Does the name Sherman Hemsley ring a bell? How about George Jefferson?
The star of one of television’s most memorable series, “The Jeffersons,” comes to Mount Airy Saturday. He’s the guest star in a performance of “Driving Miss Daisy.”
But despite extensive acting gigs in television and theater, he’s still known for his role as that angry, fast-talking social climber with a swagger, a family man for whom success never hid his Queens, N.Y., working-class roots.
“He’s so recognizable, people still call him George. They say, ‘Hey, George, where’s Wheezy?’ He just says, ‘She’s not here.’ It’s just easier,” said Sharon Hillegas, producer/director for “Driving Miss Daisy,” who has had a working relationship with Hemsley that goes back almost 20 years.
“Sherman does have the walk — not as profound as the show, but it’s still hard not to see him,” she added.
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“Driving Miss Daisy” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play written by Alfred Uhry. It also won a Tony, and the movie was an Academy Award winner. It’s a drama that deals with a 40-year span of life and the relationship between a chauffeur and a widow with strong convictions.
“The reason why he’s doing this show is he’s always had a love for theater. Theater was how he was discovered. He did ‘Pearly.’ That was in New York. Norman Lear discovered him,” Flora Bernal, Hemsley’s agent, said. “And it’s not related to comedy, so we get to see another side of his character.”
Hemsley plays the role of Hoke Colburn, with Susan Reutter playing Daisy Werthan and Sam Eisenhuth playing Boolie, Daisy’s son.
“I met Sherman in 1991 when he was cast as Boss in Disney’s animated series ‘Dinosaurs.’ We kept in touch, and when I decided to do the show, he was interested,” Hillegas said.
They did the show over several tours and despite Hemsley’s star status, he insists on the relatively unknown Reutter to play Daisy.
“We did it in ’03 in Harrisburg. We’ve done at least six tours across the country. He would only do it with her. It’s the kind of show where the relationship between two people — it’s like glue. Sherman and Sue got into a real bond. It’s amazingly to see him play someone he’s not — he’s not George Jefferson,” she said.
Hemsley also starred in a production of “The Wiz” with Hillegas, but still, he can’t get away from his familiar persona.
“People stereotype him as George Jefferson. He is a man just like that movie ‘Man with a Thousand Faces’ — he’s a man with a thousand character roles,” she said.
Hemsley keeps a busy schedule. He’s been shooting something in Baton Rouge, and won’t be in town to do the show until the last second.
“He’s a pro. He’s coming in one night before. He puts the costume on and he becomes Hoke,” she said.
