Theatre Register

Sherman Hemsley

Shows · Sherman Hemsley

Actor 1938–2012 On stage 1970–1972

Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 – July 24, 2012) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his roles as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family (1973–1975; 1978) and The Jeffersons (1975–1985), Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen (1986–1991), 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. Hemsley also won an NAACP Image Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy Series or Special ("The Jeffersons") in 1982.

On stage 2 productions, 2 years

1970 Purlie Broadway Theatre · Original · directed by Philip Rose 688 perf.
1972 Purlie Billy Rose Theatre · Revival · directed by Louis Johnson 14 perf.

Each row is a staging this name appears in the cast list of, read from the production record rather than from the person record. The person record names works instead, and a work cannot say which run somebody was in — that is how Elaine Stritch ends up filed under Show Boat 1927 when she was in the 1994 revival. No row here says what part was played, because no cast list records it.

Worked with more than once2 names

Robert Guillaume 2 productions
Helen Martin 2 productions

Both names in the same cast list, more than once. It is not evidence of a partnership — a long-running company puts the same forty people together every night — but it is where one would start looking. 1 of these names are not links because we hold no record behind them; the name is set from the identifier and its punctuation may be wrong.

In the literature5 passages

  • Cast: Cleavon Little, Melba Moore, John Heffernan, Sherman Hemsley, Novella Nelson, George Faisonebooks/Green, Stanley/Broadway Musicals, Show By Show - Seventh Edition - Stanley Green & Cary Ginell.txt
  • and a virtual explosion of song from Melba Moore, with notably strong support from Novella Nelson and Sherman Hemsley. But Purl had a problem: it was a theatrical also-ran, a small-fry production with no important names attached. Coming from an independent and poorly connected producer, Purlie had to struggle for financing and settle for…theatre-pdfs/More Opening Nights on Broadway - Steven Suskin.txt
  • Sherman Hemsley, Carol Jean Lewis, Patti Jo, Robert Guillaume Above: Guillaume, Patti Jotheatre-pdfs/Theatre World/Theatre World, 1971-72 Season, v. 28 (Willis).txt
  • Laura Cooper Sherman Hemsley Every Hayes, Lonnie McNeil, Ted Ross Douglas Norwicktheatre-pdfs/Theatre World/Theatre World, 1972-73 Season, v. 29 (Willis).txt
  • Tharon Musser. CAST: Ivor Barry, Don Brenner, Jon Cedar, Ruth Ford, Lou Gossett, Sherman Hemsley, Paula Kelly, Cleavon Little, Murray Matheson, Thomas M. Pollard, Larry Simpasa, Sylvia Soares, Ronald Yates Warden, Richard Warrick, James Woodstheatre-pdfs/Theatre World/Theatre World, 1973 74 Season, v. 30 (Willis).txt

Passages naming this person, found by keyword across 178 books. A keyword match is not a biography, and a common name will pull in the wrong one.

What this page does not know

  • What this person played. No cast list we hold records a character against a performer.
  • Which of the credits above the roles on this record — actor — apply to. The roles sit on the person and never on a credit, so a director who also acted looks the same here as one who did not.

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