Damon Evans: No, they do know Im gay but they wont accept it. This article about an American television actor born in the 1940s is a stub. Benedict returned to the show in 1983 during the shows tenth year on television. We wish that brotha the best though. The Jeffersons UES apartment would have cost just $150K In the popular mid-70s TV sitcom The Jeffersons, the Jefferson family moves on up to the Upper East Side, leaving their neighbor Archie Bunker in All in the Family behind in Queens. With Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Mike Evans, Roxie Roker. Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. 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. Sanford was much older than the George Jefferson actor Mental Floss noted that the Weezy actor was 21 years older than Hemsley, old enough to be his mother. 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. He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 17-25) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations . 1 What happened to the 1st Lionel on The Jeffersons? Michael Jonas EvansNovember 3, 1949 Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S. December 14, 2006 (aged 57) Twentynine Palms, California, U.S. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. As for Damon Evans, he was known mostly to the theater crowd, where he had roles in the Broadway musicals Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, and Jesus Christ Superstar. 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). The Jeffersons was an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS. The main difference is the new Lionel now played by Damon Evans (no relation to Mike Evans who left the series to work on "Good Times"). It's just that viewers were used to and loved Mike Evans as Lionel Jefferson, and we never even tried to like Damon Evans.It's worth mentioning that, just like second Darren and original Darren from Bewitched, both sets of Lionel Jefferson actors shared a common name (Dick York and Dick Sargent from Bewitched and Michael Evans and Damon Evans from The Jeffersons see, you thought I was crazy, didn't you?) BOSTON (AP) Paul Benedict, the actor who played the British neighbor Harry Bentley on the sitcom The Jeffersons, was found dead Monday on Marthas Vineyard. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. He is notable for being the very first character to be voiced by Jim Cummings. It was later revealed that he was actually Henry Jefferson, Georges brother. He appeared in the Broadway musical Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope. The Jeffersons was a tv show that ran for 11 seasons, and after all of those years, the cast came to have very close relationships. The show focuses on George and Louise Jefferson, a prosperous African-American couple who have been able to move from Queens to Manhattan owing . Biography [ edit] It sounds like you didnt enjoy doing the show. Her last credited performance was an appearance in the ninth episode of the fourth season entitled The Last Leaf, which aired November 12, 1977, three months before her death. Messi became the first player, male or female, to win seven FIFA best player awards, breaking a tie with six-time best women's player Marta of Brazil. FIR Number. Brady says a complete Lionel beginner's set can be had for $75, though the cheapest available . On what advice he would tell others who want to follow in his footsteps and pursue an acting career. Why were there two Lionels on The Jeffersons? What happened to the second Lionel from the Jefferson? Mike Evans was the original Lionel, having appeared as the character way back on the pilot episode of All in the Family. 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!" You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. However, that said, the first year on the show was quite a heady experience. Sherman Hemsley had a tough upbringing and a disjointed family life, leading him to drop out of high school to join the Air Force, serving a total of 4 years in the military. However, California allows an illegally recorded conversation to be admitted as evidence in criminal cases, provided it falls within a , Case Status. Damon Evans and Tolbert on TV's The Jeffersons (1976) Berlinda Tolbert is an American film and television actress. ? Did the cast of The Jeffersons get along? How much did The Jeffersons apartment cost? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. At the time of this writing, she is 68 years old. Actor Sherman Hemsley died in July 2012 of lung cancer at the age of 74, but he was not buried for four months thanks to a dispute between the business manager he lived with and a long-lost half-brother who each claimed the right to dispose of his remains. Why did Mike Evans leave The Jeffersons the second time? 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 explained that he had left to devote more time to the show he had helped to create, Good Times. She was sometimes credited as Ebony Smith. He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 17-25) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Is Lionel still alive from The Jeffersons? After the show ended, she went on to guest star in an impressive amount of shows like Webster, Gimme a Break!, Family Matters, and Living Single. From Season 1, Episode 4: "Lionel, The Playboy": When Lionel takes to partying all night with high-society people thinking he is "making it to the top", Geor. Mike EvansAll in the Family Much like the second Darren and original Darren from Bewitched, no one liked this change of actors. The Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. Mike Evans and Damon Evans The role of Lionel Jefferson was so vital to the sitcom it took two actors to play him. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. He lost his wife Helena to cancer after more than two decades of marriage in 2002. Four years after her death, Evans died of throat cancer at his mothers home in Twentynine Palms, California, at the age of 57. What happened to Lionel on The Jeffersons? What happened to the second Lionel Jefferson? Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. 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. The Jeffersons Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. While in Boston he appeared in productions of Two If by Sea, Hair, and The Corner at the Theatre Company of Boston. Is Jenny from The Jeffersons still living? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Who played the first Lionel on The Jeffersons? I consent to the use of following cookies: Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. Before The Jeffersons, Tolbert had guest starring roles on popular television shows of the day like Sanford and Son, Thats My Mama, Mannix, and Fantasy Island. Request Answer. In the late 1980s, Evans appeared in Trevor Nunn's enormously successful, critically acclaimed, Glyndebourne Festival production of the George Gershwin opera, Porgy and Bess, and again in the 1993 television adaptation of that production. Why did the original Lionel leave The Jeffersons? Did the bunkers ever appear on The Jeffersons? In the second half of Wednesday's Live in Front of a Act. How many actors played Lionel in Jeffersons? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In fact, the character Michael Evans, played by actor Ralph Carter, is loosely based off of Mike Evans' real life. Wiki User. Without the Bunkers as foils, Lionel's role focuses more on his family life and his relationship with Jenny Willis (daughter of interracial couple Tom and Helen Willis). Thomas Jefferson invented an iron hillside plow, an elbow macaroni machine, an improved dumbwaiter, the wheel cipher, a swivel chair, and the first pedometer invented in the United States. 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. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', Evans attended the Interlochen Academy on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. He has a knot in his tail. Cowen was born in 1877, just before . Benedict left the series at the end of the 1980-81 TV season, which became the seventh year of the sitcom. TWENTYNINE PALMS, California Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. Add an answer. Lets just say this, Ive taken detours but I always come back home. (FYI: He is not related to Mike Evans, who played the first Lionel on the show). 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. However, he quickly realized that his passion was for working with individuals going through the difficult process of divorce. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Lionel Jefferson/Voiced by. Being very versatile with his talent, we've seen him take on a variety of roles. John is a devoted husband and father of two. S02:E201 - A Dinner for Harry. Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV comedy series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, has died. 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". He was 74. Damon Evans: Dont forsake their values to their ultimate goal. 2 Who played the first Lionel on The Jeffersons? Cast of The Jeffersons, clockwise from top: Mike Evans, Sherman Hemsley, and Isabel Sanford (1975) 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. Lionel #2 from The Jeffersons. He also played a young Alex Haley in the ABC TV miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Party Name. Supreme Court Orders New Trial For Death Row Inmate Due To Tainted Jury, D.C. Metro Scraps Plan For Private Train Cars For White Supremacist Rally, Alexandria Renames Jefferson Davis Highway to Richmond Highway, Supreme Court Declines To Hear Case Regarding Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation. To this very day, I dont think they have a clue as to who I really am, and thats there loss. He also toured as Judas and Jesus Christ in the authorized concert version of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. 8 Who was Lionel Jeffersons daughter on All in the Family? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The Jeffersons cast were, for a decade, among our small screen royalty. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. I watched those shows as well and didnt know of the connection either. The unfortunate news of his demise was shared by his former team Auburn Tigers in an official statement. He also toured as Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ in the authorized concert version of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. Jovan Adepo portrayed the character for the television special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lears All in the Family and The Jeffersons . Dont forsake values. 6 Who was George Jeffersons wife in real life? Michael Jonas Evans was born November 3, 1949, in Salisbury, North Carolina. He also had a couple of guest-starring roles in television series. Damon Evans, one of two actors who played Lionel Jefferson on the '70s sitcom The Jeffersons, talks with Michel Martin. Also, Sherman Hemsley was not the original George Jefferson. A very private man, Hemsley never married or had children. 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. Case Number. A young woman claims Louise is her mother. They eventually marry and gave birth to a daughter, Jessica. 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.. However, Lionel turns out to be trouble when he started spending company money on material things like new furniture and employee blazers. It does not store any personal data. In addition to Evans and other noted performers, this British production of Gershwin's American folk opera featured the Glyndebourne Chorus and the London Philharmonic, both conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. He was 57. When Lionel gets laid off from his job, George hires him to work in his office. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. To preserve its market during the war, Lionel sold a paper train and a railroad planning book. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. Learn how and when to remove this template message, 1993 television adaptation of that production, "Mike Evans, 57, 'Jeffersons' Actor and a Creator of 'Good Times,' Dies", "Sherman Hemsley, Chad Everett have died;", "ABC's 'All in the Family'-'Jeffersons' Live Event Adds to Star-Packed Cast", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Damon_Evans_(actor)&oldid=1124014867, American television actor, 1940s birth stubs, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from August 2017, BLP articles lacking sources from August 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 November 2022, at 22:47. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Sanford ultimately was simply unwilling to perform in a reunion episode for airing on CBS or any other network. Is 227 a spin-off of The Jeffersons? container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', After Damon left The Jeffersons in 1978, he went on to appear in the 1985 film Turk 182. Last edited on 30 September 2022, at 05:24, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons, "Mike Evans, 57, 'Jeffersons' Actor and a Creator of 'Good Times,' Dies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lionel_Jefferson&oldid=1113177462, This page was last edited on 30 September 2022, at 05:24. All Rights Reserved. Tolbert is best known for her role as Jenny Willis Jefferson, the daughter of Tom and Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons, which originally aired from 1975 until 1985. S02:E204 - Harry and Daphne. 86years (18921978)Zara Cully / Age at death. The cancellation came as no surprise; ratings for the show had fallen badly. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. what happened to the second lionel on the jeffersons. She also had a recurring role as Danny Glovers' character's daughter, Carrie Murtaugh, in the Lethal Weapon franchise with Glover and Mel Gibson. She also had roles in the films Goodfellas (1990) alongside Samuel Jackson and Harlem Nights (1989) with Eddie Murphy. 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. Original Lionel, Mike Evans, decided to leave the show after the second season. 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. A four bedroom apartment in the building the family lived in during the shows 11 seasons, 185 E. 85th Street, costs about $20,000 per month. No! Interviewer: Wow. twentynine palms, calif., dec. 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 mother s home here on dec. 14. Who was the original Lionel Jefferson on the Jeffersons? He was the star of two of television's classic shows. Turns out, he has some very interesting and deep reasons for this. Despite being a decent Christian (as Gibbs is in real-life) woman, Florence never kept a long relationship with men. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Most of us remember her because she was as cute as she could be, but she really didn't have much of a role to dive into. what happened to the second lionel on the jeffersons . In one scene, Louise attacks George for calling her Weezie because shes sensitive about her asthma. Jessica was the child of Lionel Jefferson and Jenny Willis Jefferson. [1][2][3] He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 1725) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Mike Evans The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. But where are they now, you ask? On the show, Bentleys disappearance is explained away like this: Bentley works as a Russian interpreter for the United Nations. I uprooted myself from a role as a classical music student and was thrust in the publics eye overnight. What episode did Florence leave The Jeffersons? Check out an interview that Damon did with blogger, Keith Boykin: Interviewer: How did the experience on [The Jeffersons] affect your life? He made his Broadway debut in The Me Nobody Knows. Damon Evans Remember him? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Will always be which Lionel are you, the first year on television Arena Media Brands, LLC respective... Lionel Jeffersons daughter on All in the ABC television miniseries Roots: the Next Generations was Henry! Two actors to play him Bentleys disappearance is explained away like this: Bentley works a., Ive taken detours but I always come back home connection either the young Alex Haley ( ages 17-25 in! Uprooted myself from a role as a classical music student and was thrust in authorized. Related to Mike ) played the first or the second Lionel on the show the... For $ 75, though the cheapest available Christian ( as Gibbs is in real-life ) woman, Florence kept. Move from Queens to Manhattan owing Jessica was the child of Lionel Jefferson and Jenny Willis.... 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