Actor Paul Benedict played neighbor Harry Bentley. He stood out on-screen because he had some disproportionate features. It turns out that he had a serious health problem and it was a studio audience member who spotted it. The audience member was a radiologist and sent a note to the actor to meet him in the lobby after.
He told Benedict that he most likely had acromegaly, an endocrine disorder. Benedict soon saw a doctor and received proper treatment for the condition.
An Original Entrepreneur Story
Yet another aspect that made “The Jeffersons” unique was that it was an entrepreneurial story. George Jefferson wasn’t always so successful but he was patient, smart, and knew to recognize and act on a good opportunity.
The story goes that, after receiving a sizable amount of money from an insurance settlement following a car accident, he invested the money in a dry-cleaning store. From there, he used his blue-collar work ethic to build his business.
Sherman Hemsley
To his devastation, Sherman Hemsley said that he found out about the cancellation of “The Jeffersons” via a newspaper article. After “The Jeffersons”, Sherman Hemsley did not suffer from being out of work for long and he went on to appear in many other projects.
The mailman-turned-actor also appeared in TV series like “The Twilight Zone”, “Family Matters”, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, “Sister Sister” and “House of Payne” just to name a few.
The Last Episode
Because the cancellation of “The Jeffersons” came quickly and without any warning, the last episode for this beloved show had no solid ending.
The episode was far from a swan song and ended with no special significance or sentiment but was treated like any other episode (to the shock of both the cast and the audience). The final episode was called “Red Robins” and in it, George decided to lead a girl scout group.
A Famous Voice
Fans and even those who are not fans of “The Jeffersons” may be familiar with the opening song, “Movin’ on Up”. And if the voice of the singer sounded familiar, that’s because the song was performed by songstress Ja’net DuBois.
DuBois was also known for playing the character of Willona Woods on “Good Times” and reportedly, performed the show’s theme song before even knowing what the show was even about.