Editing Demond Wilson (section)

==Early life and career==
Wilson was born in [[Valdosta, Georgia]], in 1946, and grew up in [[New York City]], where he studied tap dance and ballet.<ref name=people/> He made his Broadway debut at age four and danced at Harlem's [[Apollo Theater]] at age 12.<ref name=people/> Wilson was raised as a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and served as an [[Altar server|altar boy]]. Although his grandmother, Ada Mitchell, was [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]], Wilson briefly discerned the [[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|Catholic priesthood]].<ref name=people/> At age 13, Wilson's [[Appendix (anatomy)|appendix]] ruptured, almost killing him, but he vowed to serve God as an adult in some ministerial capacity.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Wilson served in the [[United States Army]] from 1966 to 1968 and was in the [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]] in [[Vietnam]], where he was wounded.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Robinson |first=Louie |title=Sanford and Son: Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson wake up TV's jaded audience |journal=Ebony |date=July 1972 |pages=52–58|volume=XXVII|number=9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M9oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4}}</ref> Upon returning home  in the late 1960s, Wilson was featured in several Broadway and [[off-Broadway]] stage productions before moving to Hollywood, where he performed guest roles on several television series such as ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'' and ''[[All in the Family]]'' and acted in films such as ''[[The Organization (film)|The Organization]]'' (1971) and ''[[Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (film)|Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues]]'' (1972).

===''Sanford and Son'' (1972–1977) and other acting projects===
Later in 1971, after appearing as a robber on ''[[All in the Family]]'' with [[Cleavon Little]], Wilson won the role of Lamont Sanford in the NBC sitcom ''Sanford and Son''. [[Johnny Brown (actor)|Johnny Brown]] was considered for that role, but because of his commitment to ''[[Laugh-In]]'', Wilson got the role instead. Wilson played Lamont through the run of the series, and became the star when [[Redd Foxx]] walked off the show in 1974 over a salary dispute with the producers and his character was written out for the rest of the season. Foxx returned the following year, and the pair worked together until 1977 when the show was cancelled. In 1980–1981, Foxx attempted to revive the show with the short-lived sitcom ''[[Sanford (TV series)|Sanford]]'', but Wilson refused to reprise his role for the new series.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

When asked in 2014 if he kept in touch with anybody from ''Sanford & Son'', especially Foxx (who died on October 11, 1991), he responded:
:No. I saw Redd Foxx once before he died, circa 1983, and I never saw him again. At the time I was playing tennis at the Malibu Racquet Club and I was approached by some producers about doing a Redd Foxx 50th Anniversary Special. I hadn't spoken to him since 1977, and I called the club where (Redd) was playing. And we met at Redd's office, but he was less than affable. I told those guys it was a bad idea. I never had a cross word with him. People say I'm protective of Redd Foxx in my book (''Second Banana'', Wilson's memoir of the Sanford years). I had no animosity toward Foxx (for quitting the show in 1977) because I had a million dollar contract at CBS to do ''[[Baby, I'm Back|Baby... I'm Back!]]''. My hurt was that he didn't come to me about throwing the towel in - I found out in the hallway at NBC from a newscaster. I forgave him and I loved Redd, but I never forgot that. The love was there. You can watch any episode and see that.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beachcomberdestin.com/destin/article-966-qa-with-demond-wilson.html|title=Q&A With Demond Wilson|publisher=BeachcomberDestin.com|date=January 15, 2014| access-date=August 9, 2017}}</ref>

Wilson also appeared in the films ''[[Full Moon High]]'' (1981), ''[[Me and the Kid]]'' (1993), and ''Hammerlock'' (2000).{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

===''Baby... I'm Back!'' (1978), and ''The New Odd Couple'' (1982&ndash;1983)===
Wilson later starred as Raymond Ellis in the short-lived CBS comedy series ''[[Baby... I'm Back!]]'' and as [[Oscar Madison]], opposite actor [[Ron Glass]] (who co-starred as [[The Odd Couple (play)|Felix Ungar]]) in the ABC sitcom ''[[The New Odd Couple]]'',<ref name=plpt/> a revamped black version of the [[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|1970–75 series ''The Odd Couple'']] on the same network which starred [[Jack Klugman]] and [[Tony Randall]], which was in turn based on the [[The Odd Couple (play)|1965 play]].