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NEED TO KNOW
Demond Wilson, the actor best known for starring in the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son, has died at age 79
His son, Demond Wilson Jr., said his father died at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 30, following complications related to cancer
"I loved him. He was a great man," the actor's son said, announcing his dad's death
Demond Wilson, the actor best known for starring in the NBC sitcomSanford and Son,has died. He was 79.
Demond's son, Demond Wilson Jr., confirmed toTMZthat his father died at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 30, following complications related to cancer.
"I loved him," Demond told the outlet about his father. "He was a great man." (He did not elaborate on what kind of cancer his dad had.)
Representatives for Demond did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, Jan. 31.
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Demond started acting in the 1970s with an uncredited role inCotton Comes to Harlem. He then took on small roles inAll in the Family,Mission: ImpossibleandRowan & Martin's Laugh-In, before he finally got his big break in 1972, when he was cast as Lamont Sanford inSanford and Son.
The show ran from 1972 to 1977. At the time, it was NBC's highest-rated show, according toTV Insider. The series' second season, in particular, was also rated television's second most-watched show, per the outlet.
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AfterSanford and Sonended, Demond, born Grady Demond Wilson, went on to play Raymond Ellis on the sitcomBaby… I'm Back, which ran from 1977 to 1978.
He also guest-starred on other popular shows at the time, includingThe Love BoatandToday's F.B.I.
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Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the actor also starred in numerous films likeFull Moon High,The OrganizationandDealing: Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues.
In 1982, Demond signed on to star as sloppy roommate Oscar Madison in the TV seriesThe New Odd Couple.
However, the show lasted only one season, ending in 1983, and Demond then appeared to take a break from acting for a few years, later returning to the entertainment industry in the 1993 filmMe and the Kid.
His next role would come nearly a decade later, playing Morgan Rivers in the filmHammerlockin 2000, and he also took part in a brief acting stint on the TV seriesGirlfriendsfrom 2004 to 2005.
Demond then took another break from acting before returning one last time in what would be his final project, when he appeared inEleanor's Beach— a TV series that follows a woman who returns to her hometown to serve as a judge in juvenile court — in 2023, over 50 years after his first acting role.
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