Photo: Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb
Norman Lear, creator of sitcoms including The Jeffersons, All in the Family, Good Times, and One Day at a Time, died on December 5. Both the people Lear worked with and the people who were touched by his work are paying tribute to him. Just last year, upon his 100th birthday, colleagues and famous fans paid tribute to Lear. “I was grateful to be working for someone who was going to use the greatest medium of communication the world has ever known to rectify some of society’s problems — or to attempt to, at any rate,” John Amos (James Evans Sr. on Good Times) told Vulture at the time. “He was courageous in that respect, and his courage paid off by the audiences that gathered for all his shows.” Jimmy Kimmel, who collaborated with Lear on Live in Front of a Studio Audience, gave a statement to Variety noting the irony of wanting more time with a 101-year-old man. “His bravery, integrity and unmatched moral compass were equaled by his kindness, empathy, and wit,” Kimmel wrote. “Even at 101, Norman cared as much about the future, our children, and planet or as anyone I have ever known. He was a great American, a hero in every way and so funny, smart, and lovely man you almost couldn’t believe it. The privilege of working alongside Norman and the opportunity he gave me and my wife to get to know him and his beautiful family has been among the great honors and pleasures of my life. We were all very lucky to have him.” Below, tributes and remembrances to Norman Lear.
