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Grady Wilson is the name of a fictional recurring character on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son played by Whitman Mayo. The character's name first appeared in the 1972 episode "The Dowry"; however, in this episode he was played by Albert Reed Jr. and he was Fred's cousin. Once Mayo took the role, Grady became a regular on the show.
Grady is the best friend of Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx), the main character of "Sanford and Son", a junk and antique business in Watts. Grady is portrayed as an elderly man, known for his stooped appearance and his gray hair and beard. He is most commonly seen wearing an oversized, pale-blue sport coat and walks with a slow shuffle. He often stops by Fred's house to drink and play cards, and he regularly accompanies Fred in his various schemes, much to the chagrin of Fred's son Lamont. He is sometimes referred to by Fred as "Crazy Grady" (a nickname that would be referenced in the 1996 pilot of Malcolm & Eddie ).
Grady is extremely absent-minded and regularly forgets the names of people he knows—especially Lamont, who is Grady's godson. When Grady asks him his name, Lamont often responds by sarcastically giving him a similar name (such as "Lucas" or "Lawrence"), which Grady then acknowledges. (Grady is named after Demond Wilson, the actor who played Lamont on the series. His full name is Grady Demond Wilson.) He frequently confuses certain words, upon hearing them, for anything similar-sounding (such as referring to the "munchies" as "Munchkins"). Grady often refers to his old age, or his impending death, or the deaths of his and Fred's friends. He also frequently inadvertently insults Fred's sister-in-law Esther, by telling her something Fred has said about her. He is often easily alarmed or surprised, and when excited, he is known to exclaim his catch phrases, "Good goobily goop!" or "Great googly moogly!". [1] Grady also has a habit of being easily upset, usually when complimented, accidentally offended or hearing of illness or impending death striking a friend, sobbing uncontrollably and blowing his nose loudly (Fred often responds to this by telling him irritably "Don't do that, you gonna blow somethin' outta your head that you need!")
For a time during the series' run, Fred was "out of town" (due to a salary dispute between Foxx and NBC), leaving Grady in charge of Fred's business, effectively making Grady the main character on the show. During Fred's absence, Grady moved into Fred's house, and also took over the role of Lamont's comic foil. Like Fred before him, he also quite frequently ran afoul of Lamont's formidable Aunt Esther.
Grady appeared on Sanford and Son from 1973 until 1977. During this time, Mayo also starred in a TV series about the character, Grady . In this series, Grady moves out of Watts to live with his daughter. The show was short-lived, and he eventually returned to Sanford and Son. Mayo reprised the role of Grady again in the show's short-lived spin-off The Sanford Arms , in which Grady is married to his former girlfriend, Dolly. Mayo reprised his role again as a guest star on Sanford . [1]
John Elroy Sanford, better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. Known as the "King of the Party Records", he performed on more than 50 records in his lifetime. He portrayed Fred G. Sanford on the television show Sanford and Son and starred in The Redd Foxx Show and The Royal Family, where he played the husband of Della Reese, and grandfather to actor Larenz Tate.
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, which initially aired on BBC1 in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1974.
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his roles as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on Happy Days, Mr. Miyagi in the first four The Karate Kid films (1984-1994), Captain Sam Pak on the comedy series M*A*S*H, Ah Chew in Sanford and Son, Mike Woo in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, and The Emperor of China in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004). He was the series lead actor in the television program Mr. T and Tina and in Ohara, a police-themed drama. The two shows made history for being among the few TV shows with an Asian-American series lead.
Grady Demond Wilson is an American actor and author. The year he turned the age of 26, he began playing the role of Lamont Sanford, the son of Fred Sanford on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son (1972–77). He also portrayed Oscar Madison on The New Odd Couple (1982–83) and appeared in the film Me and the Kid (1993).
Johnny Brown was an American actor and singer. He was most famous for his role as building superintendent Nathan Bookman on the 1970s CBS sitcom, Good Times. Brown portrayed Bookman until the series was cancelled in 1979.
Whitman Blount Mayo Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Grady Wilson on the 1970s television sitcom Sanford and Son.
LaWanda Page was an American actress, comedian and dancer whose career spanned six decades. Crowned "The Queen of Comedy" or "The Black Queen of Comedy", Page melded blue humor, signifyin' and observational comedy with jokes about sexuality, race relations, African-American culture and religion. She released five solo albums, including the 1977 gold-selling Watch It, Sucker!, and collaborated on two albums with the comedy group Skillet, Leroy & Co. As an actress, Page is best known for portraying the Bible-toting and sharp-tongued Esther Anderson on the popular television sitcom Sanford and Son, which aired from 1972 until 1977. Page reprised the role in the short-lived television shows Sanford Arms (1976–1977) and Sanford (1980–1981). She also costarred in the 1979 short-lived series Detective School. Throughout her career, Page advocated for fair pay and equal opportunities for black performers.
Donald Thomas Bexley was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Bubba Bexley on the 1970s television sitcom Sanford and Son.
Lynn Hamilton is an American retired actress whose acting debut came in 1959 in John Cassavetes' Shadows, She is best known for her recurring role as Donna Harris; Fred's girlfriend and later fiancée on the sitcom Sanford and Son (1972–1977) and as Verdie Foster on The Waltons. She also appeared on the detective series Mannix in the season 3 episode 13 as the wife of a police detective who hires Mannix to save her son.
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Nathaniel Taylor was an American television and film actor best known for portraying Rollo Lawson on the 1970s sitcoms Sanford and Son, Grady and the 1980s sitcom Sanford.
Theodore Rosevelt "Teddy" Wilson was an American stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for his recurring roles as Earl the Postman on the ABC sitcom That's My Mama, and Sweet Daddy Williams on the CBS sitcom Good Times and Phil Wheeler on Sanford Arms (1977). Throughout his television and film career, Wilson was credited interchangeably with either Theodore (36) or Teddy (50) as his given name.
Fred G. Sanford is a fictional character portrayed by actor/comedian Redd Foxx on the 1972–1977 NBC sitcom Sanford and Son and the 1980–1981 NBC sitcom Sanford.
Esther Winfield Anderson, known and feared as Aunt Esther, is a fictional character from the television series Sanford and Son. She was played by actress LaWanda Page, an acquaintance of series star Redd Foxx. Page was Foxx's first and only choice to play Esther.
Grady is an American sitcom and a spin-off of Sanford and Son that aired on NBC from December 4, 1975, to March 11, 1976. Whitman Mayo reprises his role as Fred Sanford's widower friend Grady Wilson, who leaves Watts to move in with his daughter and her family in Westwood. Executive producer Norman Lear served as a consultant to the show.
Sanford is an American sitcom television series and a sequel to the original 1972–1977 sitcom Sanford and Son. It was broadcast on NBC from March 15, 1980 to July 10, 1981.
Sanford Arms is an American sitcom television series produced as a spin-off and continuation of Sanford and Son, that aired on NBC from September 16 to October 14, 1977.
Albert Reed Jr. was an American actor and law enforcement officer. He was mostly known for his recurring role as Alderman Fred C. Davis on Good Times. He also had a recurring role on the children's adventure series The Secret of Isis as Dr. Joshua Barnes and made guest appearances on The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son. On Sanford and Son, he appeared in the role of Grady Wilson, a cousin of Fred's, a part he played for just one episode; another role that involved a character named Grady Wilson, a longtime friend of Fred's, would later go to actor Whitman Mayo. He portrayed "Lieutenant Ned Ordway" in the original Airport movie (1970), a case of art imitating life, as Reed was also an airport law enforcement official.
Grady Wilson may refer to: