'Sanford and Son' Icon Dies at 95
Redd Foxx and Lynn Hamilton, "Sanford and Son". Photo courtesy of NBC Television. Public domain.
She stole Redd Foxx's heart on screen — and made America fall in love with her quiet strength. Lynn Hamilton's final curtain call at 95 leaves behind more than just credits. It leaves a legacy of firsts, resilience, and a trailblazing life that deserves a standing ovation.
Lynn Hamilton didn't just play characters. She brought dignity to roles that rarely had any. And when she passed away on June 19, 2025 surrounded by family, her death marked the end of an era — but also reignited a conversation about what it means to matter in Hollywood.
From Yazoo City to Prime Time
Born Alzenia Lynn Hamilton in Yazoo City, Mississippi, on April 25, 1930, and raised in Chicago from age 12, she didn't step into stardom overnight. She studied acting at the Goodman Theatre and hit the New York stage before Hollywood ever called her name.
Her screen debut came in John Cassavetes' "Shadows" in 1958 — a film now considered a cornerstone of American independent cinema. By 1972, Hamilton had landed the role that would define her career: nurse Donna Harris on NBC's "Sanford and Son" opposite the legendary Redd Foxx.
And no — she wasn't just the love interest. She was the one character Foxx wanted to play opposite for a reason.
"He always said, 'You're so dignified,'" the L.A. Times reported Hamilton recalled. "He was aware of his, what, his earthiness, shall we say."
Dignity in a Laugh Track World
"Sanford and Son" was loud, brash, and often raunchy. Hamilton was the calm. The elegance. The real. Her character Donna Harris wasn't a punchline — she was a partner, a professional, a rare image of a Black woman with both romance and respect on prime-time television.
And then came Verdie Foster on "The Waltons" — another groundbreaking role. A Black character in a white rural drama, but one written with care. Verdie couldn't read. By the end of her arc, she could. She evolved. She mattered.
"She proved that you can improve yourself at any time in your life," the L.A. Times reported Hamilton said years later, still visibly moved.
Theater Royalty and Real-Life Romance
While the world knew her as Donna or Verdie, Hamilton's true power was also off-screen.
She married poet and playwright Frank Jenkins — a man she met at Seattle Repertory Theatre — and together they wrote, directed, and staged performances that spoke boldly about Black life, injustice, and joy.
Their most famous work? "Driving While Black in Beverly Hills" — a play 30 years in the making, rooted in racial profiling and still shockingly relevant. Hamilton directed it herself in 2001 to critical praise.
Her husband died in 2014, but their shared work, including "Nobody" and "The Bert Williams Story" lives on.
'Generations' Ahead of Her Time
Many don't realize that Hamilton wasn't just part of iconic shows — she was also part of history. She starred in "Generations," the first daytime soap opera centered around a Black family, appearing in 132 episodes.
She also took her talents to everything from "Good Times" to "Curb Your Enthusiasm," earning an NAACP Image Award for her stage work and remaining a steady presence on screens big and small through the early 2000s.
Even into her 80s, she mentored young performers — urging them to "get proper training" in voice and diction. "If I can't understand what you are saying, then everything is lost," the L.A. Times reported she said.
A Quiet Goodbye, a Loud Legacy
When she passed away on June 19, 2025, NBC News reported her family shared that she died "surrounded by her grandchildren, loved ones and caregivers."
Her former manager, Rev. Calvin Carson, put it best: "Her passing marks the end of an era, but her legacy will continue to inspire and uplift future generations."
Lynn Hamilton showed us that grace could be powerful. That Black women could be soft and strong, funny and fierce, romantic and righteous — all at once. And she did it without demanding the spotlight, without scandal, without shortcuts.
She earned her place in the canon. Now it's time we remember it.
References: Lynn Hamilton, 'Sanford and Son' and 'The Waltons' star, dies at 95 | Lynn Hamilton, 'Sanford and Son' and 'The Waltons' actor, dies at 95 | Lynn Hamilton, veteran actor and dignified foil to Redd Foxx on ‘Sanford and Son,’ dies at 95
