#115: The Day Sherman Hemsley “Moved On Up” Once Last Time…

Okay, before you say anything, can you really blame me? Someone had to say it…

At any rate, I’ve lost a childhood idol and the world has lost a man who helped inspire millions of children of all races and creeds to become actors. Sherman Hemsley died today at the age of 74 at his home in El Paso.

But George Jefferson will live forever. His bigotry, rudeness and love for his “Weezy” will always be a pleasure to watch.

• He went toe-to-toe with Archie Bunker.
• He pulled himself up from nothing, as they say, and even hired a black maid.
• He even had mixed-race neighbors whom he terrorized.
  

  Hemsley, with Isabel Sanford, on The Jeffersons. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   

• He was a hard-working, decent man – on-screen and off.

In a 1977 Jeffersons episode titled “George’s Legacy,” the character decided to immortalize himself by hiring a sculptor to create his bust. “A man’s got to leave his mark,” George tells the bust. “Something to prove that he’s been here. Otherwise, there ain’t no sense in showing up at all.”

You left your mark, Sherman, trust me.

English: Sherman Helmsley, taken at the Hustler Hollywood store on December 3, 1999 Photo courtesy of http://www.lukeisback.com, used with permission (see here). Image taken from the Wayback Machine’s archive of lukeford.com, viewable here (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

• Sherman Hemsley Dead At 74 (kysdc.com)
• Sherman Hemsley, star of ‘Jeffersons,’ dies at 74 (wwltv.com)