Nathaniel Taylor, the actor best known for playing Rollo on the 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, has died. Taylor died on February 27th after suffering a heart attack at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He was 80.
Rollo was the smooth-talking best friend to the main character Lamont Sanford, played by Demond Wilson. Though Fred Sanford had a clear dislike for the character.
Airing in 1972, the NBC produced show was said to be the answer to the bigoted Archie Bunker from All in the Family. Sanford and Son went on to air 136 episodes across 6 seasons.
Nathaniel Taylor went on to make several guest appearances on The Bill Cosby Show, Adam 12, and Police Story. He even reprised his role as Rollo for two different shows, though both of the shows didn’t air for very long.
Taylor was born in 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri. He is survived by wife, Loretta along with 6 children, 7 great-grandchildren, his brother, and two sisters. His services are pending.
Longtime fans of Sanford and Son took to Twitter to pay tribute to Taylor, including his former co-star Demond Wilson:
“Saddened to hear about my former partner Nathaniel Taylor’s (AKA Rollo) passing my condolences to his family and fans. Odabo Jack!”
— Demond Wilson (@Sanfords_Son) March 1, 2019
Saddened to hear about my former partner Nathaniel Taylor’s (AKA Rollo) passing my condolences to his family and fans. Odabo Jack!
“#RestInParadise ancestor!! ✊?✊?✊?✊? #NathanielTaylor”
#RestInParadise ancestor!! ✊?✊?✊?✊? #NathanielTaylor pic.twitter.com/cTNb4OflUb
— John W. (@John_Shaft_1971) March 1, 2019
Even in his older age, Nathaniel Taylor never lost sight of the role that put him on the map or his fantastic sense of humor. He will be missed by all who knew him and loved his character.
