Sherman Helmsley has died. Out of respect, please omit “Movin’ On Up” jokes.
Famous TV actor Sherman Helmsley is dead at the age of 74. No one can say he didn’t have a good run.
He’s best remembered as George Jefferson, a small businessman who first appeared on All In The Family as the next-door neighbor to curmudgeonly racist Archie Bunker. The character proved so popular that he and his family were spun off into their own series, The Jeffersons, which was widely hailed as a funny chronicle of the emerging black middle class.
For me personally, though, my favorite memory of Mr. Helmsley is not as George Jefferson, but as the mathematician in a short piece, “I of Newton”, from the underrated 1980s Twilight Zone revival. In lieu of a moment of silence for his passing, enjoy eight minutes of Mr. Helmsley playing against type. (And yes, that’s Ron “Shepherd Book” Glass as the Devil.)
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I think the Movin’ On Up jokes are sort of sweet because it makes you think of heaven… Which is a great first thought after someone passes.
I watched The Jeffersons when I was little, probably WAY too young to be watching it, really. Loved them! They always felt like your neighbors, which is very cool.