Deacon Ernest Frye

Infobox character
name = Ernest J. Frye
born = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, birth date and age|1938|2|24
age = 48-53
family = Lorraine Tillman Frye (wife) (died)
Baby Gregory(grandson)
Reverend Rueben Gregory (son-in-law)
occupation = Deacon (1986-19??
Attorney
children = Thelma Frye Gregory (daughter)
portrayer = Sherman Hemsley
first = Pilot
last = Deliverance Pts. 1 & 2

Deacon Ernest Frye was a supporting character on the hit series, "Amen". He was portrayed by Golden Globe nominated and Emmy Award nominated television actor Sherman Hemsley, who shot to fame on "All in the Family" (1973-1975) and its spinoff, "The Jeffersons" as George Jefferson (1975-1985).

Background

Deacon Ernest Frye was a dishonest deacon at the First Community Church. Deacon Ernest Frye was a holy man, sometimes nice, but very greedy. The church was handed down by his father, who died. Deacon Frye has a daughter, Thelma Frye (Anna Maria Horsford) who loves the pastor, Rueben Gregory (Clifton Davis).

Deacon Frye is shown as a greedy over-ruled Deacon in many episodes: in one two-part episode, Deacon Frye had dated a beautiful woman, named Roxanne (Jackée Harry), who was a witness and accused of killing her husband. Deacon Frye had decided to marry the beautiful widow, but his daughter Thelma sees that Roxanne is using him, and does everything to stop the wedding. Eventually, Deacon Frye does not marry her [http://www.tv.com/amen/a-slight-case-of-murder-1/episode/130857/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;19] . In another episode, Deacon Frye's senior citizen friend, Rolly (Jester Hairston), has his eye on the waitress at a diner, but he is too shy to approach her. Rolly asks the deacon to speak to her on his behalf, but the waitress suddenly falls for the deacon. However, Rolly has had his eye on the waitress he was really talking about [http://www.tv.com/amen/rolly-falls-in-love/episode/73026/summary.html] .

As was often the case with dishonest characters in sitcoms of the time, Deacon Frye actually had a good heart, and would almost always come around by the end of each episode to a more righteous stance. Often, though, this would only take place after his initial scheme had already misfired.