George Jefferson has passed away. Sherman Hemsley, the actor who played George Jefferson in All In the Family and then in The Jeffersons , died today at the age of 74.
According to Entertainment Weekly, police were called to Hemsley’s home in Texas this afternoon. No cause of death has been reported yet.
Hemsley is best known for playing George Jefferson (he played the character for more than 15 years) but the actor has had many memorable roles throughout his nearly 40 year career.
Hemsley played Deacon Ernest Frye in the show Amen, Wallace Pitney in Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, and voiced B.P. Richfield in the hit show Dinosaurs. Hemsley also played variations of his famous character in The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air and more recently in House Of Payne.
Details about Hemsley’s death are still scarce but several people have already taken to Twitter to mourn the loss of the famous comedian.
Kevin Smith writes: “G’bye, Sherman Hemsley. Your George Jefferson was so beloved, it earned you your own successful sitcom! Huge bucket of win! Move on up, sir.”
Russell Simmons writes: “RIP Sherman Hemsley aka George Jefferson. rest peacefully in the de-luxe apartment in the sky.”
Here’s a video of some of Hemsley’s famous dance moves.
Are you a fan of Sherman Hemsley? Did you watch The Jeffersons?
