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Sherman Hemsley Biography

Birth Name:
Sherman Alexander Hemsley
Birth Place:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Profession
Actor

Fast Facts

  • Served in the U
  • S
  • Air Force, then worked for the post office for eight years
  • After moving to New York, studied acting with director Lloyd Richards at the celebrated Negro Ensemble Company
  • Made his Broadway debut playing Gitlow in the musical Purlie (1970)
  • Hosted Saturday Night Live in 1976
  • Released an R&B album in 1992 titled Dance
  • Appeared in a series of ads for Denny's and Old Navy with Isabel Sanford, his costar on The Jeffersons

Awards

  • 1985Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy: nominated
  • 1984Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: nominated