WE REMEMBER MIKE EVANS: TV veteran, best known as the first Lionel on ‘The Jeffersons’ and co-creator of ‘Good Times,’ died earlier this month at age 57.
(December 22, 2006)Email to a friend | Print Friendly



*Mike Evans, best known for his role as Lionel Jefferson on "All In he Family" and in the first three seasons of its spin-off "The Jeffersons," died peacefully with family, on December 14, 2006 after a battle with throat cancer, said his niece Dr. Chrystal Evans. He was 57.


Evans was also the co-creator of 70's sitcom "Good Times" with Eric Monte. Ralph Carter’s character on the program shared his name.

As an actor, Evans also appeared in the TV shows "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Match Game" and "The Richard Pryor Special." His big screen appearances include "The Voyage of the Yes," where he co-starred with Desi Arnez, Jr. More recently, he appeared in "Walker, Texas Ranger."

Monte said of Evans: "I am deeply and profoundly indebted to Mike. He changed my life forever and inadvertently changed television. There would be no, ‘Sanford and Sons, ‘Good Times,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ ‘What's Happening,’ ‘The Cosby Show,’ or ‘Cooley High,’ if it had not been for him. More importantly, he was a good friend. I will miss him."

Evans is survived by daughter Tammy, his mother, Annie Sue, his brother Thomas, cousin Harold, and his niece, Chrystal.

Evans will have a private family funeral service and the family requests that condolences be sent t 3717 S. La Brea Avenue #741, Los Angeles, CA 90016.

I wonder how old you have to be before the "so-and-so died" newsflashes start to become meaningful on a regular basis.

Wow.

Oi. This is an understatement, but throat cancer is a heckuva way to go. I've has a couple aunts and uncles go that way, and it gets ugly toward the end.

R.I.P., Bruh Evans.

man. He's the same age as my parents. NO disrespect to the other guy, but he brought an element of SOUL to the character of Lionel. Sad to hear this.

Aww, man.

Sad.

Oh Damn

unkemptpueblo said:

Yeah, Damon Evans. Never liked his corny character.

Harlepolis said:

He was whack!

Well, damn, I'm so saddened to hear this!! RIP, Mike Evans, you will always be remembered.

Speaking of the TV show "Sanford and Son", I was thinking about the actor who played Lamont. Does anybody know if he's still alive? I was wondering whatever became of him.

DanceWme said:

Yes, he was. He always looked like he was delivering his lines from cue cards.

Very sad about Mr. Evans. I'd heard before that the character on Good Times was named after him but never knew if it was true.

psychodelicide said:

Yeah he's still alive. I just recently saw him on a TV show I forgot which one.

DanceWme said:

Oh, cool. Thanks for the info.

If any of you guys remember "Cooley High" which he wrote too(among ALOT of stuff). It was rumored that "Preacher", the nerdy cat with the glasses who became a successful hollywood writer was actualy him in real life.

Come to think of it, the story was set in Chicago. And "Good Times" which he wrote was set in Chicago too, and both stories deal with life in the ghetto projects.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but its maybe possible.
[Edited 12/22/06 8:39am]

Wow, he was so young!

That's so awful! I loved him...he was involved in two of my favorite TV shoes of all time was sooooo handsome and his kindness just came through whatever he was doing.

Such a talented and handsome man...what a shame

unkemptpueblo said:

He totally did. I hated it when that other guy took over.

Harlepolis said:

He was Tiger Woods b4 Tiger Woods.

Ya'll know I love me some Good Times

ThreadCula said:

Aint we lucky we got 'em, Good tiiiiimes (yeah)

I loved his humour. Very talented actor. He will be missed.

ThreadCula said:

Oh man, me too! I watch the reruns of that show practically every night.

Damn...

Sad.....What has he been doing since the '70's?


Smooches;)

The early Jefferson episodes and All in the Family episodes were some of the best with Lionel. Reading about his co-creating Good Times is new to me.

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (AP) - Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died. He was 57.

Evans died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans.

Evans, along with Eric Monte, also created and wrote for "Good Times," one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily black cast.

Michael Jonas Evans was born Nov. 3, 1949, in Salisbury, N.C. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist while his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a school teacher.

The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child.

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 hit show was a spinoff featuring bigoted Archie Bunker's black neighbors in Queens who "move on up to the East Side" of Manhattan.

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 Southern California.

Awwww. Sad. R.I.P.