Sherman Hemsley dead at 74

Actor Sherman Hemsley, who starred in the hit 1970s US sitcom The Jeffersons, has died at the age of 74.

He was found dead at his home.

The cause of  his death is not yet known..

Born in Philadelphia in February 1938, Hemsley's first big break came when he was cast for a Broadway show, Purlie, where he caught the eye of All in the Family's creator.

He played black Harlem businessman George Jefferson on CBS's All in the Family before his character was spun off into The Jeffersons