The 1970s and the 1980s were full of some really great television shows, many of which are considered to be classics. One of those shows is The Jeffersons, which aired on television during both of those decades.
There are lots of interesting facts that fans of that show probably do not already know. For example, the first actor that played Lionel Jefferson was actually part of the creative team behind another very popular show, which was Good Times. The series even featured a character that was inspired by him. There are also some other really interesting things that fans will probably be interested to know about this show.
Isabel Sanford Didn’t Think It Would Work Out
The Jeffersons was a big success for a long time, but which was probably a nice surprise for Isabel Sanford, since she did not think it would work out. For those who do not know, this actress was the one who played Louise Jefferson, one of the main characters on the show.
At first, the actress was not in favor of starring in the series. The series was a spin-off of All In The Family, which was already a major success, and she did not want to take any chances on something audiences were not already familiar with, but history proved that this show was a good thing for her to take a chance on.
Isabel Was Surprised To See Who They Cast As Her Husband
Isabel was originally not very pleased with the actor that was cast to play Louise’s husband on the series. He was a lot younger than her (21 years older, to be exact) and she did not think that audiences would buy them as a married couple, but obviously she was very wrong about that.
The actress also thought he was very little, which is actually something that was discussed multiple times during the show. There are many episodes that show characters on the series making fun of the fact that Sherman was very short. His height only made the show better.
George’s Nickname For His Wife Was A Happy Accident
Some people might think that the nickname George had for his wife was always a part of the show, but that is not the case. Long before the show started, he had given the nickname “Weezy” to a girl he knew in real life, and it ended up coming out by accident when he was working on the series.
This proved to be a really good thing, since it became a pretty big part of The Jeffersons. Things like that always make a show feel much more realistic and relatable, but he probably felt pretty embarrassed when it happened. But it seems that this little slip up is something that worked out rather nicely for the show.
The Show Was Rather Groundbreaking
The Jeffersons featured an interracial couple, which was not something audiences were used to seeing at the time. That couple was Tom and Helen Willis, and they played the Jeffersons’ neighbors, as well as the parents of Lionel’s love interest, Jenny.
There are lots of interracial couples in the entertainment world these days, but back when this show was on television, there were still a lot of people who were not used to the idea of interracial marriages. That is part of the reason why this series is as powerful and memorable as it is today. Tom, Helen, and Jenny were a really big part of The Jeffersons, and they added a lot to the show overall. The couple also had another child.
Their Son Was The First Jefferson Anyone Saw On TV
This is something that can be a bit hard to remember, but Lionel was the first member of the Jefferson family to be seen on television. That happened because Lionel was a character that frequently visited the Bunkers on the show All In The Family.
For a while, he was the only Jefferson that ever made an appearance on television. But then Louise also started appearing on the show as well, and she became really close friends with Edith Bunker later on that series. Another Jefferson family member that once appeared on that show was Lionel’s uncle, which was George’s brother.
One Of The Cast Members Used To Deliver Mail
The main star of the show, Sherman Hemsley, used to deliver mail before he had his big break on television. The actor had this job while he was in Philadelphia. The actor later moved to New York so that he could get closer to his dreams of becoming a successful actor, but he did stay in that line of work for a while. Even after the actor made the big move to New York, he still held that kind of job, which was probably a very smart thing to do, since it would have been hard for him to predict the success he later enjoyed.
Two Of The Cast Members Had Nicknames For Each Other
The main cast members of The Jeffersons worked together for a very long time, and that resulted in some of them having nicknames for one another. Isabel was often referred to as “The Queen” for a few reasons.
The actress was not a diva, as one might expect of a person with that kind of nickname. She only earned the nickname because she had a lot of elegance. She also had her very own nickname for Sherman, and it had something to do with his size. The actress often just referred to her famous onscreen husband as “Neck,” which is kind of funny.
Marla Worked For An Airline
Marla Gibbs might have found success and fame after taking on the role of the housekeeper that the Jeffersons hired, but it took her a long time to let go of the job she had before, which was a reservation agent at United Airlines. That is because her character was originally not supposed to be a big part of the series.
The actress was only supposed to play a very small role, but it turned out that the audience members really liked her, which resulted in her appearing in a lot more of the show than the creators originally intended. The actress kept the other job for two years before leaving the company.
Sherman Claimed He Found Out About The Cancellation In A Strange Way
When the show was canceled, Sherman found out about it in a very strange way. One would think that the cast members would have been some of the first people to be notified about a big thing like that, but the man Sherman actually did not know about it until he read something about it in the newspaper.
He is not the only one who found out in a weird way. Isabel did not know anything about the show being canceled until a member of her family told her that they read about it. The cast didn’t seem to get much time to prepare for the end of their show.
Roxie Is The Mother Of A Famous Musician
Roxie Roker, who played Helen Willis on The Jeffersons, was Lenny Kravitz’s mother. One very interesting fact is that the musician used to visit the set of the show when he was little, which must have been a lot of fun.
Lenny probably has some really interesting memories from that time in his life. It seems that show business is something that runs in his family, since he and his mother are not the only ones who were involved in the entertainment industry. His father, Sy Kravitz, was a filmmaker. Roxie’s granddaughter, Zoë Kravitz, is also involved in show business as well.
