Sherman Hemsley, 74, a onetime mail sorter from South Philadelphia who moved on up to the East Side of New York as George Jefferson in a celebrated 1970s sitcom, died yesterday at his home in El Paso, Texas.
Mr. Hemsley, who was found by his nurse, apparently died of natural causes, according to police.
The Jeffersons, which ran from 1975 to 1985, was one of several groundbreaking black sitcoms of that era, including Sanford and Son and Good Times. George Jefferson was a character unlike any seen on TV before, a proud and successful African American businessman, cocky, edgy, and opinionated, determined not to be pushed around.
Mr. Hemsley, who was found by his nurse, apparently died of natural causes, according to police.
The Jeffersons, which ran from 1975 to 1985, was one of several groundbreaking black sitcoms of that era, including Sanford and Son and Good Times. George Jefferson was a character unlike any seen on TV before, a proud and successful African American businessman, cocky, edgy, and opinionated, determined not to be pushed around.
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