Whitman Mayo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Whitman Mayo
Born	Whitman Blount Mayo Jr. (1930-11-15)November 15, 1930 New York City, U.S.
Died	May 22, 2001(2001-05-22) (aged 70) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966–2001
Television	Sanford and Son, Grady
Spouse(s)	Gail Reid (1974–2001) Patricia Yorck (1966–1974) Melva Washington (m. 1956, divorced)

Whitman Blount Mayo Jr. (born November 15, 1930 – died May 22, 2001) was an American actor. He was most famous for playing Grady Wilson. This was on the popular 1970s TV show Sanford and Son.

About Whitman Mayo

Early Life and Education

Whitman Blount Mayo Jr. was born in New York City. He grew up in Harlem and Queens. When he was 17, his family moved to Southern California. There, he went to Fontana High School.

Mayo joined the United States Army. He served from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War. After leaving the army, he studied at several colleges. These included Chaffey College, Los Angeles City College, and UCLA.

Acting Career

While in college, Mayo started acting in small roles. He worked many different jobs to support himself and his family. He was a waiter and worked in vineyards. He also worked as a probation officer. For seven years, he was a counselor for young boys.

In the early 1970s, Mayo was working for the New Lafayette Theatre. That's when TV producer Norman Lear offered him a role. It was the part of Grady Wilson on Sanford and Son. The character's name was inspired by Demond Wilson. He played Lamont Sanford on the show.

For a short time, the main actor, Redd Foxx, was not on the show. During this period, Grady moved into the Sanford house. He became the main character for six episodes. Mayo later starred in Grady. This was a spin-off show. In Grady, his character moved to Beverly Hills. The show was not very successful. After it ended in 1976, Grady returned to Sanford and Son. Mayo played Grady again in other spin-off shows. These included Sanford Arms in 1977 and Sanford in 1981.

In the late 1970s, Mayo also appeared on a children's TV show in Los Angeles. It was called That's Cat. He gave good advice to the main character, Alice. In 1990, he was in an episode of In the Heat of the Night. In 1991, he appeared on Full House. He played an older man named Eddie Johnson. This character had Alzheimer's disease.

In 1996, the show Late Night with Conan O'Brien tried to get Mayo to appear. They even set up a "Grady Hotline." This was a phone number for viewers to report "sightings" of Grady. On February 8, 1996, Mayo finally appeared on Late Night. In 1997, he was a guest star on the Nickelodeon show Kenan and Kel. He played Kenan and Kyra's Uncle Raymond.

Mayo also played Sweets in The Cape. Sweets owned the Moonshot Bar and Grill. Mayo was in several movies too. These included The Main Event with Barbra Streisand. He was also in D.C. Cab, Boyz n the Hood, and Waterproof. He appeared as Reverend Banyon in the BET TV movie Boycott in 2001. He also had a role in an episode of Martin. Mayo hosted Liars and Legends on Turner South. He even made appearances on Sesame Street. Mayo taught drama at Clark Atlanta University. He also opened a travel agency in Inglewood, California.

Personal Life and Family

Whitman Mayo married Melva Washington in Los Angeles in 1956. Later, he lived in Atlanta, Georgia, with his third wife, Gail Mayo.

Whitman Mayo passed away on May 22, 2001. He died from a heart attack in Atlanta. His son, Rahn Mayo, later became a member of the Georgia House of Representatives in 2009.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Whitman Mayo para niños