Eloise Gwendolyn "Isabel" Sanford (August 29, 1917 – July 9, 2004) was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS sitcoms All in the Family (1971–1975) and The Jeffersons (1975–1985). In 1981, she became the second African-American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award after Gail Fisher and the first African-American actress to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Early life Sanford was born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford on August 29, 1917, in Harlem, New York City, to Josephine (née Perry) and James Edward Sanford. She was the youngest of seven children and was the only child to survive beyond infancy. Sanford's mother Josephine was devoutly religious and insisted that her daughter attend church every Sunday, and occasionally made her attend on weeknights. As a teenager, Sanford aspired to be an actress, but her mother discouraged her, as she felt that show business was "the road to degradation." Sanford disobeyed her mother and began performing at local clubs. She also performed at amateur night at the Apollo Theater. After graduating high school, Sanford joined Harlem's American Negro Theatre and The Star Players. 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. In 1945, Sanford married house painter William Edward "Sonny" Richmond, with whom she had three children. Their marriage was tumultuous (a euphemism of the time for domestic violence), and they later separated.
Career In 1960, Sanford withdrew money from her retirement fund, boarded a bus with her three children, left her husband in New York, and moved to Los Angeles. Soon after her arrival, she was asked to join the national production of Here Today by actress Tallulah Bankhead. In 1965, she made her Broadway debut in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner. This role led to her being cast in the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. In the film, she was credited as Isabell Sanford, playing the role of the maid "Tillie Binks." Her performance was noted and earned good reviews, despite limited screen time. 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. 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. Sanford was initially reluctant to commit to working on a weekly series, as she was already working steadily, but decided to accept the offer. The Jeffersons premiered in January 1975, and was an immediate hit with audiences, ultimately running for 11 seasons. For her role in the series, Sanford earned five Golden Globe Award nominations and seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations. 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 and remained the only African-American actress to do so until 2023-24 when Quinta Brunson achieved this feat for her role as Janine Teagues on Abbott Elementary.
After The Jeffersons''' cancellation in 1985, Sanford continued her career with guest-starring roles in television and film. In January 1987, she starred in her own sitcom, Isabel's Honeymoon Hotel, which aired five days a week in syndication. The series was created to showcase Sanford's comedic skills, but it failed to attract an audience and was quickly cancelled. In the 1990s, Sanford mainly appeared in television guest appearances and cameo appearances in movies. She appeared on Dream On, Living Single, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, In the House, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Steve Harvey Show, and Hearts Are Wild. In 1996, she played a supporting role in the action movie Original Gangstas, starring blaxploitation film stars Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree. Isabel Sanford appeared in Kojak Season 1 Episode 14 "Die Before They Wake" in 1974.
Sanford later reprised her role as Louise Jefferson in a touring company of The Real Live Jeffersons stage show in the mid-1990s alongside Sherman Hemsley. She and Hemsley also made a cameo appearance in the film Sprung, and guest-starred in The Parkers, Mafia!, and two episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The two also appeared in a series of advertisements for Denny's and Old Navy. In January 2004, Sanford received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the television industry. She made her final television appearance the following month as an animated version of herself in The Simpsons'' episode "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore."
Personal life Sanford married house painter William Edward "Sonny" Richmond in 1945. The couple had three children—two sons (Sanford K. Richmond and Eric Richmond) and a daughter (Pamela Richmond Ruff) before separating in 1960. Following the separation, Sanford and the children moved to Los Angeles. Richmond remained in New York and died later that same year.
Death In September 2003, Sanford underwent preventive surgery on her carotid artery. In the ensuing months, her health steadily declined. She was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on July 4, 2004, where she died five days later at the age of 86. Her publicist attributed it to unspecified natural causes. She was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. For her contribution to the television industry, Isabel Sanford has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
Broadway credits Date Production Role April 15 – June 26, 1965 The Amen Corner Sister Moore
Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Tillie 1968 The Young Runaways Sarah 1969 Pendulum Effie 1969 The Comic Ethel 1970 The Red, White, and Black Isabel Taylor 1972 Stand Up and Be Counted Beverly Uncredited 1972 Every Little Crook and Nanny Nanny Rose Uncredited 1972 The New Centurions Wilma 1972 Hickey & Boggs Maryanne- Nyona's Mother 1972 Lady Sings the Blues Madame Blaine 1972 Pete 'n' Tillie Nanny Mae Uncredited 1972 Up the Sandbox Maria 1974 The Photographer Mrs. Thomas Slade 1979 Love At First Bite Judge R. Thomas 1981 Desperate Moves Dottie Butz 1990 Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog Joanna 1992 South Beach Mama Joan 1996 Original Gangstas Gracie Bookman 1997 Sprung RosaLynn Charleson 1998 Jane Austen's Mafia! Mrs. Louise Jefferson Uncredited 2000 Click Three Times Dorothy Short
+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1968 The Carol Burnett Show Sketch Performer Episodes #2.1, 2.9, 2.12, 3.8 1968 Bewitched Aunt Jenny Episode: "Samantha Goes South for a Spell" 1968 The Mod Squad Lillian Episode: "Love"Credited as Isabell Sanford 1970 Daniel Boone Maybelle Episode: "Sunshine Patriots" 1971 The Bill Cosby Show Bertha Episode: "The Barber Shop"Credited as Isabell Sanford 1971 The Interns Dr. Alice Hearn Episode: "The Choice" 1971–1972 Love, American Style Various roles 2 episodes 1971–1975 All in the Family Louise Jefferson 26 episodes 1972 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Mrs. Isabell Wilson Episode: "His Two Right Arms" 1972 The Great Man's Whiskers Ella Television film 1972 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home Betsy Voice, Episode: "Help Wanted" 1973 Temperatures Rising Mrs. Marny Noland Episode: "The Mothers" 1974 Kojak Grace Episode: "Die Before They Wake" 1975–1985 The Jeffersons Louise Jefferson 253 episodes 1978 Vega$ Mae Episode: "Milliken's Stash" 1979 Supertrain Reba Episode: "Pirouette" 1980–1983 The Love Boat Tanya Washington, Isaac's Aunt 2 episodes 1984 Reading Rainbow Narrator Episode: "The Patchwork Quilt" 1986 Crazy Like a FoxPamela 1 episode 1986 The New Mike Hammer Mama Vibes Episode: "Harlem Nocturne" 1987 Isabel Sanford's Honeymoon Hotel Isabel Scott 5 episodes 1988 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Additional voices Episode "A Bicycle Built for Boo!" 1993 Dream On Judge Isabel Kohner Episode: "Oral Sex, Lies and Videotape" 1993 Living Single Ms. Eunetta Ryan Episode: "Quittin' Time" 1994 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Judge Annie Colton Episode: "The Courtship of Mark Cooper" 1994 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Ms. Margaret Duffy Episode: "Seasons Greedings" 1995 Roseanne Louise Jefferson, TV Mom #3 Episode: "All About Rosey" 1995 In the House Nanna Roosetta Warren 2 episodes 1995–1996 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Louise "Weezy" Jefferson 2 episodes 1996 The Steve Harvey Show Mother Hightower Episode: "That's My Mama" 1997 Teen Angel Laurie Episode: "Sings Like an Angel" 1998 Pepper Ann Bernice Voice, Episode: "Cocoon Gables/Green-Eyed Monster" 1999 Jackie's Back Miss Isabel Krumes Television film 2001 The Parkers Evelyn "Nana" Smith Episode: "Hands Off, Grandma" 2002 The Young and the Restless Sylvia Episode #1.7534 2004 The Simpsons Herself Voice, Episode: "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" 2004 Candid Camera Mrs. Jefferson Episode: "Mother's Day", (final appearance)
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Title of work Result1979Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe JeffersonsNominated1980Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe JeffersonsNominated1981Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe JeffersonsWon1982Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe JeffersonsNominated1983Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe JeffersonsNominated1984Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe JeffersonsNominated1985Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe JeffersonsNominated1977Golden Globe AwardBest TV Actress - Musical/ComedyThe JeffersonsNominated1978Golden Globe AwardBest TV Actress - Musical/ComedyThe JeffersonsNominated1983Golden Globe AwardBest Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/MusicalThe JeffersonsNominated1984Golden Globe AwardBest Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/MusicalThe JeffersonsNominated1985Golden Globe AwardBest Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/MusicalThe JeffersonsNominated2004TV Land AwardsFavorite Cantankerous CoupleThe Jeffersons (Shared with Sherman Hemsley)Won
See also List of people from Harlem
References
External links