John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for his raunchy nightclub acts during the 1950s and his role as Fred Sanford in Sanford and Son. In 2004 Foxx ranked 24th in Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. Foxx not only influenced many comedians but was often portrayed in popular culture as well, mainly as a result of his catchphrases, body language and facial expressions exhibited on Sanford and Son.
On October 11, 1991, during a break from rehearsals for The Royal Family, Foxx suffered a heart attack on the set and ultimately died. When he fell to the floor after his scene, his co-stars initially did not react due to the Running Gag his character Sanford had of frequently faking coronaries, as well as his being skilled at prat-falls. According to Joshua Rich at Entertainment Weekly, "It was an end so ironic that for a brief moment cast mates figured Foxx—whose 1970s TV character often faked coronaries—was kidding when he grabbed a chair and fell to the floor." Foxx was temporarily resuscitated and taken to Queen of Angels Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center to try and see if doctors there could save him. Four and a half hours after admission, Foxx again was pronounced dead.
Foxx was posthumously given a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1992.
Filmography
Film
Television
- The Captain And Tennille Show
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (archive footage)
- The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour
- The Redd Foxx Show
- Sanford
- Sanford and Son
