The characters of Edith Bunker and Louise Jefferson, however, were in sharp contrast to the equally bigoted and opinionated George and Archie. Born in New York City on Aug. Even then, she had her distinctively deep voice. Sanford, who for a number of years worked as a keypunch operator at IBM during the day while acting at night, had various off-Broadway productions to her credit when she and her three children moved to Los Angeles on a bus in the early s after her husband died. But I pursued it anyway.
She was the youngest of seven children, but was the only one to survive beyond infancy. Josephine Sanford was devoutly religious and insisted that Sanford attend church every Sunday and occasionally made her attend on weeknights. As a teen, 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 behind her mother's back. She made her professional stage debut in in On Strivers Row and appeared in several off-Broadway productions while also working as a keypunch operator at IBM.
Sanford later married house painter William Edward "Sonny" Richmond and had three children. Their marriage was tumultuous and they later separated. After separating from her husband, Sanford and her three children relocated to California in where Sanford continued acting in stage productions, television and film. Soon after her arrival, she was asked to join the national production of Here Today by actress Tallulah Bankhead. The role lead to her being cast in the film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
In the film, Sanford portrayed the role of the maid Tillie Binks which earned her good reviews. How Much Have You Seen? How much of Isabel Sanford's work have you seen?
Won 1 Primetime Emmy. See more awards ». Known For. The Jeffersons Louise Jefferson. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Tillie. South Beach Mama. Lady Sings the Blues The Madame. Show all Hide all Show by Jump to: Actress Soundtrack Self Archive footage.
Hide Show Actress 60 credits. Isabel Sanford voice. Evelyn 'Nana' Smith. Bernice voice. Louise Jefferson uncredited. Mother Hightower. Louise Jefferson. Margaret Duffy. Ryan - Quittin' Time Judge Isabel Kohner. Aunt Dee. Shirley McLoon voice. Hot Mama Vibes. James Wolsky Although the black community remained divided over the show's message, it appealed to large audiences, both black and white. Sanford especially enjoyed the show's continuing appeal. She loved getting mail from fans who saw The Jeffersons for the first time as reruns.
Her longtime manager Brad Lemack told Hollywood Reporter in "She was just amazed and so pleased that the show had that kind of lasting power and entertainment because she loved to make people laugh.
Isabel Sanford continued to appear on stage and in films and on television until shortly before her death. In she reunited with other cast members for a live stage production, The Best of the Jeffersons , in which they reenacted some of the most popular television episodes. Between and Sanford made numerous guest appearances on television series and specials and was a popular guest panelist. In her voice was heard on an episode of The Simpsons.
In their later years Sanford and Sherman Hensley resurrected Louise and George Jefferson in television commercials for Denny's restaurants and other sponsors. She was noted for her philanthropy and established a scholarship for minority students at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Hollywood Reporter quoted her as saying: "Here with stars in my eyes—something that I dreamed about when I was 9 years old.
Born Isabel Eloise? Sanford died of natural causes on July 9, , in Los Angeles. She was Her health had been failing during the previous months, following preventative surgery on an artery in her neck.
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