Remember him? Evans kept the role of Lionel when The Jeffersons launched in 1975. The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. Franklin Cover first began acting in 1960 and was on The Jackie Gleason Showa couple of times in 1967 as a police officer. Unfortunately, when Damon's work permit in the UK expired, and he returned to the United States, the actor discovered he had been typecast as a comedic character. In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California. But his big break was his Jeffersons character of Tom Willis, a great foil to George. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. 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. Thinking that this is the beginning of the \"easy life,\" George is ill-prepared for the unexpected pitfalls his new address will bring him. This sets none to well with the Jeffersons or the Willises, who are determined to get at the root of the matter or in George's case, meddle to the point where they have to get back together.Available on Prime Video: https://amzn.to/3oYSG9XSubscribe to The Norman Lear Effect channel: https://bit.ly/NormanLearEffectFollow us on social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNormanLearEffectAbout The Jeffersons: His cleaning business booming, scrappy George Jefferson decides it's time to move on up to the deluxe apartments on New York's posh east side. Lionel #2 from, Damon is referring to this fun fact about the shows beginning cast: From the characters first appearance on, Wow! Publicity photo of Mike Evans during his time on "The Jeffersons" circa 1975 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. High on crack cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, he walked from his upper Manhattan apartment to the George Washington Bridge and contemplated leaping into the Hudson River 250 feet below. Mike Evans died in 2006 in his mothers house. To be quite honest, I didn't have a direction when I went there. He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 17-25) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations . The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. George, opposed to miscegenation, calls Helen and Tom "zebras" or "chocolate and . 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. "Good Times". Online (22 Dec 2006, 02:56:00 PM PST): ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Evans_(actor)&oldid=1125602728, People from San Bernardino County, California, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Main cast (34 episodes) (final appearance), This page was last edited on 4 December 2022, at 22:04. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). . 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. 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. His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. To get her attention, he called her Weezy, and it stuck. Justin Bieber concerts canceled on ticket sales sites Are any of the members of peter, paul and mary still alive? He was known for his roles as The Number Painter on the PBS childrens show Sesame Street and as the English neighbor Harry Bentley on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons. Evans played Lenny in the cast of the 197677 Danny Thomas situation comedy The Practice during its second and final season. 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. 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. His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. I thought, I cant go on like this anymore, Damon recalled, but then another thought crept in that stopped him from ending his life: I was thinking, How am I going to kill myself when I dont even know myself?. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. Damon sure had all of us fooled. I guess you can say that we all learn something new everyday, dont we? The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. 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. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', Jenny, however, became a regular guest throughout the series, unlike Lionel, who only appeared on the screen in the last two episodes of the eleventh and final season back in 1985. Publicity photo of Mike Evans during his time on "All in the Family" circa 1971 | Photo: Getty Images. Talk about stress and adjustment issues. She was 86. 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. Ebonie Smith, also known as Ebony Smith (born Negra Candalaria-Smith; September 16, 1978) is a Puerto Rican-born American former child actress known for her role as Jessica Jefferson in the sitcom The Jeffersons in four episodes in Seasons 10 and 11. It sounds like you didnt enjoy doing the show. This event creates tension for Archie, though it elates Michael and Gloria. Evans attended the Interlochen Academy on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. 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. Under the influence, the actor walked to the George Washington Bridge, intending to jump into the Hudson River. Instead of apologizing for not taking care of her for years, never being there for her when she needed him the most while growing up, or even trying to make amends, the actor kept his distance. With Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover. 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. We wish that brotha the best though. He studied acting at Los Angeles City College before getting the role of Lionel Jefferson in 1970s situation comedy All in the Family.. Mike Evans, the actor who portrayed Lionel Jefferson on the TV series "All In The Family" and "The Jeffersons," passed away at the age of 57 years old following a short-lived career. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. I was afraid of change.. All Rights Reserved. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', The cause was throat cancer, said a niece, Chrystal Evans. 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. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', To the east si-i-ide!. The actor, who was 57 at the time of his passing, was famous for playing the role of Lionel Jefferson first in "All in the Family," and later in "The Jeffersons.". (L) Damon Evans, the actor who played Lionel Jefferson on The Jeffersons sitcom; (inset photo) The Jeffersons stars, Isabel Sanford (Weezy Jefferson) and Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson) When most of us first saw actor, Damon Evans, pop up on The Jeffersons as Weezys and Georges son, we were like, Who dat?! He was 57. Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. Damon Evans and Berlinda Tolbert ( who played Lionels wife Jenny) on TV's The Jeffersons. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Away from the world of entertainment, Damon bagged his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx Community College in 2007. 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We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. It would be almost a decade before they were free to leave that venue. He was 57. The late star was born in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1949, son to father Theodore Evans Sr., who made a living as a dentist, and to mother Annie Sue Evans, who . Evans gave life to the character through all of the seasons of "All in The Family" but when it came to playing the role on the spin-off show that was centered on the life of the black family, he took a break for three years and was replaced by actor Damon Evans. He was also a guest celebrity panelist on the TV game show Match Game . Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. 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.. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. And I think, for me, that was the hardest thing was that I was so afraid to give up my identity as a performer. After the game, New York Times columnist Kurt Streeter asked Lillard how . display: none; Talk about stress and adjustment issues., In a 2001 PEOPLE interview, the actor further revealed that his dissatisfaction caused him to act out. December 22, 2006 / 9:42 AM Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. 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. Through that experience, Carlene understood that her father had finally accepted her, which drove her to forgive him. 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). He was 57. Damon Evans (born November 24, 1949) is an American actor best known as the second of two actors who portrayed Lionel Jefferson on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons. 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] Evans was a creator/writer of the series Good Times (197479).[4]. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! It was later revealed that he was actually Henry Jefferson, Georges brother. Check out an interview that Damon did with blogger, Keith Boykin: Interviewer: How did the experience on [The Jeffersons] affect your life? All Rights Reserved. I guess you can say that we all learn something new everyday, dont we? | The Norman Lear Effecthttps://bit.ly/NormanLearEffect We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Evans died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in . Show developer Norman Lear preferred Cleavon Little for the role, but Rich lobbied to cast an actor who would appear less threatening. 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. Who played the original Lionel Jefferson? Damon Evans, one of two actors who played Lionel Jefferson on the '70s sitcom The Jeffersons, talks with Michel Martin. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mother's home. 22 (AP) Mike Evans, an actor best known for playing Lionel Jefferson on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family and its popular spinoff The Jeffersons, died at his mothers home here on Dec. 14. He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 17-25) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.. Thankfully, Mike Evans decided to return midway during season four, so all was well again. iloveoldschoolmusic.com, A few of us were at the ILOSM office today, having one of our brainstorm idea sessions, and someone randomly blurted out the name Damon Evans a.k.a. 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Work would take him to London, where he gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage. Unfortunately, in the years that followed, Damon soon realized Hollywood had mostly typecast him as the comedic character, Lionel. However, he wanted to prove his diversity. He was 57. However, his personal life was not as good as one would believe, especially when it came to his daughter, Carlena Harris. What happened to Lionel on The Jeffersons? Its really been pretty phenomenal. Because once you get there youll find out that there is no there there. We came to know him as the character, "Lionel," from "The Jeffersons" and it was he and his friend, Eric Monte's, creative genius that gave us their sitcom creation, "Good Times.". The show touched on issues that were taboo on TV at the time such as homosexuality, abortion, racism, rape, religion and more. Start Today. His family later moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Los Angeles High School. Early life [ edit] Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. 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. At which location is the altitude of polaris approximately 42? 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. She has been married to Tom Willis, a white man, for 34 years. 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. What happened to the first Lionel on The Jeffersons show? Work would take him to London, where he gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage. Mike Evans and other cast members of "The Jeffersons" circa 1974 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Harris said: "I just had to live with the fact that I didn't have an earthly father who wanted me, but the thing with that is it certainly caused me to be closer to my heavenly father and got me to a point where I was content. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. 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. 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Portrayed the young Alex Haley ( ages 17-25 ) in the first Lionel on the Jeffersons?!