Sanford's career began with a small but powerful role in the award-winning 1967 drama Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Co-starring with Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Sanford played a maid – a role that, in another movie, might feel like a disappointing example of typecasting. But in this civil rights-era examination of prejudice and interracial relationships, Sanford's Tillie became much more than the stereotypical black maid of yore. She was a crucial piece of the movie's puzzle, examining the relationship from a very different viewpoint from that of her employers.
Small movie roles and TV guest appearances followed, but it was a recurring role on a groundbreaking TV classic that would lead to Sanford's greatest success. She wasn't a star of All in the Family, but as the Bunkers’ next-door neighbor, Sanford delighted fans and impressed producers.
In fact, producers were so wowed by Sanford that they created a show for her and her equally notable TV husband, Sherman Hemsley. The Jeffersons was a smash hit, spending several of its 11 seasons as a top 10 show (it peaked at number three in 1981 and 1982). The Jeffersons received a number of Emmy nominations, but it was Sanford who would take home the statue, breaking that glass ceiling… and solidifying her place in TV history.
Written by Linnea Crowther
