Jeffersons actor Hemsley dies

DHAKA: Actor Sherman Hemsley, who rose to fame in the 1970s as the wise-cracking father in the hit sitcom ‘The Jeffersons’, has died at the age of 74, the United States media reported.

Hemsley was found dead in his El Paso, Texas home, People Magazine and celebrity website TMZ reported on Tuesday, citing local police who did not immediately return requests for confirmation.

The Jeffersons was one of the longest-running US television shows with a predominantly black cast.

It focused on how the family adjusted to its newfound affluence after the success of a dry cleaning business, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1638 HRS, JUL 25, 2012

Edited by Robab Rosan, Cultural Affairs Editor