Don Bexley

Beyond the confines of an autobiographical film or TV vehicle, it's not that often that an actor gets to play a character with whom he shares the same last name. But that was the case with the first and arguably most famous role of the late Don Bexley, who, in the popular mid'1970s sitcom "Sanford and Son," was simply "Bubba Bexley." Bubba was a friend of the lead character of Sanford portrayed by Redd Foxx. He had an infectious belly laugh and would drive Sanford crazy with his bellowing greeting of, "Hey Fred!"' After Foxx left "Sanford and Son" in '77 and his co-star, Demond Wilson, departed because of a salary dispute, NBC attempted to continue on with Bexley and others in the form of the spinoff "The Sanford Arms." However, that series did not make it past its first year. The actor's other TV credits include five episodes of the cop show "Hunter" and a pair of appearances on the Fox sitcom "True Colors."