In January 1987, she starred in her own sitcom, Isabel's Honeymoon Hotel, which aired five days a week in syndication. Īfter The Jeffersons' cancellation in 1985, Sanford continued her career with guest-starring roles in television and film. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1981, making her the first African-American actress to win in that category. For her role in the series, Sanford earned five Golden Globe Award nominations and seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations. The Jeffersons premiered in January 1975, and was an immediate hit with audiences, ultimately running for 11 seasons. Sanford was initially reluctant to commit to working on a weekly series, as she was already working steadily, but decided to accept the offer. 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. 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. In the film, she was credited as Isabell Sanford, playing the role of the maid "Tillie Binks," and earned her good reviews. This role led to her being cast in the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. In 1965, she made her Broadway debut in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner. Soon after her arrival, she was asked to join the national production of Here Today by actress Tallulah Bankhead. Career Īfter separating from her husband, Sanford and her three children relocated to California in 1960. Their marriage was tumultuous, and they later separated. Sanford married house painter William Edward "Sonny" Richmond, with whom she had three children. She made her professional stage debut in 1946 in On Strivers Row, and appeared in several off-Broadway productions while also working as a keypunch operator at IBM. After graduating high school, Sanford joined Harlem's American Negro Theater and The Star Players. She also performed at amateur night at The Apollo Theater. 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. Sanford's mother Josephine was devoutly religious and insisted that her daughter attend church every Sunday, and occasionally made her attend on weeknights. She was the youngest of seven children and was the only child to survive beyond infancy. Sanford was born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford in Harlem, New York City, to Josephine ( née Perry) and James Edward Sanford. In 1981, she became the second African-American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award after Gail Fisher, and so far, the only African-American actress to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Isabel Sanford (born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford Aug– July 9, 2004) 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 (1971–1975) and The Jeffersons (1975–1985). Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series ( The Jeffersons 1981)
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