Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 – July 24, 2012) was an American actor and comedian who portrayed as Captain Marion Savage in the ABC sitcom Family Matters.
He also plays as George Jeffereson in the CBS sitcom series All In The Family and The Jefferesons, and has appeared as Deacon Ernest Frye in NBC sitcom series Amen.
Early life[]
Hemsley was born and raised in South Philadelphia by his mother, who worked in a lamp factory. 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.
Career[]
All in the Family and The Jeffersons[]
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 theater 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.
Amen[]
Hemsley continued to work steadily after the show's cancellation, largely typecast in George Jefferson–like roles. He teamed with the sitcom's original cast members when The Jeffersons moved to Broadway for a brief run. He later joined the cast of NBC's Amen in 1986 as Deacon Ernest Frye, a church deacon. The sitcom enjoyed a run of five seasons, ending in 1991.
Post-Jeffersons and Amen[]
Hemsley retired from television acting, although he and Isabel Sanford appeared together in the mid to late 1990s and in the early 2000s, reprising their roles in guest roles on such television series as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in commercials for The Gap, Old Navy and Denny's, and at dry cleaning conventions. He also made his appearance as Captain Marion Savage in the television series Family Matters.
Death[]
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.
A military funeral was planned for Hemsley. He was interred at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in his adopted hometown of El Paso, Texas.
Trivia[]
- He is not married with no children.