actors who were most/least like the characters that they played

[KeithE4]

Well, yeah. But in this case, they made up Estelle Getty to look like an old woman. If you ever saw a non-Sophia picture of Getty, she looked younger than Bea Arthur, if anything.

Deja vu Irene Ryan and Redd Foxx all over again.

 

[installLSC]

Sherman Hemsley was nothing like George Jefferson. In reality Sherman was a gay man who had a white boyfriend. People Magazine back in the early to mid 90's did a story about Sherman and Andre ( his BF ) about how their home was being foreclosed and have money woes but they were holding hands. For some reason over this tidbit had fallen under the cracks for years. When Isabel Sanford was in Jamestown, NY for "Lucy-Desi Days" around 2002 people of course asked her about whatever happened to her TV husband. When she said he was fine and was living with his boyfriend/lover Andre they were shocked. George Jefferson was gay ?? How could that be ?? Few believed it !!!

And his musical tastes were far different that what you'd expect. He was a huge fan of prog rock, even working on an unreleased album with members of Yes(!).
Here's a bizarre antecdote about his fandom
http://magnetmagazine.com/2009/03/05/george-jefferson-worlds-biggest-gong-fan/

 

[rnigma1]

Roxie Roker, like her "Jeffersons" character, was married to a white guy in real life. Their son is Lenny Kravitz.

 

[LKellerIII]

Roxie Roker, like her "Jeffersons" character, was married to a white guy in real life. Their son is Lenny Kravitz.

And Lenny's daughter is Zoe Kravitz:

https://www.google.com/search?q=zoe...Rw2MKHb9FAR8Q_h0I-QEwGw#imgrc=VhUQtmF8ke-3MM:

Has nothing to do with the topic, but I like to point out when genetics work to good advantage.

 

[Jman8606]

IIRC, Bob Barker was also quite demanding on TPIR behind the scenes, despite how he came across on screen.

Also, Richard Dawson was the same way and it spread into Match Game. I read in Gene Raybuen's book The Matchless Gene Rayburn that Gene was offered to be on the game show hosts week of Family Feud but turned it down as a result of Dawson.

 

[Jman8606]

James Spader even though he played sleazy characters was a nice friendly guy in real life.