According to CNN Entertainment, Sanford and Son star and minister Demond Wilson (The New Odd Couple, The Organization) has passed at the age of 79. Mark Goldman (Once Upon a Time, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), a publicist for Wilson, confirmed to The Associated Press that he died following complications from cancer on Friday.
“A devoted father, actor, author, and minister, Demond lived a life rooted in faith, service, and compassion. Through his work on screen, his writing, and his ministry, he sought to uplift others and leave a meaningful impact on the communities he served,” Goldman said in an emailed statement via CNN Entertainment.
As per CNN Entertainment, Wilson was best known as the son of Redd Foxx’s (Harlem Nights, The Redd Foxx Show) comedic Fred Sanford character in sitcom that was among the first to feature a mostly Black cast when it began airing in 1972. The series was a hit and run for a total of six seasons on NBC but ended when ABC offered Foxx a variety show.
According to CNN Entertainment, Wilson was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and grew up in Harlem, Manhattan, New York. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, where he was wounded, returned to New York, and acted on stage until he made his way to Hollywood. His best-known came from a guest appearance on Norman Lear’s (The Jeffersons, Good Times) All in the Family. Lear produced both All in the Family and Sanford and Son. Wilson told AP in 2022 that he got the role over comedian Richard Pryor (Stir Crazy, See No Evil, Hear No Evil).
“I said, ‘C’mon, you can’t put a comedian with a comedian. You’ve got to have a straight man,’” he said he told the producers via CNN Entertainment.
As per CNN Entertainment, after his run on Sanford and Son Wilson starred in the shorter-lived comedies Baby I’m Back and The New Odd Couple.
According to CNN Entertainment, Wilson told the Los Angeles Times in 1986 that the acting life was not for him after returning to the screen from time to time: “It wasn’t challenging. And it was emotionally exhausting because I had to make it appear that I was excited about what I was doing.”