Lynn Hamilton, widely recognized for her role as Donna Harris—the poised and resolute girlfriend of Redd Foxx’s fiery Fred Sanford on ‘Sanford and Son’—as well as for her portrayal of Verdie Foster, a respected matriarch on ‘The Waltons,’ passed away Thursday at her Chicago home. She was 95.
Her passing was confirmed by her former manager and publicist, the Reverend Calvin Carson.
Before achieving television fame, Hamilton had built a substantial career on stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in 1959’s ‘Only in America,’ sharing the stage with Alan Alda. Her film credits include John Cassavetes’s directorial debut ‘Shadows’ (1958), the Sidney Poitier films ‘Brother John’ (1971) and ‘Buck and the Preacher’ (1972), as well as the Billie Holiday biopic ‘Lady Sings the Blues’ (1972) starring Diana Ross.
Working alongside Redd Foxx, a legendary comedian known for his street-smart humor and socially charged nightclub acts, was a unique experience. Foxx’s background included friendships with notable figures like Malcolm X during their youth in Harlem.
‘Sanford and Son,’ a pioneering NBC sitcom with a predominantly Black cast, broke new ground in television. The show centered on Fred Sanford, a blunt and cantankerous Los Angeles junk dealer played by Foxx, and his sensible son Lamont, portrayed by Demond Wilson.
Hamilton initially appeared as a landlady in a single episode during the first season, but her strong presence earned her a recurring role as Donna, Fred Sanford’s girlfriend and eventual fiancée.
Though Hamilton described Donna as somewhat prim and proper, the character was tough enough to keep Fred’s antics in check. After a disagreement, Fred famously nicknamed her ‘Donna the Barracuda.’
Hamilton recalled that Foxx often said, ‘You’re so dignified — I need someone dignified opposite me,’ highlighting the contrasting dynamic that contributed to the show’s charm. She noted his self-awareness about his own earthy comedic style.
While praising Foxx as a brilliant talent, Hamilton also shared that he occasionally arrived at script readings exhausted from late-night Vegas performances. During those rehearsals, he would entertain cast members by clowning around before shooting began.
On set, Foxx sometimes improvised lines when he forgot them, often delivering material superior to the script. This spontaneity kept the cast on edge as they worked to maintain their characters.
Hamilton reflected that working with Foxx taught her invaluable lessons about acting and remaining in character—knowledge she felt surpassed traditional schooling.
Born Alzenia Lynn Hamilton on April 25, 1930, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, she was the only child of Louis and Nancy Hamilton. From the age of three, she aspired to become a movie star—a remarkable ambition for a Black girl growing up in the segregated Mississippi Delta during the Great Depression.
Her family later moved to Chicago Heights, a suburb south of Chicago, where she faced challenges breaking into acting due to racial barriers.
Though she joined the drama club at Bloom High School, Hamilton was unable to secure roles because no parts were written for African American students. She described the experience as friendly but limited, leading her to contribute backstage instead.
Determined to pursue acting, she studied at the Goodman Theater affiliated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, earning a bachelor’s degree. Roles remained scarce, so she honed her craft with an African American community theater group on Chicago’s South Side.
In one Goodman Theater production, she played a duchess but was required to wear whiteface makeup. She recounted an incident where the makeup began to leak on stage during an excited moment.
Hamilton eventually relocated to New York City, appearing in Broadway shows such as ‘The Cool World’ (1960), alongside James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson. Yet, not all roles were prominent—she was credited as ‘cleaning woman’ in ‘Face of a Hero’ (1960) starring Jack Lemmon.
By the late 1960s, Hamilton transitioned to television, appearing in series like ‘Room 222,’ ‘Mannix,’ and ‘Gunsmoke’ before landing her breakthrough role on ‘Sanford and Son.’
She is survived by four grandchildren. Her husband, Frank S. Jenkins, a poet and playwright involved in the Black Arts movement, passed away in 2014.
In 1979, Hamilton appeared in four episodes of the mini-series ‘Roots: The Next Generations.’ She continued acting into the 2000s, including a recurring role as a judge in the Emmy-winning ABC legal drama ‘The Practice.’
Besides her notable work opposite Foxx, Hamilton was widely recognized for her recurring role on ‘The Waltons,’ a beloved family drama about life during the Great Depression in Appalachia, which aired for nine seasons starting in 1972.
Reflecting on her role as Verdie Foster, Hamilton expressed pride in portraying a successful mother who, despite her accomplishments, was illiterate at the start. With determination and guidance from John-Boy Walton, she learned to read, proving it’s never too late to improve oneself.
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