Isabel Sanford was a Broadway actress for over thirty years before moving to Hollywood. She made numerous guest appearances on TV, including a stint as a supporting cast member on "The Carol Burnett Show" (1967). Until her passing, Isabel continued to act frequently, most recently in a series of commercials for Old Navy stores with "The Jeffersons" (1975) co-star, Sherman Hemsley . She made several commercials for Nick-at-Nite as well when the cable channel premiered "The Jeffersons" (1975).

Her son Sanford K. Sanford and daughter Pamela Ruff appeared in her profile episode of TV's "Intimate Portrait" (1993) on the Lifetime cable TV network. Has another son named William Eric.Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was joined at the ceremony by about 300 excited fans, family members and friends, including "All in the Family" (1971) and "The Jeffersons" (1975) creator Norman Lear and Marla Gibbs , who played the Jeffersons' maid Florence. The star is at 7080 Hollywood Blvd.Played the same character, Louise 'Weezy' Mills Jefferson, on four different TV series and one film: Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998), "The Jeffersons" (1975), "All in the Family" (1971), "Roseanne" (1988), and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990).First African-American woman to win the Emmy award for "Best Actress in a Comedy" for her work on "The Jeffersons" (1975).Cast in the recurring role of Louise Jefferson on "All in the Family" (1971) by series creator Norman Lear who remembered her from a stage production of "The Amen Corner.".Joined the American Negro Theatre in Harlem following her graduation from high school. Also was a member of the theatre company The Star Players down the road.Had a daughter and two sons by her marriage to William "Sonny" Richmond, a housepainter. She gave up her career to raise her family but moved to Los Angeles with her children after her estranged husband drowned in 1960.Once performed comedy as a teen at the Apollo Theatre's amateur night.The youngest of seven children and the only one to survive infancy.Was over twenty years older than her "The Jeffersons" (1975) co-star Sherman Hemsley who played her husband on the series.Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 490-492. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages . Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.Cousin of Dorothy Butts .