The show touched on issues that were taboo on TV at the time such as homosexuality, abortion, racism, rape, religion and more. He was 57. I was afraid of change.. I always tell people that I am the one without the fro and the one who married Jenny on TV. He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 17-25) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. In a prior People Magazine article, Damon explained how his lack of jobs, led to depression, then to years of drug addiction. 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. Lionel's patience runs out when Archie tells him not to see his niece socially because "white ought to stay with white and colored ought to stay with colored". 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. . December 22, 2006 / 9:42 AM Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. [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 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 worked as a school teacher. Tom Sizemore's family told there's "no further hope" after aneurysm Mike Evans returned to the series in September 1979 and appeared regularly as Lionel for two more seasons. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. The hit show was a spinoff featuring bigoted Archie Bunker's black neighbors in Queens who "move on up to the East Side" of Manhattan. I guess you can say that we all learn something new everyday, dont we? His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist, and his mother, Annie Sue Evans, a teacher. Id be late a lot. He studied acting at Los Angeles City College. Isabel Sanford, who played Louise Weezy Jefferson on The Jeffersons for a decade, died Friday of natural causes at Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, her publicist told the Associated Press. And things start evolving and I started tutoring. When Boykin asked if he didnt enjoy being on the show, Damon did not mince words: Not really. [citation needed] Evans's body was cremated. In the second half of Wednesday's Live in Front of a 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. Evans, along with Eric Monte, also created and wrote for Good Times, one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily black cast. There was such a marked difference in our interpretations of the role. }); Copyright 2015 . 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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. Damon revealed that his sexual preference became an issue for him on . Damon: No, they do know Im gay but they wont accept it. Actor Mike Evans, who played Lionel Jefferson in the television comedy series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. 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One could say Mike was quite successful in the entertainment industry for a little more than a decade. Under the influence, the actor walked to the George Washington Bridge, intending to jump into the Hudson River. However, his personal life was not as good as one would believe, especially when it came to his daughter, Carlena Harris. His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. 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. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. Evans died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. Check out an interview that Damon did with interviewer, Keith Boykin, Damon Evans on how The Jeffersons sitcom negatively affected his life. 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. To this very day, I dont think they have a clue as to who I really am, and thats there loss. 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. 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. Evans was also a real estate investor and owned properties in California's Inland Empire.[5]. 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. He also acted in the 1976 TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and made guest appearances on the TV series Love, American Style and The Streets of San Francisco. His last role was in a 2000 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.. He was 57. She was 66. He also acted in the 1976 TV miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" and made guest appearances on the TV series "Love, American Style" and "The Streets of San Francisco." 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. Mike Evans and other cast members of "All In the Family" in August 1975 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. The actor who gave life to Lionel Jefferson for more than a decade lost his life after a long battle with cancer. 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. No! Kiss announce farewell tour set to conclude in NYC Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mothers home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. On the first two seasons of All in the Family, Lionel has an uncle named Henry. It was later revealed that he was actually Henry Jefferson, Georges brother. Berlinda Tolbert was 22 years old when she first stepped onto the scene as "Jenny . Damon also took a mail-room job that kept him going until he was able to secure roles in several small-time theater productions. 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. However, that said, the first year on the show was quite a heady experience. Archie considers himself to be Lionel's good friend and even mentor. 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. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. What happened to Lionel on The Jeffersons? 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 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. Maestro cue the outro music! They married on January 10, 1976. Born in Baltimore, Evans attended the Interlochen Academy on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. Lets just say this, Ive taken detours but I always come back home. ! After the original Lionel Jefferson actor, Mike Evans (no relation to Damon), left the show, Damon replaced him in 1975. 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. Damon was only 25 in 1975 when he was tapped to replace Mike Evans (no relation) as Lionel Jefferson in the primetime TV show. He explained during an interview with News & Notes that his foray into academics, though unplanned, was life-changing. 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] With Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover. In 1978, Damon quit The Jeffersons to pursue his opera career, reports PEOPLE. / AP. What happened to the first Lionel on Jeffersons? Can i add someone to my wells fargo account online? Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. Gibbs, who played the Jeffersons housekeeper Florence, is still alive today. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. 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. The Jeffersons was easily one of the top shows at the time, and anyone might have imagined Damon would be overjoyed for the opportunity. 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. The episode with George's first appearance is called "Henry's Farewell," which is a fitting title--we never see Uncle Henry again. Evans died of throat cancer. He was survived by his two daughters (Carlena and Tammie), his mother (Annie Sue), a brother, a cousin, and a niece. Remember him? It happened after a stinging loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, in which Portland coughed up a 25-point lead. Start Today. She was 86. He attended Palmer Memorial Institute, a private school for young black Americans in Sedalia, North Carolina. Mike Evans and other cast members of "The Jeffersons" circa 1974 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. And I think, for me, that was the hardest thing was that I was so afraid to give up my identity as a performer. 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. 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. Who played the original Lionel Jefferson? 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