Demond Wilson, ‘Sanford and Son’ Actor and Television Trailblazer, Dead at 79

Demond Wilson, the actor best known for portraying Lamont Sanford on the groundbreaking 70's sitcom Sanford and Son, died Friday at the age of 79. His son, Demond Wilson Jr., confirmed his death to TMZ, stating that Wilson died at his home in Palm Springs, California, from complications related to cancer.

Wilson’s career spanned decades and intersected with some of the most important shifts in American television, particularly in the representation of Black families and working-class life on screen. As the long-suffering, levelheaded son to Redd Foxx’s irascible Fred Sanford, Wilson became part of one of the most influential sitcom duos of the era.

Born October 13, 1945, in Valdosta, Georgia, Wilson was raised primarily in New York City. He showed an early aptitude for performance and appeared on Broadway as a child, developing stage experience long before his television breakthrough. His formative years were interrupted by military service; Wilson served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, an experience he later described as profoundly shaping his worldview and priorities.

After returning from the service, Wilson relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting professionally. His early screen credits included a role in the 1971 Sidney Poitier film The Organization, as well as appearances on television series such as Mission: Impossible and All in the Family. It was his guest spot on the latter that proved pivotal. Producer Bud Yorkin, who was developing an American adaptation of the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, took notice of Wilson and ultimately cast him opposite Foxx.

Premiering in 1972, Sanford and Son quickly became one of NBC’s highest-rated shows. Set in a junkyard in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, the series blended sharp insult comedy with social commentary, frequently addressing racism, poverty, generational conflict, and the realities of Black working-class life. Wilson’s Lamont served as both emotional anchor and moral counterweight to Foxx’s bombastic Fred, grounding the show’s humor with restraint and sincerity.

The series ran for six seasons, concluding in 1977 amid Foxx’s contract disputes with the network. During its run, Sanford and Son helped redefine what a mainstream sitcom could look like and paved the way for future Black-led television comedies. Wilson’s performance, understated and empathetic, was central to that success.

Following the show’s conclusion, Wilson continued working steadily in television. He starred in the short-lived sitcom Baby… I’m Back! and made numerous guest appearances on series, including The Love Boat. In 1982, he took on the role of Oscar Madison in The New Odd Couple, a reimagining of the classic Neil Simon property. Though the series was brief, it marked Wilson’s continued presence in network television into the Eighties.

In the years that followed, Wilson gradually stepped away from acting and devoted himself to ministry. He became an ordained minister and focused much of his later life on faith-based work and community outreach. His final on-screen role came in 2005, when he appeared in a four-episode arc on UPN’s Girlfriends, marking a quiet return to television nearly three decades after his most famous role.

Wilson is survived by his wife and children. While his later years were spent largely out of the public eye, his legacy remains firmly embedded in television history.