Sanford and Son is a hit sitcom that aired on NBC from 1972 to 1977. The TV show was based on the British series Steptoe and Son, airing from 1962 to 1974 on BBC One. Sanford and Son follows Fred Sanford, a grouchy junkyard owner and widower who lives and works with his tolerant son. Sanford devises various ways to make money, only to have them fail in hilarious ways.
Adapted by Norman Lear, the sitcom was considered NBC’s equivalent of CBS’s All in the Family for its racial humor, running gags, and catchphrases. It has also earned praise for inspiring numerous Black comedies. So, are any Sanford and Son cast members still alive?
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Redd Foxx starred in the title role on ‘Sanford and Son’
Redd Foxx portrayed Fred Sanford, a sarcastic, streetwise schemer whose several attempts to get rich always backfired.
After leaving Sanford and Son in 1977, Foxx reprised his iconic role in the short-lived revival Sanford. When that ended, the actor launched The Redd Foxx Show.
Foxx’s final project was The Royal Family, in which he portrayed Alfonso Royal. According to IMDb, the actor died on set on Oct. 11, 1991, at age 68, abruptly ending the show.
Coincidentally, Foxx died of a heart attack after playing Fred Sanford, whose famous shtick was faking a heart attack in many episodes.
Demond Wilson portrayed Fred’s son, Lamont Sanford
Wilson played Lamont, Fred’s son and co-owner of the salvage yard. Lamont patiently endures his father’s constant shenanigans and grumpiness. Though Fred frequently calls his son dumb, the younger Sanford always strives to improve his situation and explore the world beyond the junkyard.
After leaving Sanford and Son, Wilson became a preacher and dedicated his life to helping ex-convicts. He established the Restoration House of America to provide ex-cons with spiritual guidance and resources for re-entry into society. Wilson, born on Oct. 13, 1946, is now 76.
LaWanda Page played Aunt Esther Anderson on ‘Sanford and Son’
Page fully inhabited the role of Esther Anderson (aka Aunt Esther), the Bible-toting sister of Fred’s late wife, Elizabeth. Esther is pious and humorless, although she’s incredibly generous and compassionate with her nephew Lamont.
Page remained on the show until its cancellation in 1977 with Foxx’s exit. She returned as a co-star in the ill-fated spinoff The Sanford Arms. In the ’90s, she played spoofs of herself as an old lady in films such as Friday and Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.
The actor died in 2002 at 81 due to diabetes-related complications.
Whitman Mayo portrayed Grady Wilson, Fred’s best friend
Mayo played Grady Wilson, Fred’s good-humored and gullible best friend. Wilson acts as Fred’s sidekick and is frequently involved in his plans to try to make a quick buck.
Audiences were so taken with Mayo’s portrayal of Grady that he landed his own spinoff miniseries and later reprised his role in Sanford Arms. He also appeared in Boyz in the Hood, Family Matters, Diff’rent Strokes, Hell Town, Full House, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
In the late ’90s, Mayo took a teaching position at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he remained until his death in May 2001. According to IMDb, the actor died at 70 after a severe heart attack.
Don Bexley played Bubba Bexley, Fred’s loyal but dimwitted friend
Don Bexley portrayed Bubba Bexley, another sidekick. Bubba takes turns with Grady as Fred’s best friend and is known for his contagious belly laugh and cheerful personality.
Bexley continued acting after Sanford and Son ended, appearing as a guest star on shows like T.J. Hooker, Hunter, Cheers, True Colors, and the spinoff Sanford Arms. The actor served as a pallbearer at Redd Foxx’s 1991 funeral before his untimely death from heart and kidney problems at age 87 in 1995.
