfather of the main characters. In 1996, he had the main role in the TV comedy series Goode Behavior.
Guest Appearances and Final Roles
Hemsley later took fewer acting roles. However, he and Isabel Sanford often appeared together in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They played George and Louise Jefferson again in guest appearances on shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. They also appeared in commercials for stores like The Gap and Old Navy.
In 2001, Hemsley was a contestant on the TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He won $125,000 for his chosen charity. He also had a voice cameo as himself in the animated comedy Family Guy in 2005. His last film role was in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009). In 2011, he played George Jefferson one last time on Tyler Perry's House of Payne. In 2012, Sherman Hemsley was honored by being inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Music Career
Sherman Hemsley was also a talented jazz keyboard player. In 1989, he released a song called "Ain't That a Kick in the Head." In 1992, he released an album of rhythm and blues music called Dance. He even performed on the TV show Soul Train. Hemsley was also a big fan of 1970s progressive rock bands.
Personal Life
Unlike the outgoing characters he played, Sherman Hemsley was a shy and very private person. He avoided the spotlight of Hollywood. Not much was known about his personal life, except that he never married and did not have any children. In 2003, he gave a rare video interview. He said that playing George Jefferson was "hard for me, but he was the character. I had to do it."
Death
On July 24, 2012, Sherman Hemsley passed away at his home in El Paso, Texas. He was 74 years old. The cause of his death was related to lung cancer.
After His Death
After Hemsley's death, there was a legal discussion about his will. A woman named Flora Isela Enchinton was named as the only person to receive his belongings. She said they were friends and business partners for over twenty years.
A man from Philadelphia claimed to be Hemsley's brother and wanted to be the heir. This stopped his funeral plans for several months. However, in November 2012, a judge decided that Flora Isela Enchinton was the rightful heir. Sherman Hemsley was then buried with military honors at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso.
Images for kids
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Hemsley's handprints in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, 2007.
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Film and Television Roles
Selected Film Roles
- Love at First Bite (1979) - Reverend Mike
- Stewardess School (1986) - Mr. Buttersworth
- Ghost Fever (1986) - Buford/Jethro
- Mr. Nanny (1993) - Burt Wilson
- Sprung (1997) - Earl
- Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997) - Harvey
- Senseless (1998) - James
- American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009) - Pastor Reggie Johnston (his last film role)
Selected Television Roles
- All in the Family (1973–1975; 1978) - George Jefferson
- The Jeffersons (1975–1985) - George Jefferson
- The Love Boat (1977-1983) - Henry Bullard / Maurice Marshall
- The Incredible Hulk (1979) - Robert
- Amen (1986–1991) - Deacon Ernest Frye
- Dinosaurs (1991–1994) - B.P. Richfield (voice)
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1992-1996) - Judge Carl Robertson / George Jefferson
- Sister, Sister (1995) - Grandpa Campbell
- Goode Behavior (1996–1997) - Willie Goode
- Family Guy (2005) - Himself (voice cameo)
- Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2011) - George Jefferson
Discography
- Dance (1992)
See also
In Spanish: Sherman Hemsley para niños
