Whitman Mayo
Encyclopedia
Whitman B. Mayo was an American actor
best known for his character Grady Wilson
on the 1970s television sitcom
Sanford and Son
.
Noted for portraying characters older than his actual age, Mayo was in his 40s when he played Grady on Sanford and Son.
and Queens. He moved with his family to Southern California
at age seventeen and from there entered the United States Army
, serving from 1951 to 1953. Upon release, he studied at Chaffey College
, Los Angeles City College
, and UCLA. During this time he began acting in small parts, while waiting tables
, working in the vineyard
s and as a probation officer
as well as a variety of other small jobs. He also spent seven years as a counselor to delinquent boys.
recommended Mayo for a part in a single episode. His portrayal caught on and he lasted through the entire duration of the show, even filling in as the leading character while the star
, Redd Foxx
, held out for more pay. Mayo's character was Grady Wilson; Grady Demond Wilson is the birth name of the show's co-star, Demond Wilson
, who played Fred Sanford's son. Having a plethora of experience with the tentative in his life, Mayo viewed his continuing success on the series as fleeting and ventured into other trades to assure financial stability. In 1975, for instance, he opened a travel agency
in Inglewood, California
. Mayo starred in an unsuccessful spin-off, Grady
, in which his character moved in with his daughter and her husband in Beverly Hills.
In the late 1970s he appeared on the Los Angeles
children's television program That's Cat
, offering sage advice in a sweet manner to the main character, Alice.
In 1996, the show Late Night with Conan O'Brien
wished to use him in a sketch
, but was unable to locate him. The show mounted a highly publicized tongue-in-cheek
search for Mayo called "Where's Grady?". After three weeks and over 50,000 calls to NBC
from fans who claimed to have spotted him, Mayo finally appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
to a standing ovation from the audience, and the highest ratings Late Night with Conan O'Brien had seen in years. Mayo revealed that it was his mother who told him of the search after a repairman saw his picture in her house and told her she could be eligible for a reward
. At the time, Mayo was in Cape Canaveral, Florida
as a member of the cast of the short-lived syndicated action/drama television show, The Cape. In the show, Mayo played Sweets, the lovable owner of the Moonshot Bar and Grill.
Though his role as Grady typecast
him, Mayo did not let it define him. His professional growth took him some distance from the Watts junkyard of the NBC sitcom. He rounded out his career teaching drama
at Clark Atlanta University
in Atlanta, Georgia
, as well as hosting Liars and Legends on Turner South
.
Although best known for his television work, Mayo made several film appearances, including The Main Event
with Barbra Streisand
, D.C. Cab
, Boyz n the Hood
and Waterproof with Burt Reynolds
.
Mayo also appeared as Reverend Banyon on the BET
TV Movie Boycott in 2001 and in an episode of "Martin."
, at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital
. He had resided in Fayetteville, Georgia
since 1994 and was survived by his third wife Gail and their two children as well as his son from a previous relationship. His son, Rahn Mayo, is currently a member of the Georgia House of Representatives
representing House District 91. He is also survived by his daughters Tanya Mayo
, Suni Mayo Simpson, and daughter Pangi Raysor and son Jon-Jo Raysor of Brooklyn, New York.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his character Grady Wilson
Grady Wilson
----Grady Wilson is the name of a fictional recurring character on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son played by the late 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...
on the 1970s television sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
.
Noted for portraying characters older than his actual age, Mayo was in his 40s when he played Grady on Sanford and Son.
Early years
Mayo was born in New York City, New York and grew up in HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and Queens. He moved with his family to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
at age seventeen and from there entered the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, serving from 1951 to 1953. Upon release, he studied at Chaffey College
Chaffey College
Chaffey College is a public community college in the San Bernardino County city of Rancho Cucamonga, California, in the northern part of the community of Alta Loma. Chaffey provides students with different classes and programs, including business, science, the arts, history, philosophy,...
, Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
, and UCLA. During this time he began acting in small parts, while waiting tables
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
, working in the vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s and as a probation officer
Probation officer
Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
as well as a variety of other small jobs. He also spent seven years as a counselor to delinquent boys.
Career
In the late 1960s, he joined the New Lafayette Theater repertory company in New York City and began settling down in an acting career. His call to Sanford and Son came shortly thereafter when a friend from the New Lafayette group who was by that time writing for Norman LearNorman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
recommended Mayo for a part in a single episode. His portrayal caught on and he lasted through the entire duration of the show, even filling in as the leading character while the star
Leading actor
A leading actor, leading actress, star, or simply lead, plays the role of the protagonist in a film or play. The word lead may also refer to the largest role in the piece and leading actor may refer to a person who typically plays such parts or an actor with a respected body of work...
, Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford , better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life:...
, held out for more pay. Mayo's character was Grady Wilson; Grady Demond Wilson is the birth name of the show's co-star, Demond Wilson
Demond Wilson
Grady Demond Wilson is an American actor, author, and pastor. He is best known for his role opposite Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford's long-suffering son, Lamont Sanford, in the 1970s’ NBC-TV sitcom Sanford and Son....
, who played Fred Sanford's son. Having a plethora of experience with the tentative in his life, Mayo viewed his continuing success on the series as fleeting and ventured into other trades to assure financial stability. In 1975, for instance, he opened a travel agency
Travel agency
A travel agency is a retail business that sells travel related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products...
in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
. Mayo starred in an unsuccessful spin-off, Grady
Grady (TV series)
Grady was an spin-off of the sitcom, Sanford and Son. In this series, Fred Sanford's widower friend Grady moves out of Watts and moves in with his daughter and her family in Westwood. Executive producer Norman Lear served as a consultant to the show.Redd Foxx made a special guest appearance as...
, in which his character moved in with his daughter and her husband in Beverly Hills.
In the late 1970s he appeared on the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
children's television program That's Cat
That's Cat
That's Cat was a children's television show that premiered on Saturday, September 18, 1976. It was both produced by and aired on KNBC, the NBC owned and operated station in Los Angeles, California; it was also syndicated to selected NBC O&O stations....
, offering sage advice in a sweet manner to the main character, Alice.
In 1996, the show Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
wished to use him in a sketch
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
, but was unable to locate him. The show mounted a highly publicized tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
search for Mayo called "Where's Grady?". After three weeks and over 50,000 calls to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from fans who claimed to have spotted him, Mayo finally appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
to a standing ovation from the audience, and the highest ratings Late Night with Conan O'Brien had seen in years. Mayo revealed that it was his mother who told him of the search after a repairman saw his picture in her house and told her she could be eligible for a reward
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
. At the time, Mayo was in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 10,147...
as a member of the cast of the short-lived syndicated action/drama television show, The Cape. In the show, Mayo played Sweets, the lovable owner of the Moonshot Bar and Grill.
Though his role as Grady typecast
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
him, Mayo did not let it define him. His professional growth took him some distance from the Watts junkyard of the NBC sitcom. He rounded out his career teaching drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
at Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, as well as hosting Liars and Legends on Turner South
Turner South
Turner South was an American cable television network launched on October 1, 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern United States...
.
Although best known for his television work, Mayo made several film appearances, including The Main Event
The Main Event (1979 film)
The Main Event is a 1979 comedy starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal, written by Gail Parent and directed by Howard Zieff.The film received negative reviews from critics, but was among the Top 10 highest grossing films of the year at the box office...
with Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, D.C. Cab
D.C. Cab
D.C. Cab is a 1983 comedy film, starring Mr. T, Max Gail, Adam Baldwin, Gary Busey and a special appearance by singer Irene Cara. The film was co-written and directed by Joel Schumacher. The R-rated comedy was controversial upon release due to Mr...
, Boyz n the Hood
Boyz N the Hood
Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood film written and directed by John Singleton. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett and Regina King, the film depicts life in poor South Central Los Angeles, California and was filmed and released...
and Waterproof with Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
.
Mayo also appeared as Reverend Banyon on the BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
TV Movie Boycott in 2001 and in an episode of "Martin."
Personal life
Mayo died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital
Grady Memorial Hospital
Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the largest hospital in the state of Georgia and the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the 5th largest public hospital in the United States, as well as one the busiest Level I trauma centers in the...
. He had resided in Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a town in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,945. The city is the county seat of Fayette County. Fayetteville is located approximately 22 miles from the city of Atlanta....
since 1994 and was survived by his third wife Gail and their two children as well as his son from a previous relationship. His son, Rahn Mayo, is currently a member of the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
representing House District 91. He is also survived by his daughters Tanya Mayo
Tanya Mayo
Tanya Mayo is an actress and activist. She was a national coordinator in Not In Our Name. A graduate of George Washington High School where she acted in plays such as The Miracle Worker and Cabaret , Tanya has worked with Rhodessa Jones.In 2004, she debated Sean Hannity regarding protest tactics at...
, Suni Mayo Simpson, and daughter Pangi Raysor and son Jon-Jo Raysor of Brooklyn, New York.
Filmography
- The Black KlansmanThe Black KlansmanThe Black Klansman is a feature film of the blaxploitation genre originally released in 1966 under the name I Crossed the Color Line. Set during the struggle for Civil Rights, the film tells the story of an African-American man, played by Richard Gilden, who disguises himself as a white man to join...
(1966) - Sanford and SonSanford and SonSanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
(1973) - BarettaBarettaBaretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
(1976) - That's CatThat's CatThat's Cat was a children's television show that premiered on Saturday, September 18, 1976. It was both produced by and aired on KNBC, the NBC owned and operated station in Los Angeles, California; it was also syndicated to selected NBC O&O stations....
(1976) - Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
(1976–1977) - Starsky and HutchStarsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
(1978) - Vega$Vega$Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
(1978) - DC Cab (1983)
- The Best of Times" (1983)
- Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
(1979)
- Lou GrantLou Grant (TV series)Lou Grant is an American television drama series starring Ed Asner in the titular role as a newspaper editor. Unusual in American television, this drama series was a spinoff from a sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Aired from 1977 to 1982, Lou Grant won 13 Emmy Awards, including "Outstanding Drama...
(1981) - Of Mice and Men (1981) (made-for-TV movie)
- Trapper John, M.D.Trapper John, M.D.Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
(1983) - Hill Street BluesHill Street BluesHill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
(1983) - In the Heat of the NightIn the Heat of the Night (TV series)In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995...
(1990) - 227227 (TV series)227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series starred Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and housewife, Mary Jenkins...
(1990) - AmenAmen (TV series)Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Set in Sherman Hemsley's real-life hometown of Philadelphia, Amen starred Hemsley as the deacon of a church and was part of a wave of successful sitcoms on NBC in the 1980s...
(1991) - Full House (1991)
- Boyz n the HoodBoyz N the HoodBoyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood film written and directed by John Singleton. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett and Regina King, the film depicts life in poor South Central Los Angeles, California and was filmed and released...
(1991)
- MartinMartin (TV series)Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
(1995) - Family MattersFamily Matters (TV series)Family Matters is an American sitcom about a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago, Illinois, which ran on national television for nine full seasons. The series was a spin-off of Perfect Strangers, but revolves around the Winslow family...
(1995) - The Cape (1996)
- Kenan & KelKenan & KelKenan & Kel is an American teen sitcom produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions that originally aired on Nickelodeon from July 1996 to July 2000. The show starred friends and then-All That cast members Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. Sixty-two episodes and a made-for-TV movie were produced over four...
(1997) - ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
(1999) - Waterproof (1999)
- Boycott (2001)