At the age of 74, actor Sherman Hemsley has passed away of natural causes in his El Paso, Texas home. Hemsley may be best known for his role as George Jefferson on "The Jeffersons".

He was on the sitcom for a decade and earned a 1984 Emmy nomination for his work as lead actor in a comedy series. He also starred as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series "Amen" for several years. He went on to appear on a handful of other classic television shows including "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "The Hughleys."

Before becoming a household name, Hemsley served in the Air Force for four years – dropping out of high school to do so – before going on to work for the post office for eight years.

The Philadelphia born and raised sitcom actor was also an accomplished singer and even had a role in the Broadway play Purlie.

Hemsley left behind no wife or children.