'The Jeffersons' Sherman Hemsley dies at 74

Actor Sherman Hemsley, who rose to fame in the 1970s as the wise-cracking father in the hit sitcom The Jeffersons, has died at the age of 74, police said on Tuesday.

Hemsley was found dead in his El Paso, Texas home. No foul play is suspected, local police said in a statement.

The Jeffersons was one of the longest-running US television shows with a predominantly black cast. It focused on how the family adjusted to its newfound affluence after the success of a dry cleaning business.