Henry Jefferson
Encyclopedia
Henry Jefferson is a fictional character, the brother of George Jefferson
from the TV series All in the Family
. He lived with George, his sister-in-law Louise
, their son Lionel
, and Lionel's aunt (presumably Henry's wife, Ruby Jefferson), who was referenced in one episode but never seen. He was thus a neighbor to Archie Bunker
. He was played by actor Mel Stewart
.
His first appearance was in an early episode in which the Jeffersons were to be guests at the Bunker's house. Louise brought Henry, claiming that he was her husband, but finally admits the truth: George did not want to dine at the home of a white family. Before their arrival, however, Archie tried unsuccessfully to get Edith to un-invite the Jeffersons to avoid dining with a black family. Though Archie and Henry were almost always at odds, each seemed to respect the other's hard-headedness. In fact, Archie and Henry teamed up in one episode to prevent a Puerto Rican couple from moving into the neighborhood.
The seemingly curious use of a character that was George Jefferson's brother, rather than the George Jefferson character itself from the program's outset, resulted from the fact that Sherman Hemsley
, who was Norman Lear's choice to play George, was performing in the Broadway musical "Purlie" and didn't want to break his commitment to that show. Lear kept the role waiting for him until he was finished appearing in the musical. Henry Jefferson's final appearance on All in the Family was in the 1973 episode in which George Jefferson first appears on television. It is said at this point that Henry is moving to upstate New York to start his own dry-cleaning business.
Henry never appeared on the spin-off
series The Jeffersons
, although was referred to in the episode "Uncle George and Aunt Louise". By this point, Henry and his wife Ruby were living in Chicago
, and their son, Raymond (Gary Coleman
) came to visit.
George Jefferson
George Jefferson is a fictional character played by Sherman Hemsley in American television sitcoms All in the Family and its spin-off The Jeffersons...
from the TV series All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
. He lived with George, his sister-in-law Louise
Louise Jefferson
Louise Jefferson was a supporting character, portrayed by Emmy Award-winning actress Isabel Sanford, who appeared first on the television series All in the Family. She later became one of the main characters in its spinoff series, The Jeffersons...
, their son Lionel
Lionel Jefferson
Lionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. He is the son of George and Louise Jefferson. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired episodes of All in the Family before the role was recast with Mike Evans taking over...
, and Lionel's aunt (presumably Henry's wife, Ruby Jefferson), who was referenced in one episode but never seen. He was thus a neighbor to Archie Bunker
Archie Bunker
Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, bigoted, conservative, blue-collar worker, and...
. He was played by actor Mel Stewart
Mel Stewart
Milton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
.
His first appearance was in an early episode in which the Jeffersons were to be guests at the Bunker's house. Louise brought Henry, claiming that he was her husband, but finally admits the truth: George did not want to dine at the home of a white family. Before their arrival, however, Archie tried unsuccessfully to get Edith to un-invite the Jeffersons to avoid dining with a black family. Though Archie and Henry were almost always at odds, each seemed to respect the other's hard-headedness. In fact, Archie and Henry teamed up in one episode to prevent a Puerto Rican couple from moving into the neighborhood.
The seemingly curious use of a character that was George Jefferson's brother, rather than the George Jefferson character itself from the program's outset, resulted from the fact that Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
, who was Norman Lear's choice to play George, was performing in the Broadway musical "Purlie" and didn't want to break his commitment to that show. Lear kept the role waiting for him until he was finished appearing in the musical. Henry Jefferson's final appearance on All in the Family was in the 1973 episode in which George Jefferson first appears on television. It is said at this point that Henry is moving to upstate New York to start his own dry-cleaning business.
Henry never appeared on the spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
, although was referred to in the episode "Uncle George and Aunt Louise". By this point, Henry and his wife Ruby were living in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and their son, Raymond (Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
) came to visit.