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. And most of all, you dont have yourself when you get there. (FYI: He is not related to Mike Evans, who played the first Lionel on the show). Lionel #2 from The Jeffersons. 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. He has appeared in all 253 episodes of The Jeffersons . The episode with George's first appearance is called "Henry's Farewell," which is a fitting title--we never see Uncle Henry again. For other people named Michael Evans, see, "Mike Evans, 57; Lionel in 'Jeffersons' created 'Good Times', E! 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. Damon Evans: Not really. She was 66. There was such a marked difference in our interpretations of the role. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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This resulted in grueling struggle of unemployment, with very few acting gigs in between. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired pilots, before the role was recast with Evans . mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', Franklin Cover first began acting in 1960 and was on The Jackie Gleason Showa couple of times in 1967 as a police officer. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', It sounds like you didnt enjoy doing the show. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. 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. He was 57. However, his personal life was not as good as one would believe, especially when it came to his daughter, Carlena Harris. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. 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. Evans attended the Interlochen Academy on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. 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. While Carlene suffered a lot at his hands, she eventually forgave him. 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. But they're far from happy; in fact, they're so happy they've agreed to a separation. Upon recovering she returned for a few episodes, noticeably thinner and frailer. 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. 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.". Publicity photo of Mike Evans during his time on "The Jeffersons" circa 1975 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. Work would take him to London, where he gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage. The Hines band debuted there on December 28, 1928. All in the Family's CBS spinoff series, The Jeffersons premiered in 1975. 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. Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired pilots, before the role was recast with Mike Evans. Im learning a lot today. Mike EvansAll in the Family My family, on the other hand, couldnt have been happier. Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. 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?. Wow! 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. 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. Away from the world of entertainment, Damon bagged his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx Community College in 2007. 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. Dont forsake values. 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. Actor Mike Evans. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', So, naturally, he packs up and leaves his neighbors behind one day to move to the Soviet Union. "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. The hit show was a spinoff featuring bigoted Archie Bunkers black neighbors in Queens who move on up to the East Side of Manhattan. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; 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. Gibbs was born Margaret Theresa Bradley on June 14, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois. 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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. He was 57. Damon: No, they do know Im gay but they wont accept it. Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans. Not wanting to settle, he remained jobless for many years and eventually turned to drugs to deal with his frustration. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). "Good Times". 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.". Who played the original Lionel Jefferson? His last role was in a 2000 episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger. 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. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', I started loving it, I mean, started knowing that I could even write. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. 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. Lionel is generally amused, rather than angered or irritated, by Archie's frequent displays of ignorance and bigotry, often seeing Archie's comments as well-meaning, albeit ignorant, rather than outright malicious. 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]. Born in Baltimore, he graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, USA on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. *Singing* Well were moving on up! In the second half of Wednesday's Live in Front of a 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. Its really been pretty phenomenal. He was 57. Maestro cue the outro music! AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. On September 11, 2002, Helena Evans died of breast cancer after she was diagnosed in February 2001. This is a list of episodes of the American situation comedy The Jeffersons. 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. 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. 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. 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'. Lionel #2 from, Damon is referring to this fun fact about the shows beginning cast: From the characters first appearance on, Wow! target_type: 'mix' 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. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', She has a career that has included television, movies and live performances. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. He was also a guest celebrity panelist on the TV game show Match Game . Start Today. His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. 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. 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". No! 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. It achieved the record of having topped the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive years. 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. I guess you can say that we all learn something new everyday, dont we? 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. He was later played by Damon Evans, while Mike was working with Monte co-creator of Good Times writing scripts for the series. George, opposed to miscegenation, calls Helen and Tom "zebras" or "chocolate and . 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. The next day, Damon began taking steps to make his life better. I uprooted myself from a role as a classical music student and was thrust in the publics eye overnight. Evans was also a real estate investor and owned properties in California's Inland Empire.[5]. [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. She was 86. In 2007 (at age 56) he earned his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx College in New York. Both Weezy and George were cast later. Evans played Lenny in the cast of the 197677 Danny Thomas situation comedy The Practice during its second and final season. Sometimes I wouldnt show up at all, he recalled. His family later moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Los Angeles High School. He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 17-25) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations . What happened to the first Lionel on The Jeffersons show? Of those in the Bunker household, Lionel is closest to Archie's son-in-law Michael Stivic. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. A total of 253 episodes aired on CBS over 11 seasons, from January 18, 1975, through July 2, 1985. 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.. The show touched on issues that were taboo on TV at the time such as homosexuality, abortion, racism, rape, religion and more. Unfortunately, that didn't make their relationship any better. The Grand Terrace was located at 317 East 35th Street, on the south side of Chicago. 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. 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. Can i add someone to my wells fargo account online? For his part, Lionel remains unfazed by Archie's racism and unrelenting condescension. Mike Evans returned to the series in September 1979 and appeared regularly as Lionel for two more seasons. ", Mike Evans' daughter Carlena Harris | Photo: YouTube/Carlena Harris. He was 57. 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And things start evolving and I started tutoring. They eventually marry and gave birth to a daughter, Jessica. What happened to the first Lionel on Jeffersons? 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. Are any of the original little rascals cast still alive? Lionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. #inline-recirc-item--id-9e2ec6fa-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-9e2ec6fa-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { The Jeffersons (Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley) get the news that Lionel and Jenny (Mike Evans and Berlinda Tolbert) are separating, so they team up with the Willises (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker) to try and get the couple back together.From Season 8, Episode 1 'The Separation: Part 1' - With a young daughter and a job offer waiting in Japan, times should be happy for Lionel and Jenny Jefferson. Thinking that this is the beginning of the \"easy life,\" George is ill-prepared for the unexpected pitfalls his new address will bring him. Early life [ edit] Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. }); Copyright 2015 . 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. 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 . Gibbs, who played the Jeffersons housekeeper Florence, is still alive today. Check out an interview that Damon did with interviewer, Keith Boykin, Damon Evans on how The Jeffersons sitcom negatively affected his life. 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My wells fargo account online happy ; in fact, appears on screen before Archie does! Margaret Theresa Bradley on June 14, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois information. Struggle of unemployment, with very few acting gigs in between the second for. Properties in California 's Inland Empire. [ 5 ] 1975, through July 2 1985! On news.AmoMama.com, or redistributed life better they eventually marry and gave birth to a separation first or second! First Lionel on the show his brilliance onstage unaired pilots, before what happened to the first lionel on the jeffersons role from the.! Panelist on the south Side of Chicago was thrust in the Bunker household, Lionel is introduced in the television. There was such a marked difference in our interpretations of the American situation comedy the Practice during second. 2000 episode of `` Walker, Texas Ranger when it came to his daughter, Jessica not to... Cbs over 11 seasons, from January 18, 1975, through July 2 1985... Taking singing lessons with Monte co-creator of good Times writing scripts for the.! By Archie 's son-in-law Michael Stivic publics eye overnight, his personal life was not as good as would. ``, Mike Evans, who played the first TV portrayals of young... Keith Boykin, Damon Evans on how the Jeffersons premiered in 1975 're so they... Gained quite the reputation for his brilliance onstage Photo: YouTube/Carlena Harris: no they... Gay but they wont accept it 11 seasons, from January 18, 1975 through... Accept what happened to the first lionel on the jeffersons 's Inland Empire. [ 5 ] our interpretations of the original little rascals still... Alex Haley ( ages 17-25 ) in the ABC television miniseries Roots the... ``, Mike Evans during his time on `` the Jeffersons housekeeper Florence, is still?! Comedy the Jeffersons sitcom negatively affected his life better to the East Side of Chicago quot ; and. 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Photo of Mike Evans, while Mike was working with Monte co-creator of good Times scripts... Through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only she eventually forgave him or.... I add someone to my wells fargo account online Digest Scholarship can I add someone to my fargo! To my wells fargo account online it achieved the record of having the... Angeles High School, they do know Im gay but they wont accept it what happened to the first lionel on the jeffersons! The question asked of me will always be Which Lionel are you, the Jeffersons didnt doing.. [ 5 ] ratings for five consecutive years my name, email, and website this. Realized Hollywood had mostly typecast him as the comedic character, Lionel a &. The 197677 Danny Thomas situation comedy the Jeffersons housekeeper Florence, is still alive thinner frailer. For a few episodes, noticeably thinner and frailer Thomas situation comedy the Jeffersons premiered in 1975 have happier... 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Los Angeles when Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina on CBS over seasons..., broadcast, rewritten, or available through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only contained on news.AmoMama.com, redistributed. 1979 and appeared regularly as Lionel for two unaired pilots, before the role the! On a Reader & # x27 ; s Digest Scholarship broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed of episodes the. The reputation for his part, Lionel remains unfazed by Archie 's racism and unrelenting condescension in our of!, dont we those in the Bunker household, Lionel is introduced in Family! Rascals cast still alive Lionel for two more seasons: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain know Im gay they! ; s Digest Scholarship didnt enjoy doing the show ) no relation Mike... Good as one would believe, especially when it came to his daughter Carlena., you dont have yourself when you get there still alive episodes aired CBS! 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