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Demond Wilson, “Sanford and Son” and “The New Odd Couple” actor, dies at 79

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Demond Wilson, “Sanford and Son” and “The New Odd Couple” actor, dies at 79


Actor Demond Wilson, best known for playing Lamont Sanford in the popular 1970s TV show “Sanford and Son,” has died at the age of 79, his publicist confirmed to CBS News on Sunday.

“The family of Demond Wilson is deeply saddened by his passing,” Mark Goldman told CBS News in a statement. “At this time, they ask for privacy as they grieve.”

He said no further details were available.

Wilson’s son, Demond Wilson Jr., told TMZ that his father died Friday of complications from cancer at his home in Palm Springs, California.

Demond Wilson attends the 2016 Chiller Theater Expo at Parsippany Hilton on April 22, 2016 in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Bobby Bank/WireImage via Getty


Goldman, who worked with Wilson for 15 years, said the actor’s loss is “profoundly felt.”

“He was an unbelievable man and his impact will never be forgotten,” he said. “The family appreciates the support and understanding of the community during this difficult time.”

Wilson, who was born in Georgia, grew up in New York City and studied tap dancing and ballet. He made his Broadway debut at the age of four with William Marshall and Ossie Davis in a revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Green Pastures” and danced at Harlem’s Apollo Theater at age 12. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 until 1968 and was stationed in Vietnam.

After returning to New York, he appeared in several shows on Broadway before moving out to Los Angeles.

In 1971, he appeared on an episode of “All in the Family,” playing a burglar alongside Cleavon Little, who held the Bunkers hostage in their home. That role led him to land the part of Lamont Sanford, the son of aging widower Fred G. Sanford, in “Sanford and Son” alongside Redd Foxx.

Sanford & Son

Demond Wilson as Lamont Sanford, Whitman Mayo as Grady Wilson in “Sanford and Son”

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images


After six seasons — which included five as a 10-ten hit — Wilson turned down an offer to lead the show by himself after Foxx left in a salary dispute. He went on to star in CBS’s “Baby … I’m Back,” but the show only last 13 episodes.

Wilson then starred opposite Ron Glass in “The New Odd Couple,” which only lasted 18 episodes.

In the 1980s, Wilson beat a cocaine problem and became ordained as an interdenominational minister. In 2009, he wrote the book, “Second Banana: The Bitter Sweet Memories of the Sanford & Son Years.”

Wilson is survived by his wife and their six children.



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Ryan Gosling signs up with recent Oscar winning directors for new movie

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Ryan Gosling signs up with recent Oscar winning directors for new movie


Ryan Gosling signs up with recent Oscar winning directors for new movie

Ryan Gosling is wasting no time lining up his next major project. 

Days after Project Hail Mary shattered box office records, the actor has signed on to star in the next film from Everything Everywhere All at Once directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the filmmaking duo known as the Daniels.

The untitled Universal Pictures project is currently set for release on 19 November 2027, with the news confirmed by multiple outlets on Thursday, 26 March.

The timing is striking. 

Project Hail Mary, Gosling’s new science fiction adventure, opened to $80.6 million at the domestic box office in its first weekend, with a further $60.4 million collected internationally. 

That makes it the biggest opening ever for an Amazon MGM Studios release, surpassing 2023’s Creed III, and the largest domestic debut of the year so far, ahead of February’s Scream 7.

Kwan and Scheinert, both 38, became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after creative forces after Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the 2023 Academy Awards, winning seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh and Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan. 

Gosling has been vocal about his belief in the theatrical experience. 

At a surprise appearance at a New York City screening of Project Hail Mary earlier this week, he told the audience it was the film industry’s “job to make things that make it worth you coming out” to cinemas.

His schedule for the next few years is formidable. 

Alongside the Daniels project, he is set to star in the next Star Wars film, Starfighter, due in May 2027, and an action comedy with Will Ferrell titled Tough Guys.





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Tom Felton exhibits shock over fans reaction to ‘Potter’ pronunciation

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Tom Felton exhibits shock over fans reaction to ‘Potter’ pronunciation


Tom Felton exhibits shock over fans reaction to ‘Potter’ pronunciation

Tom Felton has revealed he had absolutely no idea that his sneering pronunciation of the word Potter would become one of the most celebrated moments in Harry Potter history, and credits his older brothers for unknowingly teaching him how to do it.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast on Thursday, 26 March, the 38-year-old actor said of the now-famous delivery. 

“I don’t know how that’s become an iconic thing. I certainly had no idea.” He traced the pronunciation back to his childhood dynamic as the youngest of four brothers. 

“I have three older brothers, so they all would always call me something like maggot or runt. Runt of the pack. Because I was the youngest and the shortest considerably. So I don’t remember ever thinking about it for a second. But ‘Potter,’ it just got more and more venomous.”

He marvelled at the reaction it still prompts. 

“All you have to do is say that in the company of a Potter fan and… goosebumps and, like, applause, something happens,” he said. 

“I never knew any of these things were gonna be iconic lines.”

Felton is currently back in the Slytherin robes on Broadway, playing Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which picks up 19 years after the events of Deathly Hallows and follows the next generation of Hogwarts students. 

He told podcast host Josh Horowitz that he has smuggled at least one of his most famous film lines into the stage production, not through planning, but instinct. 

“I said it once spontaneously in rehearsals and John Tiffany, our fabulous director, who’s been doing it out for ten years, I could see his eyes twinkle and go, ‘Yes. Put that back in.'” 

The response from audiences has been predictable. 

“It’s, needless to say, quite a hit every night,” he added.





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Diddy’s family faces another major setback after terrifying security scare

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Diddy’s family faces another major setback after terrifying security scare


Diddy’s family faces another major setback after terrifying security scare

Sean Diddy Combs’ son, Christian King Combs and his girlfriend Raven Tracy were targeted in an attempted break-in at their Los Angeles home early Thursday morning.

The LAPD rushed to their Porter Ranch mansion after an employee called police around 12:45 a.m.

The horrifying incident was a “burglary hot prowl,” which means someone tried to break in while people could have been home.

Luckily, neither King nor Raven were inside at the time as police said that no shots were fired and no suspects have been caught.

Reports, however, revealed that the people, who did that, tried to force open the back door but failed.

Tracy owns the mansion and last year she shared on her Instagram that it was their first home together. King is very close to his father Diddy and often works with him on projects.

This is not the first time celebrities in Los Angeles have faced such issue and been targeted as recently, homes belonging to Rachel Zoe, Kathy Hilton, Sutton Stracke, Lionel Richie, Brad Pitt, Teddi Mellencamp and Nicole Kidman were also faced attempted burglaries.

Many of these incidents, however, happened while the stars were away, showing how careful celebrities need to be about home security.





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