Filming was halfway through the fourth season when Redd Foxx, without warning, didn’t show up. No call, no explanation.
Panic set in. The network feared he’d quit. Demond Wilson was furious. The audience tickets had already been issued. But Foxx was gone—on a Caribbean island, relaxing.
The reason? Contract dispute. He felt underpaid and overworked, especially compared to white TV stars of the era. To get him back, NBC had to renegotiate a new contract and send two lawyers to track him down in person.
He returned. But from that point on, every line he delivered carried a sharper edge—not just as Fred Sanford, but as Redd Foxx, a man who fought to be seen and paid what he was worth.
