- Louise Jefferson
Infobox character
name = Louise Jefferson
born =August 29 ,1916 ,Harlem, Manhattan ,Manhattan, New York City ,United States
first = "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood"
last = "I, Done Part 2"
debut = 1971
time = 1971-1996
episode = 253 ("List of The Jeffersons episodes ")
21 ("All in the Family ")
2("The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ")
spouse =George Jefferson
children =Lionel Jefferson (son)
family = Mrs. Mills (mother)
Mr. Mills (father)
Maxine Mills (sister)
Jason Mills (nephew)Julie Williams (niece)Jenny Willis Jefferson (daughter-in-law)
Jessica Jefferson (granddaughter)
portrayer =Isabel Sanford |Louise Jefferson (
née Mills) was asupporting character portrayed byEmmy Award -winning actressIsabel Sanford , is a fictional character who appeared first on thetelevision series "All in the Family " and then became a main character on its spinoff, "The Jeffersons ". Her role lasted from 1971 to 1985, for 14 Years when "The Jeffersons" ended its run. She was often referred to as "Weezie" by her on-screen husband,George Jefferson . She was first introduced on All in the Family as a neighbor of Archie andEdith Bunker .Louise was similar in many respects to the character
Edith Bunker in "All in the Family ". Both were kind-hearted and had hot-headed husbands, and they were both good friends; however, Louise was not nearly as naïve as Edith. Prior to George Jefferson's first appearance on "All in the Family ", Louise had to contend with the arguments betweenHenry Jefferson , George's brother, andArchie Bunker .In the first few seasons of "
The Jeffersons ", Louise dealt with insulting remarks from Mother Jefferson, George's mother. She was a calming influence in the household compared to George's temper tantrums and over-inflated ego. She was friends withTom and Helen Willis , an interracial couple.In the first episode of "The Jeffersons", George insisted on hiring a maid. Both George and Louise grew up in poverty, and Louise felt it was not necessary to hire a maid. George won out and
Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs ) was hired a few days a week. Over time, the role of Florence expanded and she became a live-in maid. Louise and Florence became great friends over the years while Florence and George often argued.Louise grew up in Harlem, New York. During the show's run, it was revealed that her father had left the family when she was so young that she didn't remember him. In a memorable episode, George meets Louise's real father at a news stand, and invites him over to meet Louise. At first, he refuses, but then shows up to see her. However, the show concludes with Louise's father being introduced to Louise as a business client of George's to spare her of her feelings.
Louise also had a sister, Maxine, whom she was in constant rivals with growing up. Louise believed her mother favored Maxine, but it wasn't until her wedding day that her mother told her that she was the better of the two. In her teen years, Maxine had run away from home, leaving Louise to care for her mother, causing more resentment of Maxine from Louise. In one episode of the show, George arranges for Maxine to return to New York from Paris as a surprise birthday present, only to learn that Louise hated her. During this episode, it was discovered that Maxine left home because she was pregnant, and, as a result, she introduced her son to the family. When Louise learned of this, she forgave her sister and they mended their feud.
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