About
"...once you find the rhythm of the character, for me anyway...the words just fall right into place."
In his one-hour interview, Sherman Hemsley (1938-2012) talks about his early career as a stage actor (while continuing to work a day job at the post office) and his rise to fame as "George Jefferson" on All in the Family. He speaks of his being cast for the role and the subsequent spin-off, The Jeffersons. Hemsley discusses other shows he performed in after All in the Family went off the air, including Amen and Goode Behavior, as well as his guest appearances on various shows such as Fantasy Island and The Sonny and Cher Show. Karen Herman conducted the interview on August 17, 2003 in Burbank, CA.
Highlights
Sherman Hemsley on direction he was given for the "George Jefferson" character, and his first entrance on All in the Family
Sherman Hemsley on his first "starring" role -- in elementary school
Sherman Hemsley on Norman Lear making the rounds of Broadway shows to look for talent, and being spotted when he was part of the cast of the musical Purlie
Sherman Hemsley on how The Jeffersons worked as a sitcom
Sherman Hemsley on the creation of the "walk" for George Jefferson's character on The Jeffersons
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his upbringing in Philadelphia; on studying at the Philadelphia Academy of Dramatic Arts and becoming part of the Negro Ensemble Company; on playing "Gitlow" in Purlie on Broadway
On getting the part of "George Jefferson" after Norman Lear saw him in Purlie
On playing "George Jefferson" on All in the Family; on first meeting Isabel Sanford on the show, and his character's relationship with the rest of the cast
On developing the character of "George Jefferson"; the trademark "walk"
On Norman Lear, Isabel Sanford's "Weezy" character, and settling into The Jeffersons
Chapter 2
On audience reception of The Jeffersons; on his feelings about individual cast members
On favorite episodes of The Jeffersons; on the legacy of the show
On Amen
On Goode Behavior; on his appearance on variety shows, and shows like Fantasy Island and The Love Boat
On reflecting on his career, his old neighborhood, and career advice for actors
Chapter 3
On the theme of The Jeffersons; on good advice he got when starting out -- to "give it two years" in New York
Shows
All in the Family
Sherman Hemsley on his impressions of All in the Family as a viewer
Sherman Hemsley on direction he was given for the "George Jefferson" character, and his first entrance on All in the Family
Sherman Hemsley on the relationship between "George Jefferson" and "Archie Bunker"
Amen
Sherman Hemsley on how Amen came about, and how he got into the character of "Deacon Ernest Frye"
Sherman Hemsley on the religious consultants on the show, and his admiration for Ed. Weinberger
Donny & Marie
Sherman Hemsley on doing a musical number from 42nd Street on the show
Fantasy Island
Sherman Hemsley on his guest appearance as the world's strongest man
Goode Behavior
Sherman Hemsley on how the show "came together" only toward the end of its run
Jeffersons, The
Sherman Hemsley on the creation of the "walk" for the of character "George Jefferson" on The Jeffersons
Sherman Hemsley on how "George" changed over the course of The Jeffersons
Sherman Hemsley on walking on Paul Benedict's back during The Jeffersons
Sherman Hemsley on how Isabel Sanford's character's "Weezy" nickname came about on The Jeffersons, and his working relationship with her
Sherman Hemsley on audience reception of The Jeffersons
Sherman Hemsley on Zara Cully's "Mother Olivia Jefferson" character
Sherman Hemsley on some of his favorite episodes of The Jeffersons
Sherman Hemsley on how The Jeffersons functioned as a sitcom, and what "George" might be doing today
Sonny and Cher Show, The
Sherman Hemsley on playing an aging "Snow White" on the show
Topics
Characters & Catchphrases
Sherman Hemsley on the creation of the "walk" for George Jefferson's character on The Jeffersons
Sherman Hemsley on how Isabel Sanford's character's "Weezy" nickname came about on The Jeffersons
Comedy
Sherman Hemsley on his first entrance as "George Jefferson" on All in the Family
Sherman Hemsley on some of his favorite episodes of The Jeffersons
Professions
People
Paul Benedict
Sherman Hemsley on walking on Paul Benedict's back during The Jeffersons
Zara Cully
Sherman Hemsley on Cully's "Mother Olivia Jefferson" character
Sherman Hemsley on Zara Cully lying about her age to get on The Jeffersons, and feeling bad about it
Mike Evans
Sherman Hemsley on "Lionel" from The Jeffersons
Norman Lear
Sherman Hemsley on Norman Lear making the rounds of Broadway shows to look for talent, and being spotted when Hemsley was part of the cast of the musical Purlie
Sherman Hemsley on Norman Lear working with the actors during the cast "readings" on The Jeffersons
Carroll O'Connor
Sherman Hemsley on the relationship between "George Jefferson" and "Archie Bunker"
Isabel Sanford
Sherman Hemsley on meeting Isabel Sanford for the first time, and the moment their characters clicked
Sherman Hemsley on how Isabel Sanford's character's "Weezy" nickname came about on The Jeffersons, and his working relationship with her
Ed. Weinberger
Sherman Hemsley on his admiration for Ed. Weinberger when he worked with him on Amen