Sherman Hemsley, a Philadelphia native and star of the popular sitcom, The Jeffersons, has died, his agent said in a statement to Reuters.
The actor died at his home in El Paso, Texas on Tuesday. He was 74 years old. Hemsley's agent, Todd Frank, did not say how the actor died.
Hemsley, who was born and raised in South Philadelphia, first gained fame in a supporting role on the sitcom All in the Family in 1971, playing the role of Archie Bunker's neighbor, George Jefferson. The character was so popular that Hemsley was given his own spin-off series, The Jeffersons in 1975. One of the most popular and critically acclaimed sitcoms of all time, The Jeffersons ran for 11 seasons and turned Hemsley into a pop culture icon.
Hemsley later joined the cast of NBC’s Amen in 1986. He was also a voice actor on the live-action puppet series, Dinosaurs.
Hemsley has appeared on NBC10 twice for both a Wake Up Call as well as a 10! Show interview.
