Jeffersons supporting characters
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There were several supporting characters on the television series, The Jeffersons. Some of those characters are described below, along with a random major appearance role in a various episode.
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[edit] Helen Douglas Willis
Helen Douglas Willis (portrayed by Roxie Roker) is Louise's best friend and George's worst nightmare. She is married to Tom Willis for 34 years. Tom is white, and Helen is black, which was a renowned aspect of the show. George, disliking racially mixed-marriages, constantly called both Helen and Tom "zebra" or "chocolate and vanilla". Helen often strikes back by calling him "shorty." As well, George enjoys calling Tom "honky", but he learned to get along with the two in later years during the sitcom. In the fourth season, Helen works with Louise as volunteers at a service facility called "The Help Center", which opened in 1977. There is also a mention that she and Louise were the editors of the center's newsletter, but this notion was never properly explained. Helen and Tom have two children: Jennifer "Jenny" Willis (Berlinda Tolbert) and Alan Willis (Jay Hammer).
[edit] Tom Willis
Tom Willis, (portrayed by Franklin Cover) is an author and president of his publishing company, Pelham Publishers (which is never seen in the series). He lives a content life with his wife Helen. Tom is white, and Helen is black. Because of this racial mixing, they are often the butt of George's insults and jokes. Tom and Helen, however, both learned to ignore the bigotry of their neighbor. His daughter, Jenny Willis (who is the one most resembling her mother in skin color cases), marries' George's son, Lionel in 1976. He develops a strong relationship with Jenny, but was never close to his "white" son, Allan Willis (Jay Hammer) because he never finished school and left New York City and stayed in Paris for two years. They were never close with each other for the reason they have their own differences. While Allan chooses to be care-free, Tom thinks he should settle down and find a job to ensure a profitable future.
As the series went on (particuarly after Lionel and Jenny married), George and Tom eventually became friends (though George still continued to make jokes about Tom's weight and his being white).
Additionally, Tom is a caring person, but often dominated by his wife. He also is ridiculed occasionally of his weight. He is known to be a horrible dancer, as indicated in a few episodes.
[edit] Mother Olivia Jefferson
Portrayed by Zara Cully, "Mother Jefferson" is Henry and George's mother. She is a crude, acid-tongued, and generally miserable old mother-in-law to Louise, and practically a sweet old lady to everyone else. Mother Jefferson is one of the typical mothers who think their daughter-in-law isn't good enough for their son. In every episode she was in, she is usually seen tormenting Louise by criticizing her cooking, her age, her overall character. She also tells her that she wishes George should have married his old flame, Harriet Johnston, instead. Louise finally retaliates on her in a Season One episode, when George comes home with an ulcer. Naturally Mother Jefferson blames Louise's cooking for her son's illness, and she continues to ridicule Louise. However, Louise learns that to rid George's sickness, she has to take all of Mother Jefferson's crude remarks. As a result she herself develops early signs of ulcer. When Mother Jefferson slams a final insult on Louise, she finally cracks. Louise angrily informs her that she most likely has been a pain in the neck to George's father and a pain in the ass for herself. Mother Jefferson tries to argue back, but Louise emerges as the victor. However, Mother Jefferson would continue to put her down for the next three seasons.
Zara Cully died after Season Four, and the writers decided to have Mother Jefferson's character die as well.
[edit] Jenny Willis Jefferson
Jenny Willis Jefferson (portrayed by Berlinda Tolbert) is the only daughter of Helen and Tom Willis, the youngest of two children. Jenny is an intelligent person, finishing college with her boyfriend, Lionel Jefferson. George often disapproves of Jenny loving Lionel merely because she is, in George's own word, a zebra. In 1976, Jenny married Lionel, and they divorced in 1985 after nine years of marriage. She has a daughter named Jessica.
At first, Jenny disliked Allan when he came home after two years in Paris, mainly because she turned out "black" and he turned out "white." But as siblings go, they reconcile and return their love for each other.
[edit] Allan Willis
Allan Willis (Andrew Rubin/Jay Hammer) is the Willis' only son and older brother of Jenny. Andrew Rubin appears as this character in The First season finale episode entitled "Jenny's Low" (aired on April 12, 1975), in which Allan returns from Europe, and is given the "Cold Shoulder" by his sister, Jenny (Berlinda Tolbert). Jenny starts staying at the Jeffersons' apartment as long as Allan stayed at their own home. She was somewhat jealous of Allan turning out to be "white". They eventually reconcile. In the 1978-79 season, which is the fifth season, Allan is now portrayed by Jay Hammer, who joins the cast in a two-part episode of the season opener. Allan returns from New Mexico, while his parents return from Syracuse after Tom's father dies. Allan is left the Fortune Warehouse in the will and the relationship between Tom and Allan becomes very cold because of his "happy-go-lucky" attitude. Allan is well-known for his sharp rebuttal against George's insults and his well-rounded personality. After this season (1978-79), Hammer was fired from the show cast, and Mike Evans returned to the series in the fall of 1979.
[edit] Florence Johnston
Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs) is the Jeffersons' sassy, sardonic, wise-cracking, yet painfully lazy maid. Her first appearance is actually in the debut episode, when she was interviewed and hired as the housekeeper for the title-bearing characters. Although her job is supposed to take up most of her time, she is flat-out slothful, using very little energy or effort to clean the Jeffersons' apartment. She regularly bickers with George. George, who pays Florence's salary, repeatedly complains about her laziness (and cooking), and he gives her a very small paycheck. Several times he was on the verge of firing her, but Louise, who thinks of her as one of the family, forces him not to.
Despite being a decent Christian and an attractive woman, Florence never kept a long relationship with men. This was the biggest reason she gave to the Jeffersons and the Willises when she attempted to commit suicide in a Season Two episode. However, George incongruously told Florence not to, simply because she would be hurting everyone if she did.
In an early Season Three episode, she becomes the Jeffersons' full-time maid, taking Lionel's room after he moves out with Jenny. George naturally refused her to do so at first, but she managed to help him escape a sham financial deal with a couple of con artists, and George was grateful for that. Another time she was kidnapped by a pair of criminals after they mistook her for Louise. Florence handled the hostage ordeal, and managed to give out a clue to her friends over the phone. Bentley was the only one to uncover that clue, and she was rescued gradually by the police.
Trivia
- Her favorite drink was Muscatel and Ginger Ale.
- Florence would continue to star in the show for the remainder of the running period, becoming a fan-favorite character.
[edit] Harry Bentley
Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict) is the Jeffersons' eccentric, British next-door neighbor. Bentley works as a Russian language interpreter at the United Nations. He is known to everybody as a kind, gentle fellow, but George mostly finds him a complete annoyance, especially when he shows up at his door, complaining of back spasms (which could be cured only by George walking across his back) or to borrow a household item. In nearly every episode he was in, George slams the door in his face, either in the middle of a conversation or at the beginning of one. Bentley usually tells stories about his childhood life whenever at a get-together, which almost always bore his guests, but he doesn't seem to notice.
Bentley lives alone, but several times brings home a lady friend. Two of Bentley's most-talked ladies are Daphne and Patricia.
Ironically in an earlier Season 3 episode, after taking ignorant advice from George, Bentley accidentally punches a police officer in the face and winds himself in Jail. He was bailed out by George, but still faced charges from the whole case. The officer he punched then realized Bentley is truly an honest person, and ultimately freed him.
Paul Benedict left the series at the end of the 1980-81 season, which became the seventh year of the sitcom. The character of Bentley was written out, saying he went to live in the Soviet Union for two years. Paul Benedict returned to the show in 1983 during the show's tenth year on television.
[edit] Ralph Hart
Ralph Hart (Ned Wertimer), is the money-crazed doorman of the high-rising Colby East apartment complex. Although he appears to be a hard-working fellow with a decent attitude, he always makes sure his hand is stuffed with a reasonable amount (in his case, a lot) of money tips. He appears in the episodes usually to deliver merchandise or mail to George, and George must always give him a big tip. The same goes true for just about every other tenant focused on the sitcom. But in later seasons, they learn to stop giving Ralph a big tip, and, if necessary, tell him to get lost.
Ralph does sometimes seem to care for his tenants over his tipping, though. In one of the later Season Two episodes, after Lionel and Jenny have a big altercation and break up for a short while, George unknowingly pays a hooker to spend time with Lionel. When Ralph sees her and recognizes her instantly, he tells George the truth. George, clearly panicked, gives Ralph a $100 tip as gratitude. But Ralph turned it down, explaining that he's "going to need it." He would continue to join the cast for the majority of the show's numerous seasons.
[edit] Marcus Garvey Henderson
Marcus Garvey Henderson (Ernest Harden Jr.) is George's employee at Jefferson Cleaners. Marcus appears in the 1977-78 season (during the fourth season), and apparently, Marcus grew up in a rough neighborhood. Louise hired him to work at George's store, but on the very first day on the job, he stole an expensive jacket. Bentley told Louise about the incident, and she and George confronted him. He admitted he stole it, but lashed out at the two about him never receiving a proper life. George retaliates by telling him he is a lucky guy to have a job, and that should he pursue a life as a swindler and altogether a ghetto person, he would end up in jail or the graveyard. Marcus then proceeds to become a better person.
When Marcus confesses his father died at a young age, Louise insists George on taking Marcus to a camp-out to give him a good, father-and-son relationship. Marcus tells George the bad times he had, and George admits his father died when he was ten years old. Marcus breaks down into tears, but both of them deservingly have a good time together. Marcus's final appearance was in the season 6 episode "Joltin' George".
Ernest Harden Jr. in fact briefly played another character in one episode in the third season.
[edit] Leroy
Leroy (Vernon Washington) is George's store manager/employee at Jefferson Cleaners. He was born in 1943 and is a bit naive. In one Season 5 episode, he is, in George's nightmare dream, to become the owner of Jefferson Cleaners in 1996 when George himself will be dead by then. (But it was only a dream). Leroy would appear in several other episodes afterward.
[edit] Hugo
Hugo Mojoloweski (Irwin Keyes) is George's occasional bodyguard, and once had feelings for his George's daughter-in-law, Jenny. Hugo is big and very full-figured, but he may be sometimes a little dim-witted.
[edit] Jimmy
Jimmy (Garrett Morris) was supposedly a child that George and Louise has sponsored and sent money to for years. However in their first visit with Jimmy, they realize he is an adult con-man. The character Jimmy appeared in five episodes from 1983-1984.
[edit] Charlie
Charlie owns a bar in the first-floor lobby of the Colby-East apartment complex. He usually likes his job and is content with his customers, especially the Jeffersons and the Willises. Once, he was suppossed to be evicted because of his contract's expiration, and George would use his bar as an expansion to his cleaner store. But George, realizing Charlie is rather like one of the family, refused and let Charlie stay.
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