​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Whitman B. Mayo (November 15, 1930 – May 22, 2001) was an American actor best known for his character Grady Wilson on the 1970s television sitcom Sanford and Son. Noted for portraying characters older than his actual age, Mayo was in his 40s when he played Grady on Sanford and Son. Description above from the Wikipedia article Whitman Mayo, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.