Damon Evans, one of two actors who played Lionel Jefferson on the '70s sitcom The Jeffersons, talks with Michel Martin. Losing my anonymity at such a young age was devastating to me. 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. 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. Gibbs was born Margaret Theresa Bradley on June 14, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois. He was 57. He attended Palmer Memorial Institute, a private school for young black Americans in Sedalia, North Carolina. On September 11, 2002, Helena Evans died of breast cancer after she was diagnosed in February 2001. 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." I was thinking, How am I going to kill myself when I dont even know myself? he says. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. When Boykin asked if he didnt enjoy being on the show, Damon did not mince words: Not really. Damon Evans: Not really. I uprooted myself from a role as a classical music student and was thrust in the publics eye overnight. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. 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. What happened to Hines during that decade is the stuff legends are made of. 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. For the second time in recent months, Sony has screwed up on the episode guide and listed episodes as being on the wrong disc. Not only that, but she believes that she felt his spirit asking her to save his house, which was bound to be foreclosed. I thought, I cant go on like this anymore, Evans recalls. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist while his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a school teacher. 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. 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. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired pilots, before the role was recast with Evans . It achieved the record of having topped the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive years. Lionel was born in New York City on October 18, 1953. George, opposed to miscegenation, calls Helen and Tom "zebras" or "chocolate and . 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. Publicity photo of Mike Evans during his time on "All in the Family" circa 1971 | Photo: Getty Images. He was later played by Damon Evans, while Mike was working with Monte co-creator of Good Times writing scripts for the series. 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. 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. Id be late a lot. 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. Franklin Cover first began acting in 1960 and was on The Jackie Gleason Showa couple of times in 1967 as a police officer. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. Mike Evans was known for being a bright and funny individual. No! The Jeffersons Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. But he was mainly known for his role as Bentley on The Jeffersons, which ran on CBS from 1975 to 1985. Mike Evans as Lionel in Season 1 of "The Jeffersons". 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. 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. Even though most people believed Mike would grow up to become one of the most famous faces in Hollywood, the truth is that those two episodes were the last time he was seen in front of the cameras. Check out an interview that Damon did with blogger, Keith Boykin: Interviewer: How did the experience on [The Jeffersons] affect your life? 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. Show developer Norman Lear preferred Cleavon Little for the role, but Rich lobbied to cast an actor who would appear less threatening. 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Are any of the cast of my three sons still alive? During the final season of The Jeffersons, Lionel and Jenny announce they are seeking a divorce (after living apart for several years while Lionel worked in Japan). I just sort of just said well, let me just see where this goes. The next day, Damon began taking steps to make his life better. 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 EvansAll in the Family Jane Fonda announces her cancer is in remission 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. Ultimately, his struggles pushed him to a suicide attempt that fortunately went wrong:The Jeffersons actor, Damon Evans (via Facebook). Check out an interview that Damon did with interviewer, Keith Boykin, Damon Evans on how The Jeffersons sitcom negatively affected his life. In the sitcom's storyline, Stewart posed as "George Jefferson" when he joined "George's" wife, "Louise" (played by Isabel Sanford), for dinner at the 'Bunker' home. 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. 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. [citation needed] Evans's body was cremated. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. 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. Posted On : May 14, 2015. All in the Family's CBS spinoff series, The Jeffersons premiered in 1975. Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. 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. Actor Mike Evans. I just sort of just said well, let me just see where this goes. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. And you know but gradually it happened, and of course, theres this whole new world in life. 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. Biography. 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