Isabel Sanford (born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford; August , â€" July , )
was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian best
known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS
sitcoms All in the Family (â€") and The Jeffersons (â€"). In , she
became the second black actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award, and the
first and to date only black actress to win for Outstanding Lead
Actress in a Comedy Series.Sanford was born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford
in Harlem, New York City, to Josephine (née Perry) and James Edward
Sanford. She was the youngest of seven children and was the only child
to survive beyond infancy. Sanford's mother Josephine was devoutly
religious and insisted that her daughter attend church every Sunday,
and occasionally made her attend on weeknights. As a teenager, Sanford
aspired to be an actress, but her mother discouraged her dream, as she
felt that show business was "the road to degradation." Sanford
disobeyed her mother and began performing at local clubs. She also
performed at amateur night at The Apollo Theater. After graduating
high school, Sanford joined Harlem's American Negro Theater and The
Star Players. She made her professional stage debut in in On Strivers
Row, and appeared in several off-Broadway productions while also
working as a keypunch operator at IBM. Sanford married house painter
William Edward "Sonny" Richmond, with whom she had three children.
Their marriage was tumultuous, and they later separated.After
separating from her husband, Sanford and her three children relocated
to California in . Soon after her arrival, she was asked to join the
national production of Here Today by actress Tallulah Bankhead. In ,
she made her Broadway debut in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner. This
role led to her being cast in the film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
In the film, she was credited as Isabell Sanford, playing the role of
the maid "Tillie Binks," and earned her good reviews. 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 Sherman Hemsley were so popular that Norman Lear
decided to spin off the characters 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 , and was an
immediate hit with audiences, ultimately running for seasons. For her
role in the series, Sanford earned five Golden Globe Award nominations
and seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations. She won a Primetime Emmy
Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in , making her
the first African-American actress to win in that category.
was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian best
known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS
sitcoms All in the Family (â€") and The Jeffersons (â€"). In , she
became the second black actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award, and the
first and to date only black actress to win for Outstanding Lead
Actress in a Comedy Series.Sanford was born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford
in Harlem, New York City, to Josephine (née Perry) and James Edward
Sanford. She was the youngest of seven children and was the only child
to survive beyond infancy. Sanford's mother Josephine was devoutly
religious and insisted that her daughter attend church every Sunday,
and occasionally made her attend on weeknights. As a teenager, Sanford
aspired to be an actress, but her mother discouraged her dream, as she
felt that show business was "the road to degradation." Sanford
disobeyed her mother and began performing at local clubs. She also
performed at amateur night at The Apollo Theater. After graduating
high school, Sanford joined Harlem's American Negro Theater and The
Star Players. She made her professional stage debut in in On Strivers
Row, and appeared in several off-Broadway productions while also
working as a keypunch operator at IBM. Sanford married house painter
William Edward "Sonny" Richmond, with whom she had three children.
Their marriage was tumultuous, and they later separated.After
separating from her husband, Sanford and her three children relocated
to California in . Soon after her arrival, she was asked to join the
national production of Here Today by actress Tallulah Bankhead. In ,
she made her Broadway debut in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner. This
role led to her being cast in the film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
In the film, she was credited as Isabell Sanford, playing the role of
the maid "Tillie Binks," and earned her good reviews. 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 Sherman Hemsley were so popular that Norman Lear
decided to spin off the characters 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 , and was an
immediate hit with audiences, ultimately running for seasons. For her
role in the series, Sanford earned five Golden Globe Award nominations
and seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations. She won a Primetime Emmy
Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in , making her
the first African-American actress to win in that category.
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