Actors

Sherman Hemsley

While Sherman Hemsley was a postal worker in Philadelphia, he also appeared in local TV and children's theater. When he was transferred to the New York post office, he became a member of the Negro Ensemble Company. In 1969, he was victorious in landing the role of Gitlow Judson on Broadway in "Purlie." Four years later, while watching Hemsley in "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope," Norman Lear discovered the man who would play George Jefferson for two years on All in the Family, followed by 11 years on The Jeffersons.

After The Jeffersons ended, Hemsley landed another leading role, as Deacon Ernest Frye on Amen. He was also on Dinosaurs, voicing D.P. Richfield, and became the star of his own short-lived series, Goode Behavior. He was the voice of Mister Ed in the pilot of the remake. Hemsley also played George Jefferson in other shows, such as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and E/R (the 1984 sitcom), the movie Jane Austen's Mafia! and onstage in "The Real Live Jeffersons." He has recently appeared on numerous reality show programs.