Demond Wilson, who found fame in the 1970s playing Lamont on “Sanford and Son” and went on to become a minister, has died. He was 79.
Mark Goldman, a publicist for Wilson, confirmed to The Associated Press that he died following complications from cancer on Friday.
“A devoted father, actor, author, and minister, Demond lived a life rooted in faith, service, and compassion. Through his work on screen, his writing, and his ministry, he sought to uplift others and leave a meaningful impact on the communities he served,” Goldman said in an emailed statement.
Wilson was best known as the son of Redd Foxx's comically cantankerous Fred Sanford character in a sitcom that was among the first to feature a mostly Black cast when it began airing in 1972.
The thoughtful Lamont had to put up with his junkyard owner father's schemes, bigotry and insults — most famously, and repeatedly, “You big dummy!”
The show was a hit for its six seasons on NBC but ended when ABC offered Foxx a variety show.
Wilson was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and grew up in the Harlem section of Manhattan, according to the biography on his website.
He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and was wounded there, and he returned to New York and acted on stage before heading to Hollywood.
A guest appearance on “All in the Family” in 1971 led to his best-known role. Norman Lear produced both shows.
Wilson told AP in 2022 that he got the role over comedian Richard Pryor.
“I said, ‘C’mon, you can’t put a comedian with a comedian. You’ve got to have a straight man,’” he said he told the producers.
From Google AI:
Demond Wilson (1946–2026), best known as Lamont on Sanford and Son, underwent a profound spiritual transformation in the 1980s, leaving Hollywood to become an ordained minister in 1984. He dedicated his life to evangelism, operating the Christian International Outreach Center and founding Restoration House of America to rehabilitate former inmates.
- Spiritual Calling: Raised Catholic, Wilson felt a calling to serve God after a near-death experience at age 12.
- Ministry Work: He was ordained in the Church of God in Christ. He focused on street ministry, drug rehabilitation, and later established Restoration House of America in 1995 to help former inmates through vocational training and spiritual guidance.
- Leaving Hollywood: Disillusioned with the industry, he left acting to pursue a more "normal" life for his family and committed to his faith, later acting in some faith-based films.
- Author and Speaker: He wrote books reflecting his faith, including The New Age Millennium: An Exposé of Symbols, Slogans and Hidden Agendas (1998).
Wilson passed away on January 30, 2026, at age 79, leaving a legacy as both an entertainer and a devoted man of faith.
(AP) After “Sanford and Son” ended, Wilson starred in the shorter-lived comedies “Baby I'm Back” and “The New Odd Couple.” He later appeared in four episodes of the show “Girlfriends” in the 2000s, along with a handful of movie roles.
Though he returned to the screen at times, he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986 that the acting life was not for him: “It wasn’t challenging. And it was emotionally exhausting because I had to make it appear that I was excited about what I was doing.”
Wilson became a minister in the 1980s.
He is survived by his wife, Cicely Wilson, and their six children.
