Isabel Sanford

Isabel Sanford was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned theater, film and television. She took part in amateur night at the Apollo Theater and was part of the American Negro Theatre and The Star Players in Harlem. Her first professional stage work came in 1946 with On Strivers Row. A 1965 Broadway role in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner led to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). Norman Lear cast her as Louise Jefferson in All in the Family, and the character's popularity led to the spin-off The Jeffersons, which ran for 11 seasons. The part brought her five Golden Globe nominations and seven Emmy nominations, and she won the 1981 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, the first African-American actress to earn that award. Later she appeared in guest roles on many television series and in films including Sprung (1997), and in 2004 her name was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.