Grady Demond Wilson, who played Lamont Sanford passes away at 79
Feb 01, 2026
Washington DC [US], February 1: Actor Grady Demond Wilson, best known for playing Lamont Sanford on the hit TV show Sanford and Son, has passed away. He was 79.
Wilson's son, Demond Wilson Jr, told TMZ that his father died on Friday at his home in Palm Springs. He said Wilson died due to problems linked to cancer, but did not share what type of cancer it was. "I loved him. He was a great man," Demond Jr. told the outlet.
According to Deadline, Grady Demond Wilson was born on October 13, 1946, in Valdosta, Georgia. He grew up in New York City and started acting at a young age. As a child, he appeared on Broadway. Later, he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Vietnam War, where he was wounded.
After returning home, Wilson went back to acting. He performed in Broadway and off-Broadway plays before moving to Hollywood to work in television and films.
In 1971, he appeared in an episode of All in the Family. Soon after, he was chosen to play Lamont Sanford in Sanford and Son. The show ran on NBC from 1972 to 1977 and became one of the most popular sitcoms of its time. Wilson starred alongside Redd Foxx, who played his on-screen father, Fred Sanford.
After Sanford and Son, Wilson continued working in television. He starred in the sitcom Baby... I'm Back! in 1978 and later played Oscar Madison in The New Odd Couple from 1982 to 1983.
He also appeared in shows such as Mission: Impossible, The Love Boat, and Girlfriends. His film work included Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Organization, Full Moon High, and Hammerlock.
Apart from acting, Wilson was also a Christian minister and preacher. He married model Cicely Johnston in 1974. The couple had six children and several grandchildren.
