Demond Wilson died Friday morning at his Palm Springs home. The 79-year-old actor lost his battle with cancer complications.
Wilson’s son, Demond Wilson Jr., confirmed his father’s death to TMZ. “I loved him. He was a great man,” he said. The actor became a household name playing Lamont Sanford on NBC’s Sanford and Son from 1972 to 1977. He starred opposite Redd Foxx, who played his cantankerous father, Fred Sanford.
Wilson was born Grady Demond Wilson in Valdosta, Georgia, on October 13, 1946. He grew up in New York City, studying tap dance and theater. After Sanford and Son ended, Wilson starred in Baby… I’m Back! for one season on CBS. He also played Raymond Ellis in The New Odd Couple during the early 1980s. Wilson took his talents to film, appearing in movies like Me and the Kid in 1993. He stepped away from acting for nearly 20 years to pursue his faith and become a pastor.
The veteran actor returned to the screen in 2023 with Eleanor’s Bench, his final performance, according to his IMDb page. Wilson’s character, Lamont, represented the younger generation trying to escape poverty and build something better. That struggle resonated with Hip-Hop artists who grew up watching reruns.