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Grady Demond Wilson (born October 13, 1946) is an American actor, now a minister. He was best known for his role as Redd Foxx`s long-suffering son, Lamont Sanford, in the pop cult 1970s’ sitcom Sanford and Son. Wilson was born in Valdosta, Georgia. At the age of 12, Wilson`s appendix ruptured, almost killing him. At that time the young Wilson vowed to somehow serve God. Upon returning from service in Vietnam, in the late 1960s, Wilson was briefly a member of touring stage productions before moving to Hollywood where he performed guest roles on a few television series such as Mission: Impossible and All in the Family and acted in films such as 1971`s The Organization. Later that year, The New York City-raised Wilson was called to audition for Sanford and Son and won the role of Lamont Sanford. Wilson played Lamont through the run of the series, and in fact became the de facto star when Redd Foxx walked off the show in 1974 and his character was written out for the rest of the season. Foxx returned the following year and the pair worked together until the show’s cancellation in 1977. Wilson later starred as divorcee Raymond Ellis in the short-lived CBS-TV comedy series Baby, I`m Back and as Oscar Madison, opposite actor Ron Glass (who co-starred as Felix Unger} in the ABC TV sitcom The New Odd Couple, a revamped black version of the original 1970-74 series on the same network which starred Jack Klugman and the late Tony Randall. In 1984, Wilson became an ordained minister, fulfilling his childhood vow. Later, in 1994, he founded Restoration House, a center that helps rehabilitate former prison inmates by providing mentoring, spiritual guidance and vocational training. Wilson has written several Christian books concerning the New Age Movement and its supposed hidden dangers to society. Wilson has been married to the former Cicely Loise Johnston since May 3, 1974. Together they have six children.

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