Demond Wilson, "Sanford and Son" star, dies at 79 Wesley StenzelFebruary 1, 2026 at 2:06 AM 0 Demon Wilson on 'Sanford and Son' in 1973 NBCU Photo Bank Demond Wilson, the actor best known for portraying Lamont Sanford on the iconic sitcom Sanford and Son, has died. The actor's publicist, Mark Goldman, confirmed that Wilson died on Friday at 79 in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. "The family of Demond Wilson is deeply saddened by his passing," Goldman wrote. "At this time, they ask for privacy as they grieve.
- - Demond Wilson, "Sanford and Son" star, dies at 79
Wesley StenzelFebruary 1, 2026 at 2:06 AM
0
Demon Wilson on 'Sanford and Son' in 1973
NBCU Photo Bank
Demond Wilson, the actor best known for portraying Lamont Sanford on the iconic sitcom Sanford and Son, has died.
The actor's publicist, Mark Goldman, confirmed that Wilson died on Friday at 79 in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
"The family of Demond Wilson is deeply saddened by his passing," Goldman wrote. "At this time, they ask for privacy as they grieve. No further details are available, and the family has no additional information to share."
He continued, "I had the privilege of working with Demond for 15 years, and his loss is profoundly felt. He was an unbelievable man, and his impact will never be forgotten. The family appreciates the support and understanding of the community during this difficult time."
Demond Wilson in Parsippany, N.J., on April 22, 2016
Bobby Bank/WireImage
Born in Grady Demond Wilson in Valdosta, Ga., in 1946, the actor moved to New York City in his youth and studied tap dancing and ballet. He served in the 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968.
After working in several theatrical productions in New York upon his return to the States, Wilson made his screen debut in an uncredited role in the 1970 film Cotton Comes to Harlem, which starred Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Redd Foxx. His TV debut came in a 1971 episode of All in the Family, in which he played one half of a burglar duo alongside Cleavon Little.
Wilson played small roles in the 1971 Sidney Poitier film The Organization and the 1972 Michael Crichton adaptation Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues. He also appeared in an episode of Mission: Impossible and an ep of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in the early 1970s.
The actor's breakout role came in 1972 with Sanford and Son. The sitcom cast Wilson as Lamont, the straight man and son to Foxx's irascible Fred G. Sanford, who constantly clashed with him for maximal comedic effect on screen. The show ran for six seasons from 1972 to 1977 on NBC. Sanford maintained immense popularity despite airing on Friday nights, and is considered one of the most influential sitcoms of the 1970s.
Nathaniel Taylor, Don Bexley, Lynn Hamilton, LaWanda Page, Whitman Mayo, Demond Wilson, and Redd Foxx in 'Sanford and Son' on 1974
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty
Following Sanford's cancellation in 1977, Wilson headlined the short-lived CBS sitcom Baby... I'm Back, which lasted just one season in 1978. He appeared on multiple episodes of The Love Boat and an ep of Today's FBI before landing his next lead role, playing Oscar Madison on The New Odd Couple. That series, which also starred Ron Glass, aired for just one season on ABC from 1982 to 1983.
Wilson almost died from a ruptured appendix when he was 12, and vowed to dedicate his life to Christian ministry in the midst of that early health crisis. He followed through on his commitment in the 1980s when he stepped back from entertainment to become an ordained minister in the Church of God in Christ. He helped found Restoration House of America, an organization committed to rehabilitating former prison inmates, in 1995.
The actor later wrote the book The New Age Millennium: An Exposé of Symbols, Slogans and Hidden Agendas in 1998, as well as a number of children's books. His released his autobiography, Second Banana: The Bitter Sweet Memoirs of the Sanford and Son Years, in 2009.
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Wilson occasionally acted later in his career, appearing in the 1993 Danny Aiello dramedy Me and the Kid and the 2000 Pat Morita comedy Hammerlock. He also guest-starred on four episodes of UPN's Girlfriends, appearing as the biological father of Lynn Ann Searcy (Persia White).
Wilson is survived by his wife, Cicely Johnston; his six children, Christopher, Nicole, Melissa, Sarah, Tabatha, and Demond Jr.; and his two grandchildren.
on Entertainment Weekly
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Source: Entertainment
Published: January 31, 2026 at 04:36PM on Source: OPERA MAG
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