Trivia

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.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 15, 2004. 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 Johnson.

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.

She played the same character (Louise Jefferson) on four different series and one film: All in the Family (1971), The Jeffersons (1975), Roseanne (1988), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) and Mafia! (1998).

Friends with Marla Gibbs, Carroll O'Connor, Robert Guillaume and Barbara Billingsley.

She was last seen, before her passing, at the TV Land Awards with her The Jeffersons (1975) co-star, Sherman Hemsley, accepting the award for the most eccentric television couple.

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.

First African-American woman to receive the Emmy Award for "Best Actress in a Comedy" for her work on The Jeffersons (1975).

She is referenced in Will Smith's song "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It".

Best known by the public for her role as Louise Jefferson on the situation comedies All in the Family (1971) and The Jeffersons (1975).

Her son Sanford K. Sanford and daughter Pamela Ruff appeared in her profile episode of Intimate Portrait (1990) on the Lifetime cable television network. Has another son named William Eric.

Following her death, she was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles, California.

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".

Had seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

She was a lifelong Democrat.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 490-492. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale (2007).

Cousin of Dorothy Butts.

Isabela before she found steady acting work to support herself worked in a factory assembling toe nail clippers.

The fictional date of Judgement Day from Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) occurred on her 60th birthday.