He was 57. Roker died Saturday in Los Angeles, her publicist, Cynthia Snyder, said this week. Check out an interview that Damon did with blogger, Keith Boykin: Interviewer: How did the experience on [The Jeffersons] affect your life? Damon Evans was a cast member on the CBS hit 70s sitcom The Jeffersons, but while everyone must have thought he had the best life, Evans was battling personal demons that would lead him down a drug-fueled path and near-suicide. Today Damon Evans is 72 years young and has made great strides in his life. I didnt have any pride.. During a guest appearance on "The Charay Vaughn Show," Harris opened up about the cruel way he used to treat her when she was only a child, revealing that he was never involved in her life. Actor Mike Evans. He studied acting at Los Angeles City College. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. Series overview [ edit] Episodes [ edit] Season 1 (1975) [ edit] Season 2 (1975-76) [ edit] Season 3 (1976-77) [ edit] Season 4 (1977-78) [ edit] Season 5 (1978-79) [ edit] While Carlene suffered a lot at his hands, she eventually forgave him. On All in the Family, Lionel was portrayed by Mike Evans from 1971 to 1975. ! After the original Lionel Jefferson actor, Mike Evans (no relation to Damon), left the show, Damon replaced him in 1975. Evans appeared infrequently after that, and made his final appearance as Lionel in the two-part episode "Sayonara" in 1985. When Lionel gets laid off from his job, George hires him to work in his office. The hit show was a spinoff featuring bigoted Archie Bunkers black neighbors in Queens who move on up to the East Side of Manhattan. When Lionel Jefferson actor Mike Evans left The Jeffersons shortly after the All in the Family spin-off debuted on CBS in 1975, it was . Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. He has appeared in all 253 episodes of The Jeffersons . His last role was in a 2000 episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. Unfortunately, when Damons work permit in the UK expired, and he returned to the United States, the actor discovered he had been typecast as a comedic character. Evans also stated that he never had a chance to meet the first Lionel, played by Mike Evans, who was also the co-creator of the Good Times sitcom: Damon Evans: I was the second Lionel and I never met Mike, although I did meet his mother one Sunday in church during the first year I was doing the show. Work would take him to London, where he gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage. Losing my anonymity at such a young age was devastating to me. *Singing*. My family, on the other hand, couldnt have been happier. 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Ready for Tolkien Battle, How the Landscape of Native-Led Stories Has Changed Between Avatars: Were Flexing Our Sovereignty, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. I uprooted myself from a role as a classical music student and was thrust in the publics eye overnight. To get her attention, he called her Weezy, and it stuck. The actor who gave life to Lionel Jefferson for more than a decade lost his life after a long battle with cancer. Thankfully, Mike Evans decided to return midway during season four, so all was well again. Damon Evans and Berlinda Tolbert ( who played Lionels wife Jenny) on TV's The Jeffersons. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. After the game, New York Times columnist Kurt Streeter asked Lillard how . *Singing* Well were moving on up! I heard Gladys Knight say this, that we all get lost in the maze of materialism, but theres a greater force if you believe in it, that brings us back home. Lionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. The question asked of me will always be Which Lionel are you, the first or the second? In retrospect, I think it was actually an impossible task to undertake because most people dont seem to remember that Michael Evans was the first Jefferson to appear on All in the Family. George, opposed to miscegenation, calls Helen and Tom "zebras" or "chocolate and . According to Jimmie Walker, Evans had threatened to leave if he was not given more screen time, and Norman Lear let him out of his contract. Can i add someone to my wells fargo account online? Damon is referring to this fun fact about the shows beginning cast: From the characters first appearance on All in the Family, producer, Norman Lear, had pegged Sherman Hemsley to play George Jefferson. But when All in the Family became a hit, Hemsley was tied up on Broadway as the co-star of Purlie, and was understandably reluctant to break his contract. But he was mainly known for his role as Bentley on The Jeffersons, which ran on CBS from 1975 to 1985. She was 66. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). Mike Evans as Lionel in Season 1 of "The Jeffersons". Damon sure had all of us fooled. To support himself, he took a job in the mail room of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, where he gamely replied Yes whenever coworkers asked, Werent you Lionel? Evans also joined a church and began taking singing lessons. Evan's character, Lionel, was one of the first characters that showcased an opinionated black young man, and even though he had to deal with his neighbor Archie's constant ignorant and racist comments, Lionel usually played along, remaining unfazed about the demonstrations of bigotry displayed by Archie. Damon let the cat of the bag when he publicly revealed that he hated playing Lionel on The Jeffersons and deeply regrets doing the show. Lionel Jefferson, who appeared in seasons 1-5 of All In The Family is the son of George and Louise Jefferson, On the AITF series, the part was played by Mike Evans, who would go on to co-create another Norman Lear produced sitcom, Good Times in 1975, the same season his character Lionel, George and Louise were spun off themselves into a series, titled The Jeffersons. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; Although popularly known as one of the actors who portrayed "Lionel Jefferson" on the long-running sitcom The Jeffersons (1975), Damon Evans is an accomplished singer and stage performer. is for general information purposes only. Mike Evans and more members of the "All in the Family" cast circa 1972 | Photo: Getty Images. Mike Evans left The Jeffersons after its first season in order to devote more time to writing for Maude spin-off Good Times, which he had helped create. Even though most people believed Mike would grow up to become one of the most famous faces in Hollywood, the truth is that those two episodes were the last time he was seen in front of the cameras. 'Jeffersons' Actor Mike Evans Dies December 22, 2006 / 9:42 AM / AP Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV comedy series "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has. He was not a crucial part of the show by any means, but he was still considered to be an important member of the cast. Damon: No, they do know Im gay but they wont accept it. Zara Cully, who played Mother Jefferson, had been absent from the first 17 episodes of Season Three due to a serious case of pneumonia caused by a collapsed lung. I was afraid of change.. Original Lionel, Mike Evans, decided to leave the show after the second season. He left in 1981 to pursue other projects but returned in 1983. Id be late a lot. Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mother's home. His family later moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Los Angeles High School. That was not the case. Biography. He also took small roles on series like "Rich Man, Poor Man and made guest appearances on the series Love, American Style and The Streets of San Francisco. His last role was in an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger in 2000. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. I uprooted myself from a role as a classical music student and was thrust in the publics eye overnight. / AP. Years after his passing, Harris claimed that God asked her to go to Los Angeles and stay at her paternal grandmother's home, where slept in the same room that her father died in. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. Of those in the Bunker household, Lionel is closest to Archie's son-in-law Michael Stivic. It would be almost a decade before they were free to leave that venue. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired pilots, before the role was recast with Evans . Evans died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in . Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV comedy series "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. According to him, he wanted to educate America in the sense that Lionel was a black married man who was working on his masters and was ready to have a family, which was something America hadn't seen yet. Thinking that this is the beginning of the \"easy life,\" George is ill-prepared for the unexpected pitfalls his new address will bring him. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In one of the early episodes, the Jeffersons move into a house down the block from the Bunkers (later, the house is said to be next door). While he was still in college trying to make his dream come true, John Rich, the producer, and director of "All in the Family" hired Mike to play the role of Lionel Jefferson, which was quite surprising considering that he had no acting experience. Evans died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. Damon Evans took over the role and he stayed for two years in seasons three and fourthis was the dark period. He explained to NPR, why he decided to go to college at an older age: Damon Evans- I am useless when I am not active. Evans, along with Eric Monte, also created and wrote for "Good Times," one of the first TV comedy series that featured a primarily black cast. Sanford died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized since July 4, said Brad Lemack. I had a really bad attitude.. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist, and his mother, Annie Sue Evans, a teacher. During the final season of The Jeffersons, Lionel and Jenny announce they are seeking a divorce (after living apart for several years while Lionel worked in Japan). And I think, for me, that was the hardest thing was that I was so afraid to give up my identity as a performer. To the east si-i-ide!. In July 1974, Evans met Helena Jefferson (19522002). In 2007 (at age 56) he earned his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx College in New York. Kiss announce farewell tour set to conclude in NYC does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. According to her, she was raised by her mother and grandmother, and that, shockingly, Mike absolutely refused to believe that he was her biological father. In the sitcom's storyline, Stewart posed as "George Jefferson" when he joined "George's" wife, "Louise" (played by Isabel Sanford), for dinner at the 'Bunker' home. target_type: 'mix' Damon sure had all of us fooled. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Talk about stress and adjustment issues. Isabel Sanford, (born August 29, 1917, New York, New York, U.S.died July 9, 2004, Los Angeles, California), American actress best known for her role as Louise (Weezy) Jefferson in the long-running television situation comedy The Jeffersons (197585). mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', He opened up about his drug addiction to a therapist and reportedly joined Narcotics Anonymous. His new drug-heavy life would lead Damon to almost ending his life sometime in 1997. Mike Evans left The Jeffersons after its first season in order to devote more time to writing for Maude spinoff Good Times, which he had helped create. Did you? He was 57. I had not even seen one episode of the show before I took over the part, and the producers discouraged me from ever watching any of the episodes in which Mike had appeared. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. #inline-recirc-item--id-9e2ec6fa-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-9e2ec6fa-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { And things start evolving and I started tutoring. Berlinda Tolbert was 22 years old when she first stepped onto the scene as "Jenny . Lionel Gets the Business: Directed by Bob Lally. When the series ended, Gibbs took on other TV roles including portraying Mary Jenkins on the sitcom 227. https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/sherman-hemsley-net-worth/, https://the-jeffersons.fandom.com/wiki/Florence_Johnston, Georges Weezy nickname was based off on a real-life romance. Actor Mike Evans, who played Lionel Jefferson in the television comedy series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. On what advice he would tell others who want to follow in his footsteps and pursue an acting career. [3] Actor and opera singer Damon Evans (no relation to Michael) then took the role of Lionel, but Mike Evans returned in the role for the sixth through eighth seasons. Mike Evans died in 2006 in his mothers house. }, First published on December 22, 2006 / 9:42 AM. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). Michael Jonas Evans was born Nov. 3, 1949, in Salisbury, N.C. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist while his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a school teacher. Evans was a creator/writer of the series Good Times (197479). Father and daughter stopped talking for good when she was 21 years old, and he kept on denying that he was Harris' biological father, claiming that his brother a man that nobody ever knew was her real dad. We all remember "Jenny Willis," "Tom's" and "Helen's" daughter on The Jeffersons, but many of us didn't hear much from her outside of a few other roles in films like Harlem Knights, Goodfellas, and such. "All in The Family" was one of the first television series of the '80s to present an all-black cast, and the premise of the series followed the life of an interracial couple. ", In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California. Because once you get there youll find out that there is no there there. It really was the verbal autobiography that brought this attention to the fact of what Ive done and I and for I talked to the students about what it meant about learning to let go of family, about, you know, following your own course in life, and about confronting the fear of change. Work would take him to London, where he gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage. ", Mike Evans' daughter Carlena Harris | Photo: YouTube/Carlena Harris. We wish that brotha the best though. Its really been pretty phenomenal. But he didn't waste any time finding a new project and found himself working behind the cameras in "Good Times," the show which he helped create and started writing for. He reportedly had a huge crush on a girl who was older than him. Lionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. It's really been pretty phenomenal., Although Damon has been out of the spotlight for a long time, the actor/opera singer is remembered for his works in productions like Operas Porgy And Bess, Broadways Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, and Jesus Christ Superstar, and as a young Alex Haley in the ABC TV miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. All content, including text, and images contained on news.AmoMama.com, or available through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only. Justin Bieber concerts canceled on ticket sales sites There was such a marked difference in our interpretations of the role. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. He was also a guest celebrity panelist on the TV game show Match Game . As we previously reported, Damon Evans absolutely hated being a part of "The Jeffersons" and had several problems going on behind the scenes and internally (you can read about that HERE).So in 1978, he left the show and decided to pursue other acting roles, as well as his first passion of singing in the opera. What happened to Lionel on The Jeffersons? placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', It happened after a stinging loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, in which Portland coughed up a 25-point lead. And you know but gradually it happened, and of course, theres this whole new world in life. Away from the world of entertainment, Damon bagged his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx Community College in 2007. In 1979, Mike came back for one more season, but eventually left again, forcing the creators to write Lionel and his wife Jenny (played by actress Berlinda Tolbert) out of the script, claiming that they faced marital problems. Evans died of throat cancer. Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. When Lionel's father finally shows up, someone apparently has to leave to make room. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. To be quite honest, I didn't have a direction when I went there. [2], Evans continued to play the role on the spinoff The Jeffersons, but left after the first season to pursue other aspects of his career. Although he was born in North Carolina, Mike eventually moved with his family to Los Angeles, California, where he decided that he wanted to try his luck in show business, having studied acting at Los Angeles City College. _taboola.push({ I started loving it, I mean, started knowing that I could even write. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. All in the Family's CBS spinoff series, The Jeffersons premiered in 1975. Evans was a creator/writer of the series Good Times (197479).[4]. They married on January 10, 1976. We wish that brotha the best though. 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