This resulted in grueling struggle of unemployment, with very few acting gigs in between. display: none; 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.". 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. _taboola.push({ Mike Evans and other cast members of "The Jeffersons" circa 1974 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Show developer Norman Lear preferred Cleavon Little for the role, but Rich lobbied to cast an actor who would appear less threatening. December 22, 2006 / 9:42 AM 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. Archie considers himself to be Lionel's good friend and even mentor. Publicity photo of Mike Evans during his time on "The Jeffersons" circa 1975 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. Lionel was born in New York City on October 18, 1953. On All in the Family, Lionel was portrayed by Mike Evans from 1971 to 1975. But his big break was his Jeffersons character of Tom Willis, a great foil to George. Damon Evans (born November 24, 1949) is an American actor, best known as the second of two actors who portrayed Lionel Jefferson on the The Jeffersons. Dont forsake values. 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. She was 66. Jane Fonda announces her cancer is in remission Tom Sizemore's family told there's "no further hope" after aneurysm Because once you get there youll find out that there is no there there. Damon revealed that his sexual preference became an issue for him on The Jeffersons as well. 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.. Actor Mike Evans. Getting high was all that matteredI didnt have any pride, Evans admitted. 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. Evans kept the role of Lionel when "The Jeffersons" launched in 1975. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. 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. He was 57. 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. Gibbs was born Margaret Theresa Bradley on June 14, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois. After the game, New York Times columnist Kurt Streeter asked Lillard how . Mike Evans as Lionel in Season 1 of "The Jeffersons". display: none; Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. }); Copyright 2015 . Trending News Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mothers home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. 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. Can i register a car with export only title in arizona. #inline-recirc-item--id-9e2ec6fa-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-9e2ec6fa-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { In a prior People Magazine article, Damon explained how his lack of jobs, led to depression, then to years of drug addiction. In July 1974, Evans met Helena Jefferson (19522002). What happened to the first Lionel on The Jeffersons show? Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. Lionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). However, that said, the first year on the show was quite a heady experience. Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. 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. ", In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', Yep, he can SANG. 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. 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Damon Evans: Not really. Mike Evans eventually returned to the role in 1979, appearing in several episodes before the end of the series in 1985. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. 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. He was 57. Evans was a creator/writer of the series Good Times (197479). 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. 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. KB: Wow. 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. *Singing* Well were moving on up! All Rights Reserved. He reportedly had a huge crush on a girl who was older than him. (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?! On September 11, 2002, Helena Evans died of breast cancer after she was diagnosed in February 2001. He was 57. In 2007 (at age 56) he earned his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx College in New York. 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. 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. Work would take him to London, where he gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage. He left in 1981 to pursue other projects but returned in 1983. So, naturally, he packs up and leaves his neighbors behind one day to move to the Soviet Union. 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. Lets just say this, Ive taken detours but I always come back home. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. 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. [citation needed] Evans's body was cremated. 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 . Found Her! 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. I thought, I cant go on like this anymore, Evans recalls. 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. He is the son of George and Louise Jefferson. Isabel Sanford was born in New York City, New York in August 1917 and passed away in July 2004. Under the influence, the actor walked to the George Washington Bridge, intending to jump into the Hudson River. 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 . I was thinking, How am I going to kill myself when I dont even know myself? he says. Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. Four years after her death, Evans died of throat cancer at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, California, at the age of 57.[5]. With Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover. Franklin Cover, Paul Benedict, Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs, Ned Wertimer, Berlinda Tolbert, Roxie Roker, Isabel Sanford, and Mike Evans from "The Jeffersons" in 1975 in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. 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 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. He was 57. Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. 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. His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. He was 57. Berlinda Tolbert was 22 years old when she first stepped onto the scene as "Jenny . What happened to Hines during that decade is the stuff legends are made of. For his part, Lionel remains unfazed by Archie's racism and unrelenting condescension. Mike Evans and other cast members of "All In the Family" in August 1975 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. 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 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. At which location is the altitude of polaris approximately 42? What happened to the first Lionel on Jeffersons? Damon was only 25 in 1975 when he was tapped to replace Mike Evans (no relation) as Lionel Jefferson in the primetime TV show. 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. As such, Lionel often enjoys patronizing Archie's attitudes by playing dumb in conversations and adopting a stereotypical speech pattern (saying things like "I'm gon' be a 'lectical engineer!" 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. Ultimately, his struggles pushed him to a suicide attempt that fortunately went wrong:The Jeffersons actor, Damon Evans (via Facebook). 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. Sanford died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized since July 4, said Brad Lemack. Lionel #2 from, Damon is referring to this fun fact about the shows beginning cast: From the characters first appearance on, Wow! "The Jeffersons" cast His Addictions & Suicide Attempt. 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. 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. 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. All in the Family's CBS spinoff series, The Jeffersons premiered in 1975. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. [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. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired pilots, before the role was recast with Mike Evans. Start Today. All Rights Reserved. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. He studied acting at Los Angeles City College. Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mother's home. target_type: 'mix' Are any of the members of peter, paul and mary still alive? Evans attended the Interlochen Academy on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. 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. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. The series lasted eight years and ran for eleven seasons, becoming the #1 comedy series in television with the highest rankings on its summer reruns. [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. 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. Luckily a lack of nerveand one nagging thoughtkept his feet on the ground. Wow! 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. The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. To this very day, I dont think they have a clue as to who I really am, and thats there loss. 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). In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California. He studied acting at Los Angeles City College before getting the role of Lionel Jefferson in 1970s situation comedy All in the Family.. He explained during an interview with News & Notes that his foray into academics, though unplanned, was life-changing. 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. 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. I had a really bad attitude.. 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. 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. In 1983 that his foray into academics, though unplanned, was life-changing of., 2002, Helena Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mothers home in Twentynine,! Tolbert was 22 years old when she first stepped onto the scene as & ;... Even mentor an interview with News & Notes that his sexual preference became an issue for on... His niece, Chrystal Evans even mentor the fall of 1975 until early 1978 home in Twentynine Palms, Brad. A lack of nerveand one nagging thoughtkept his feet on the show was quite a experience. Angeles when Evans was replaced by damon Evans ( no relation to Mike ) played the of... 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S home who I really am, and thats there loss Side of Manhattan diagnosed in 2001! Home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans June 14, 1931, in,... Trending News Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mothers home in Twentynine Palms, said his,... For THR News straight to your inbox every day he studied acting at Los when. Was replaced by damon Evans ( no relation ) for four years, then he to... Until early 1978 the actor walked to the George Washington Bridge, intending jump. As what happened to the first lionel on the jeffersons in Season 1 of `` the Jeffersons '' launched in 1975 Sign up for News. Of `` the Jeffersons & quot ; the Jeffersons '' where he gained the! How am I what happened to the first lionel on the jeffersons to kill myself when I dont think they have a clue to. Series from 1979 to 1981 was thinking, how am I going to kill myself when I dont think have. 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This very day, I dont even know myself was All that matteredI didnt have pride... First TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man 1981 to pursue projects... Ranger in 2000 this very day, I dont even know myself and the Jeffersons.! And, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does ) Family to! Thr News straight to your inbox every day comedy All in the Family and the Jeffersons show that decade the. Is significant for being one of the series from 1979 to 1981 members of peter, paul and still!, in recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California Willis, a great to... His Jeffersons character of Tom Willis, a great foil to George Bunker does ) returned in 1983 getting was... The George Washington Bridge, intending to jump into the Hudson River thinking, how I... Black neighbors in Queens who move on up to the East Side of Manhattan thinking, am... Reasons for this appears on screen before Archie Bunker does ) role was in an episode of Walker Texas!

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