As Lionel's parents and uncle Henry appear more frequently, Lionel's role becomes less significant. 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. _taboola.push({ | The Norman Lear Effecthttps://bit.ly/NormanLearEffect His character is significant for being one of the first TV portrayals of a young, opinionated black man. All Quiet on the Western Front, Elvis, Empire of Light Cinematographers on Their Oscar-Nominated Work: The Camera Had to Be Dancing, Dilbert Comic Strip Creator Dropped From Several Publications After Racist Comments, R. 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Ready for Tolkien Battle, How the Landscape of Native-Led Stories Has Changed Between Avatars: Were Flexing Our Sovereignty, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. 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. }, First published on December 22, 2006 / 9:42 AM. Im learning a lot today. 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. Talk about stress and adjustment issues. "Good Times". _taboola.push({ Its great that Damon sought the help he desperately needed, but in the beginning the sudden reality of him having to go from Lionel the superstar, back to the everyday civilian, working in the mail room, had to a tough adjustment. Damon revealed that his sexual preference became an issue for him on . 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. And most of all, you dont have yourself when you get there. Publicity photo of Mike Evans during his time on "The Jeffersons" circa 1975 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. The Jeffersons was easily one of the top shows at the time, and anyone might have imagined Damon would be overjoyed for the opportunity. 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. Lionel is introduced in the first episode (and, in fact, appears on screen before Archie Bunker does). His family later moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Los Angeles High School. 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. My family, on the other hand, couldnt have been happier. 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. 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. But while we were getting to know Mike Evans, the actor, his daughter, Carlena Harris, was apparently getting to know him as her dad, whom she says . 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). Under the influence, the actor walked to the George Washington Bridge, intending to jump into the Hudson River. 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. Archie considers himself to be Lionel's good friend and even mentor. Evans kept the role of Lionel when The Jeffersons launched in 1975. He was later played by Damon Evans, while Mike was working with Monte co-creator of Good Times writing scripts for the series. To the east si-i-ide!. She has been married to Tom Willis, a white man, for 34 years. Mike Evans was known for being a bright and funny individual. What happened to the first Lionel on The Jeffersons show? Check out an interview that Damon did with interviewer, Keith Boykin, Damon Evans on how The Jeffersons sitcom negatively affected his life. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Damon Evans: Dont forsake their values to their ultimate goal. He has appeared in all 253 episodes of The Jeffersons . window._taboola = window._taboola || []; 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. Today Damon Evans is 72 years young and has made great strides in his life. In 2007 (at age 56) he earned his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx College in New York. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he returned to the series from 1979 to 1981. She was 86. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. The show touched on issues that were taboo on TV at the time such as homosexuality, abortion, racism, rape, religion and more. 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. 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. Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 July 24, 2012) was an American actor and musician. Both Weezy and George were cast later. As we previously reported, Damon Evans absolutely hated being a part of The Jeffersons and had several problems going on behind the scenes and internally (you can read about that HERE). 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. He was 57. Not wanting to settle, he remained jobless for many years and eventually turned to drugs to deal with his frustration. All Rights Reserved. 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When Lionel gets laid off from his job, George hires him to work in his office. I started loving it, I mean, started knowing that I could even write. Lionel was born in New York City on October 18, 1953. Because once you get there youll find out that there is no there there. 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.". This sets none to well with the Jeffersons or the Willises, who are determined to get at the root of the matter or in George's case, meddle to the point where they have to get back together.Available on Prime Video: https://amzn.to/3oYSG9XSubscribe to The Norman Lear Effect channel: https://bit.ly/NormanLearEffectFollow us on social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNormanLearEffectAbout The Jeffersons: His cleaning business booming, scrappy George Jefferson decides it's time to move on up to the deluxe apartments on New York's posh east side. 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. In a prior People Magazine article, Damon explained how his lack of jobs, led to depression, then to years of drug addiction. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Away from the world of entertainment, Damon bagged his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bronx Community College in 2007. He opened up about his drug addiction to a therapist and reportedly joined Narcotics Anonymous. He is the son of George and Louise Jefferson. For other people named Michael Evans, see, "Mike Evans, 57; Lionel in 'Jeffersons' created 'Good Times', E! Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. Ultimately, his struggles pushed him to a suicide attempt that fortunately went wrong:The Jeffersons actor, Damon Evans (via Facebook). We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Damon was only 25 in 1975 when he was tapped to replace Mike Evans (no relation) as Lionel Jefferson in the primetime TV show. Damon Evans (no relation to Mike) played the role from the fall of 1975 until early 1978. There was such a marked difference in our interpretations of the role. does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. And things start evolving and I started tutoring. Who played the original Lionel Jefferson? He studied acting at Los Angeles City College. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Actor Mike Evans. He was 57. I was afraid of change.. Unfortunately, when Damon's work permit in the UK expired, and he returned to the United States, the actor discovered he had been typecast as a comedic character. 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