Breakthrough: Sanford and Son
The year 1972 marked a cultural turning point in Wilson’s life. He was cast as Lamont Sanford, the calm, sharp‑minded son opposite comedian Redd Foxx’s explosive and cantankerous Fred Sanford, on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son.
Adapted from the British show Steptoe and Son, the series followed the comic and often poignant relationship between a father and son running a junkyard in South Los Angeles. While Foxx delivered the show’s explosive laughs — punctuated by the unforgettable “I’m coming to join you, Elizabeth!” gag — it was Wilson who supplied the show’s emotional core.
