Fred Sanford

Living... in a house in the middle of a junkyard in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Fred both lives and operates his business here with his son Lamont. As would seem natural for its location, the house is filled with all kinds of junk, but is at least neatly organized for the most part.

Profession... junk and antiques dealer. Fred makes his living selling what other people have discarded out of his house; he’s a firm believer in "one man's trash is another man's treasure.” Although he is able to support himself this way, he's often willing to take part in various get-rich-quick schemes, with Lamont typically having to talk him out of it.

Interests... getting a rise out of people. Fred thoroughly enjoys being confrontational and is not one to hold back on the truth as he sees it. For example, he constantly makes fun of his sister-in-law, Esther. When she asks him why he always calls her ugly, he replies, "Because I'm not the type to lie."

Relationship Status... widower, with an on-and-off girlfriend named Donna. Fred's wife Elizabeth died very soon after Lamont was born, leaving Fred to raise their son on his own. When Fred is “off” with Donna, he rarely misses an opportunity to flirt with a beautiful woman. He frequently attempts to talk up waitresses, stewardesses, and receptionists. When Lamont accuses him of being "a dirty old man," Fred answers, "And I'm gonna be one until I'm a dead old man."

Challenge... managing his temper. Fred wants everything done his way and gets very frustrated if it’s not. He's always eager to talk junk – no pun intended – and quick to don a fighting stance, put his fists up, and start yelling, "How would you like one across yo' lip?" And it's not hard to get on his bad side; one wrong word and you're in for trouble.

Personality... grumpy and contentious, but often just for show. Fred is overly dramatic, never above faking a heart attack in an attempt to get what he wants, especially from Lamont: "Oh, this is the biggest one I ever had. You hear that Elizabeth? I'm coming to join you, honey." However, his crankiness is generally good humored and overall, Fred is just trying to have fun. He really does care about Lamont, even when he is yelling his catch-phrase, "You big dummy!"