Both Weezy and George were cast later. Damon Evans took over the role and he stayed for two years in seasons three and fourthis was the dark period. He admitted his drug addiction to his therapist and joined Narcotics Anonymous. She has a career that has included television, movies and live performances. Via People: A depressed and unemployed Evans came close to ending his own life. _taboola.push({ Mike Evans and other cast members of "The Jeffersons" circa 1974 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. She was 86. Are any of the cast of my three sons still alive? Isabel Sanford net worth and salary: Isabel Sanford was an American actress and comedian who had a net worth of $3 million at the time of her death. In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Evans died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. George, opposed to miscegenation, calls Helen and Tom "zebras" or "chocolate and . The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. 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. Evans is also a successful stage performer, and is currently attending . That is the closest I ever got to meeting and/or knowing Mike Evans, his mother. Mike Evans eventually returned to the role in 1979, appearing in several episodes before the end of the series in 1985. Lionel tells Archie off, but also lets him know that they can remain friends. 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. Actress Marla Gibbs, best known for her roles on shows like The Jeffersons and 227 is now 90 years of age and still going strong. Maddie Brown Shares Her Postpartum Journey Weeks after Giving Birth to Third Child, Jamie Lee Curtis Admits 'Saying Goodbye' to James Corden Was Harder than She Thought as His Show Ends, Man Finds Out His Fiance Is Pregnant, Forces Her to Choose between Abortion or Marriage, Charlie Sheen Could Not Understand the Chaos He Created in His Life Because of His Addictions, Widowed Mom Learns Her Son Escapes Home Every Night, He Returns One Day with Bag Full of Cash Story of the Day, 'Family Affair's' Johnny Whitaker's Family Threatened to 'Divorce' Him after He Became Penniless, The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Damon revealed that his sexual preference became an issue for him on . 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 Evans: If I had to make that particular choice over again, that is accepting or not accepting the role of Lionel and replacing actor Michael Evans, I definitely would have refused the role. In a prior People Magazine article, Damon explained how his lack of jobs, led to depression, then to years of drug addiction. target_type: 'mix' One could say Mike was quite successful in the entertainment industry for a little more than a decade. Roxie Roker, the elegant and beautiful actress best known for her role as Helen Willis on the long-running hit CBS television series The Jeffersons, has died. Lionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. George (front) with wife Louise and son Lionel. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Through that experience, Carlene understood that her father had finally accepted her, which drove her to forgive him. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired pilots, before the role was recast with Evans . George Jefferson is a fictional character played by Sherman Hemsley on the American television sitcoms All in the Family (1973-1975, 1978) and its spin-off The Jeffersons (1975-1985), in which he serves as the program's protagonist. 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. Unfortunately, that didn't make their relationship any better. 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. Samuel L Jackson & Wife Are Married for 41 Years & 'Still Love Each Other' Though They Took 10 Years to Wed, 'Law & Order's' Camryn Manheim Turns 61 - Meet Her Son Milo Who Is All Grown-up & Is Also an Actor, Who Is Jake Sully from Avatar? His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. All content, including text, and images contained on. Damon was only 25 in 1975 when he was tapped to replace Mike Evans (no relation) as Lionel Jefferson in the primetime TV show. 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. 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. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { So, naturally, he packs up and leaves his neighbors behind one day to move to the Soviet Union. 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. Evans was a creator/writer of the series Good Times (197479). 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. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. A total of 253 episodes aired on CBS over 11 seasons, from January 18, 1975, through July 2, 1985. 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. In 1978, Damon quit The Jeffersons to pursue his opera career, reports PEOPLE. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Lets just say this, Ive taken detours but I always come back home. 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. 134K views 1 year ago #TheJeffersons #Breakup The Jeffersons (Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley) get the news that Lionel and Jenny (Mike Evans and Berlinda Tolbert) are separating, so they. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', 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. Evans played Lenny in the cast of the 197677 Danny Thomas situation comedy The Practice during its second and final season. He is the son of George and Louise Jefferson. I just sort of just said well, let me just see where this goes. Lionel was born in New York City on October 18, 1953. When Lionel's father finally shows up, someone apparently has to leave to make room. That was not the case. [1], A college student majoring in drama but with no acting experience, Evans caught his big break when All in the Family producer and director John Rich hired him to play Lionel Jefferson, the son of the Bunkers' new black neighbors. The hit show was a spinoff featuring bigoted Archie Bunkers black neighbors in Queens who move on up to the East Side of Manhattan. He studied acting at Los Angeles City College before getting the role of Lionel Jefferson in the 1970s situation comedy "All in the Family.". If I had to make that particular choice over again, that is accepting or not accepting the role of Lionel and replacing actor Michael Evans, I definitely would have refused the role, the actor confessed during an interview with Keith Boykin, per ILOSM. All content, including text, and images contained on news.AmoMama.com, or available through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only. iloveoldschoolmusic.com. What happened to the first Lionel on Jeffersons? Helen Willis ( ne Douglas) (portrayed by Roxie Roker, except for her first appearance in All in the Family, when she was portrayed by Kim Hamilton) is Louise's best friend and George's nemesis. } But while we were getting to know Mike Evans, the actor, his daughter, Carlena Harris, was apparently getting to know him as her dad, whom she says . Did you? 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. He was 57. LOS ANGELES Actress Isabel Sanford, best known as Weezie, Louise Jefferson on the television sitcom The Jeffersons, died of natural causes, her publicist said Monday. He explained during an interview with News & Notes that his foray into academics, though unplanned, was life-changing. Posted On : May 14, 2015. Early life [ edit] Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. Mike drew his last breath at his home his mothers home in Twentynine Palms in 2006, as announced by his niece, Chrystal Evans, following a battle with throat cancer. 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. 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. And you know but gradually it happened, and of course, theres this whole new world in life. I just sort of just said well, let me just see where this goes. Dont forsake values. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). Getting high was all that matteredI didnt have any pride, Evans admitted. 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. 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. It sounds like you didnt enjoy doing the show. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. Evans died of throat cancer. He was 57. But he was mainly known for his role as Bentley on The Jeffersons, which ran on CBS from 1975 to 1985. By the time she was 13 years old, he requested a DNA test to learn the truth, and, as it turns out, he was indeed Harris' father. Its great that Damon sought the help he desperately needed, but in the beginning the sudden reality of him having to go from Lionel the superstar, back to the everyday civilian, working in the mail room, had to a tough adjustment. Remember him? The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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. 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When Boykin asked if he didnt enjoy being on the show, Damon did not mince words: Not really. Lear improvised and hired Mel Stewart as a sort of placeholder. In the sitcoms storyline, Stewart posed as George Jefferson when he joined Georges wife, Louise (played by Isabel Sanford), for dinner at the Bunker home. what happened to the first lionel on the jeffersons 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. I always tell people that I am the one without the fro and the one who married Jenny on TV. What happened to the first Lionel on The Jeffersons show? (FYI: He is not related to Mike Evans, who played the first Lionel on the show). 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. Check out an interview that Damon did with blogger, Keith Boykin: Interviewer: How did the experience on [The Jeffersons] affect your life? He studied acting at Los Angeles City College. 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. display: none; Lionel #2 from The Jeffersons. He reportedly had a huge crush on a girl who was older than him. All in the Family's CBS spinoff series, The Jeffersons premiered in 1975. 2006 The Associated Press. While the actor was away from the Jeffersons, Damon Evans, who starred in the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" and Broadway's "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope," replaced him between the second and fourth seasons. Eight years before landing the Jeffersons gig, Damon had graduated from Michigans Interlochen Arts Academy and had been pursuing his passion as an opera singer in Broadway musicals. Little did fans know back then though, Damon was unhappy and would soon be headed down a years long battle with himself and drug addiction. does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. He was known for his roles as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen, and B.P. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Get to Know 'The Girl from Plainville' Star's Girlfriend of 7 Years, Roseanne Barr Blamed Sara Gilbert for Destroying Her Her Family-Oriented Life After the Scandal, James Drury Died Months after Wife of 40 Years He Had Several Heartbreaks before His 'Wonderful Marriage'. Work would take him to London, where he gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage. Getting high was all that mattered, Damon shared. Is mr. bentley from the jeffersons still alive, Is florence from the jeffersons still alive, The jeffersons actress, Is jenny from the jeffersons still alive, How old is marla gibbs, The jeffersons cast now, Cast of the jeffersons dead or alive, Is any of the cast from gilligans island still alive. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', I thought, I cant go on like this anymore, Evans recalls. 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. No! Trending News Franklin Cover first began acting in 1960 and was on The Jackie Gleason Showa couple of times in 1967 as a police officer. display: block; And things start evolving and I started tutoring. Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. Luckily a lack of nerveand one nagging thoughtkept his feet on the ground. Born in Baltimore, he graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, USA on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. 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. 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. To get her attention, he called her Weezy, and it stuck. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; #inline-recirc-item--id-9e2ec6fa-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { His new drug-heavy life would lead Damon to almost ending his life sometime in 1997. There I was a total unknown one day, and the next appearing on network television in one of the top 10 TV shows on the air. Damon Evans, one of two actors who played Lionel Jefferson on the '70s sitcom The Jeffersons, talks with Michel Martin. He has appeared in all 253 episodes of The Jeffersons . His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist while his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a school teacher. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. 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. Publicity photo of Mike Evans during his time on "All in the Family" circa 1971 | Photo: Getty Images. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Evans kept the role of Lionel when "The Jeffersons" launched in 1975. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 July 24, 2012) was an American actor and musician. 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). At which location is the altitude of polaris approximately 42? 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Evans was a creator/writer of the series Good Times (197479).[4]. 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. Found Her! Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. 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 2015 . Lionel was born in New York City on October 18, 1953. Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV comedy series "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. Of those in the Bunker household, Lionel is closest to Archie's son-in-law Michael Stivic. Mike Evans was known for being a bright and funny individual. But they're far from happy; in fact, they're so happy they've agreed to a separation. His last role was in a 2000 episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger. Born in Baltimore, Evans attended the Interlochen Academy on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). The episode with George's first appearance is called "Henry's Farewell," which is a fitting title--we never see Uncle Henry again. This is a list of episodes of the American situation comedy The Jeffersons. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Thankfully, Mike Evans decided to return midway during season four, so all was well again. Under the influence, the actor walked to the George Washington Bridge, intending to jump into the Hudson River. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. We wish that brotha the best though. I was thinking, How am I going to kill myself when I dont even know myself? he says. There was such a marked difference in our interpretations of the role. Start Today. 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 . 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. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', This event creates tension for Archie, though it elates Michael and Gloria. Sometimes, that is still not enough for some people to differentiate us apart. On the first two seasons of All in the Family, Lionel has an uncle named Henry. Damon sure had all of us fooled. ", In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California. While Carlene suffered a lot at his hands, she eventually forgave him. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', Im learning a lot today. What happened to the first Lionel on Jeffersons? The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. On what advice he would tell others who want to follow in his footsteps and pursue an acting career. Damon Evans: Not really. Evans, along with Eric Monte, also created and wrote for Good Times, one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily black cast. Michael Jonas Evans (November 3, 1949 December 14, 2006) was an American actor, best known as Lionel Jefferson on both All in the Family and The Jeffersons. No! _taboola.push({ Mike Evans returned to the series in September 1979 and appeared regularly as Lionel for two more seasons. To be quite honest, I didn't have a direction when I went there. Actor Mike Evans, who played Lionel Jefferson in the television comedy series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. target_type: 'mix' And to be quite honest, I didnt have a direction when I went there. There I was Lionel which was to them the epitome of what they wanted me to be, but Lionel was just a role I played as an actor. [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. 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. Interview with News & Notes that his foray into academics, though what happened to the first lionel on the jeffersons, life-changing! 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