Mike Evans, 57; Lionel in 'Jeffersons' created 'Good Times' dies
wazzzy
Mike Evans, 57, an actor best known for his role as Lionel Jefferson in
the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," died of throat
cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, his niece Dr.
Chrystal Evans said.
With writing partner Eric Monte, Evans went on to create and write for
"Good Times," one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily
African American cast.
Michael Jonas Evans was born Nov. 3, 1949, in Salisbury, N.C., to a
dentist father, Theodore Evans Sr., and his schoolteacher wife, Annie
Sue Evans.
The family moved to Los Angeles when Mike was a child. He graduated
from Los Angeles High School and studied acting at Los Angeles City
College before landing the role of Lionel Jefferson in Norman Lear's
iconic 1970s situation comedy "All in the Family."
Evans kept the role of Lionel when "The Jeffersons" was launched in
1975 as a spinoff featuring bigoted Archie Bunker's black neighbors in
Queens who "move on up to the East Side" of Manhattan and an upscale
life.
Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then he
returned to the series from 1979 to 1981.
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."
In recent years he had invested in real estate in the Inland Empire.
The Kentucky Wizard
> > Mike Evans, 57, an actor best known for his role as Lionel
> > Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The
> > Jeffersons," died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in
> > Twentynine Palms, his niece Dr. Chrystal Evans said.
> >
> > With writing partner Eric Monte, Evans went on to create and write
> > for "Good Times," one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a
> > primarily African American cast.
>
>
> 2004 Weezy, Tom Willis, and now Lionel No.1 have died. Of the main
> characters only Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs and Paul Benedict are
> still around. If you want to count Jenny and Ralph the doorman as
> main characters (I don't) both Berlinda Tolbert and Ned Wertimer
> are also still around, as is Lionel No.2 Damon Evans.
Wow, there must be some form of "Movin on up!" disease that is slowly
killing off the cast.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
© The Wiz ®
«¤»¥«¤»¥«¤»
Arty McToon
>
>
> It's been a couple of bad years for "The Jeffersons" cast. Since
> 2004 Weezy, Tom Willis, and now Lionel No.1 have died. Of the main
> characters only Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs and Paul Benedict are
> still around. If you want to count Jenny and Ralph the doorman as
> main characters (I don't) both Berlinda Tolbert and Ned Wertimer
> are also still around, as is Lionel No.2 Damon Evans.
Zara Cully, "Mother Jefferson", died in 1978 while the series was in
production.
Alan Follett
<snip>
> Wow, there must be some form of "Movin
> on up!" disease that is slowly killing off the
> cast.
I believe it's known as "time."
Alan Follett
Kent
death was mentioned in an online column by Patty Jackson of WDAS 105.3 FM
radio in Philadelphia. She just noted it briefly in her 411 Report column.
I'm not sure when she wrote it or where she got her information. I guess
it's one of those cases where the news just leaked out slowly.
http://wdasfm.com/pages/airstaff/pattyjackson.html
It's about halfway down the page.
Kent
Dead or Alive?
http://www.deadoraliveinfo.com
R H Draney
>
>It's been a couple of bad years for "The Jeffersons" cast. Since
>2004 Weezy, Tom Willis, and now Lionel No.1 have died. Of the main
>characters only Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs and Paul Benedict are
>still around. If you want to count Jenny and Ralph the doorman as
>main characters (I don't) both Berlinda Tolbert and Ned Wertimer
>are also still around, as is Lionel No.2 Damon Evans.
And doesn't Paul Benedict (who, apropos of nothing, was born in the town where I
lived throughout the 70s) suffer from some kind of genetic abnormality that used
to cripple or kill everyone who had it?...r
--
"Keep your eye on the Bishop. I want to know when
he makes his move", said the Inspector, obliquely.
Kathi
wrote:
>Squib filted:
>
>And doesn't Paul Benedict (who, apropos of nothing, was born in the town where I
>lived throughout the 70s) suffer from some kind of genetic abnormality that used
>to cripple or kill everyone who had it?...r
Per IMDb:
Suffered from acromegaly (a chronic disease characterized by
enlargement of the bones of the head, the soft parts of the feet and
hands, and sometimes other structures, due to excessive secretion of
growth hormone by the pituitary gland)* as a young man, which accounts
for his slightly outsized nose and lower jaw.
*Although I knew of the disease, the verbatim definition is from
Dictionary.com
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Brad Ferguson
wrote:
> >Mike Evans, 57, an actor best known for his role as Lionel Jefferson in
> >the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," died of throat
> >cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, his niece Dr.
> >Chrystal Evans said.
> >
> >With writing partner Eric Monte, Evans went on to create and write for
> >"Good Times," one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily
> >African American cast.
>
>
> It's been a couple of bad years for "The Jeffersons" cast. Since
> 2004 Weezy, Tom Willis, and now Lionel No.1 have died. Of the main
> characters only Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs and Paul Benedict are
> still around. If you want to count Jenny and Ralph the doorman as
> main characters (I don't) both Berlinda Tolbert and Ned Wertimer
> are also still around, as is Lionel No.2 Damon Evans.
The Jeffersons premiered more than thirty years ago, and much of the
cast was middle-aged even then.
aka Bob
magnanimously proffered:
>http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings22.2dec22,1,5131569.story?coll=la-news-obituaries
>
>Mike Evans, 57, an actor best known for his role as Lionel Jefferson in
>the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," died of throat
>cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, his niece Dr.
>Chrystal Evans said.
Photo:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/719/jeffersons1975still286461_1020_A.jpg
--
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David Carson
>"Good Times," one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily
>African American cast.
Did actor Mike Evans have a beanpole-shaped brother named J.J.? Was his
mother ever heard saying "Damn, damn, damn!"?
bway...@gmail.com
According to the IMDB - and I remember Mike Evans telling this story
once on a talk show - it had to do with the fact that "Good Times" was
a spin-off from "Maude":
"When Norman Lear, Mike Evans, and Eric Monte were first developing
this show, it was not a spin off. Then Esther Rolle was cast as the
lead and it became a spin off. Rolle's character's name was changed to
Florida Evans, but the first names of the other characters were not
changed. This led to Michael having the same name as one of the
creators. Left unexplained was why they moved from Tuckahoe to Chicago,
and how John Amos's character went from being Henry who had worked many
years as a fire fighter to James who could never hold a job."
-Tim
David Carson
>David Carson wrote:
>> Did actor Mike Evans have a beanpole-shaped brother named J.J.? Was his
>> mother ever heard saying "Damn, damn, damn!"?
>
>According to the IMDB - and I remember Mike Evans telling this story
>once on a talk show - it had to do with the fact that "Good Times" was
>a spin-off from "Maude":
>
>"When Norman Lear, Mike Evans, and Eric Monte were first developing
>this show, it was not a spin off. Then Esther Rolle was cast as the
>lead and it became a spin off. Rolle's character's name was changed to
>Florida Evans, but the first names of the other characters were not
>changed. This led to Michael having the same name as one of the
>creators.
Thanks. Whenever I saw the name Mike Evans in the closing credits for
"Good Times," I always wondered whether the Michael Evans in the show was
an autobiographical character. I never associated "Good Times" Mike Evans
with "All In the Family" Mike Evans until I read this obit. I finally
feel like I know something about this now.
This is why keeping up with obituaries is worthwhile. Sometimes, it's the
only way you find things out.
David Carson
--
Why do you seek the living among the dead? -- Luke 24:5
Who's Alive and Who's Dead
http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com
wazzzy
David Carson wrote:
> Thanks. Whenever I saw the name Mike Evans in the closing credits for
> "Good Times," I always wondered whether the Michael Evans in the show was
> an autobiographical character. I never associated "Good Times" Mike Evans
> with "All In the Family" Mike Evans until I read this obit. I finally
> feel like I know something about this now.
With all the obituaries, news stories and comments on Mr. Evan's recent
death. I'm saddened that more emphasis has been toward his
contribution in creating "Good Times". The first couple of seasons
and before it became the JJ buffoonery show, "Good Times" was one
of the best shows ever on TV, with it's underlying theme of faith,
family and strong parental guidance.