Today marks the 50th anniversary of The Jeffersons, which included Jaleel White’s first-ever role along with 11 other celebrities who made cameos
Among the celebrities who starred in the series were Sheryl Lee Ralph, Reggie Jackson, Billy Dee Williams, and Jaleel White.
When The Jeffersons debuted on CBS fifty years ago, the title characters took center stage. The Jeffersons, a spin-off of the popular television show All in the Family, followed Sherman Hemsley’s George and Isabel Sanford’s Louise as they relocated from Queens to Manhattan, aided by the success of George’s dry cleaners. Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover were part of the cast, and later Marla Gibbs became a full-time member.
Considered one of the most significant Black television programs ever, the series ran for 11 seasons, from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, and was filled with love and laughter.
Additionally, the ensemble was joined by other guest stars during the 253 episodes of the show. They feature early-career actors who went on to become well-known, as well as some of the biggest stars of the 1970s and 1980s. See some of the most notable guest stars from The Jeffersons below.
The Abbott Elementary actor, Sheryl Lee Ralph, played Louise’s secretary in a season 5 episode of The Jeffersons before to her rise to fame in Dreamgirls. “The Jeffersons was my first television episode, and Sherman Hemsley and I stayed in touch over the years, and he played my dad in Designing Women,” Ralph stated in a 2024 interview with Philly Mag. Relationships and maintaining individuals in my life are important to me.