Actress Isabel Sanford, best known for her role as Louise “Weezy” Jefferson in “The Jeffersons” and the first black actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, was born on this date in 1917. Born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford in Harlem, she joined the Star Players (later the American Negro Theater) in the 1930s. Sanford worked with them until World War II started and the theater temporarily split up. After the war, Sanford had home obligations that put her career on hold. But her husbands death was inspiration for Sanfords dream. She eventually made it to the Broadway stage in James Baldwins “The Amen Corner” and in 1967 made her film debut in “Guess Whos Coming to Dinner?” In it, Sanford played Tillie Binks, the ever-loyal housekeeper of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Her role of the maid was in stark contrast to the supposed liberalism of Hepburn and Tracy characters in the film. Here Sanford offered a grand performance in what might be the last of the great strong, humorless black domestics, a practice in American films and TV until the civil rights era (see below). She caught the attention of major Hollywood players, including Norman Lear, who cast Sanford in the role of Louise Jefferson in “All in the Family.” Sanford and her TV husband, the late Sherman Hemsley, were so popular that Norman Lear decided to spin the characters off into their own weekly series. “The Jeffersons.” Sanford was initially reluctant to commit to working on a weekly series as she was already working steadily, but decided to accept the offer. “The Jeffersons” premiered in January 1975 and was an immediate hit with audiences. It ultimately ran for 11 seasons with Sanford garnering her historic Emmy nod in 1981. In the 1990s, Sanford mainly appeared in television guest appearances and cameo appearances in movies. She later reprised her role as Louise Jefferson in a touring company of “The Real Live Jeffersons” stage show in the mid-1990s alongside Hemsley. In January 2004, Sanford received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the television industry. She made her final television appearance the following month as an animated version of herself on “The Simpsons” episode, Milhouse Doesnt Live Here Anymore. Please note the clip below has strong language.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:24:53 +0000
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