![]() I didn’t know until reading this story why he had left the cast of “The Jeffersons” only to return four years later the gap coincided with the run of “Good Times. “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” were iconic shows and “Good Times” was a pop culture sensation during its day.įor some reason, although we watched “Good Times” during its run (the show was itself a spin-off of “Maude,” which was another spin-off of “All in the Family”) I never made the connection that Evans was the fellow who had played Lionel Jefferson. Not only is 57 far too young to die, it’s surprising that it took a week for the news to get out considering Evans’ stature. In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California. Clean cut and smoothly handsome as a youth, Mike Evans got on board the Norman Lear TV train in the early 1970s and took a straight ride to sitcom stardom in both a landmark comedy series and its black-oriented spin-off. 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.” Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. 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. He studied acting at Los Angeles City College before getting the role of Lionel Jefferson in 1970s situation comedy “All in the Family.” Evans kept the role of Lionel when “The Jeffersons” launched in 1975. The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child. Mike Evans, 57, an actor best known for his role as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist while his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a school teacher. Michael Jonas Evans was born November 3, 1949, in Salisbury, North Carolina. ![]() Evans died of throat cancer December 14 at his mother’s home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans.Įvans, along with Eric Monte, also created and wrote for “Good Times,” one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily black cast. Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” has died.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |