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Demond Wilson, the celebrated actor renowned for his role as Lamont Sanford, the long-suffering son in the iconic NBC sitcom Sanford and Son from the 1970s, has passed away at 79 years old.
Wilson succumbed to cancer complications on Friday at his residence in Southern California’s Palm Springs region. His publicist, Mark Goldman, confirmed his passing in a statement to NPR.
“Working alongside Demond for 15 years was a true honor, and his absence leaves a deep void,” Goldman remarked. “He was an extraordinary individual whose influence will be forever cherished.”
Wilson was in his late twenties when he was cast as Lamont Sanford, the steadying force against his on-screen dad Fred Sanford, portrayed by Redd Foxx. Although Foxx delivered many of the show’s standout comedic moments, Wilson’s subtle and sincere performance provided the emotional core that made the father-son relationship compelling. He later shared insights into his experience in his 2009 autobiography, Second Banana: The Bitter Sweet Memoirs of the Sanford and Son Years.
Sanford and Son, produced by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, was an adaptation of the British series Steptoe and Son. It was groundbreaking for its portrayal of a Black family on a major network. In a 2008 NPR interview, Yorkin noted, “The dynamic between the father and son intrigued both Norman and me; despite their constant bickering, their dependency on one another was undeniable.”
After Sanford and Son ended, Wilson continued working steadily in television and film. He starred as a struggling gambler in the late-1970s sitcom Baby… I’m Back! and later appeared in The New Odd Couple, a TV adaptation of Neil Simon’s play. His film credits included Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), The Organization (1971), Full Moon High (1981), and Hammerlock (2000).
Born in Valdosta, Georgia, in 1946, Wilson was raised in Harlem in a working-class Catholic family. He studied dance as a child, performed on Broadway, and later served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After returning from military service, he appeared in on- and off-Broadway productions before moving to Los Angeles. In 1971, he was cast in an episode of All in the Family, a role that led to his breakout on Sanford and Son the following year.
Faith remained central to Wilson’s life. After surviving a ruptured appendix at age 12, he committed himself to Christianity and, in the 1980s, was ordained as a Pentecostal minister. He went on to balance parallel careers in acting and preaching and authored several books, including The New Age Millennium: An Expose of Symbols, Slogans and Hidden Agenda, which critiques the New Age movement and Freemasonry from a Christian perspective.
Wilson is survived by his wife, Cicely Johnston, their six children, and two grandchildren. In a statement emailed to NPR, his son Demond Wilson Jr. said his father was “a devoted father, actor, author, and minister.”
“Demond lived a life rooted in faith, service, and compassion,” the statement read. “Through his work on screen, his writing, and his ministry, he sought to uplift others and leave a meaningful impact on the communities he served.”