Sherman Hemsley, the actor who made the irascible, bigoted George Jefferson of "The Jeffersons" one of television's most memorable characters and a symbol for urban upward mobility, died at 74.
Police in El Paso, Texas, said late Tuesday that Hemsley was found dead at a home where neighbors said he'd lived for years. A statement from police said no foul play is suspected and that the exact cause of death is pending.
The Philadelphia-born Hemsley first played the blustering black Harlem businessman on CBS's "All in the Family" before he was spun off onto "The Jeffersons." In 11 seasons from 1975 to 1985 it became one of TV's most successful sitcoms - noteworthy with its mostly black cast.
Hemsley and the Jeffersons (Isabel Sanford played his wife) often dealt with contemporary issues of racism, but more frequently reveled in the sitcom archetype of a short-tempered, opinionated patriarch.
People are also reading…
Chad Everett, star of "Medical Center"
Chad Everett, star of the 1970s TV series "Medical Center" who went on to appear in films and TV shows including "Mulholland Drive" and "Melrose Place," died at 75.
Everett's daughter, Katherine Thorp, said he died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles after a year-and-a-half battle with lung cancer.
Everett played sensitive surgeon Joe Gannon for seven seasons on "Medical Center." The role earned him Golden Globe nominations in 1971 and 1973.
With a career spanning more than 40 years, Everett guest-starred in TV series including "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Without a Trace." Everett most recently appeared on the TV shows "Castle" and "Supernatural," where he appeared as an older version of Jensen Ackles' character Dean Winchester.
Frank Pierson, screenwriter
The Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Cool Hand Luke" died at 87.
Frank Pierson's family said he died Monday in Los Angeles after a short illness.
He won an Oscar for writing 1975's "Dog Day Afternoon" and was nominated for his screenplays for "Cool Hand Luke" and "Cat Ballou." He wrote and directed 1976's "A Star is Born."
Perhaps Pierson's most famous line was for "Cool Hand Luke":
"What we've got here is failure to communicate."
He most recently worked as a writer and consulting producer on TV's "Mad Men" and "The Good Wife."
