Lionel Jefferson, Movin' On (Up?)

Mike Evans, 57, ‘Jeffersons’ Actor and a Creator of ‘Good Times,’ Dies

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. He was 57.
The cause was throat cancer, said a niece, Chrystal Evans.

Mr. Evans, along with Eric Monte, also created and wrote for “Good Times,” one of the first sitcoms to feature a primarily black cast.
He had studied acting at Los Angeles City College before getting the role of Lionel Jefferson on “All in the Family,” which had its premiere in 1971. Lionel was the son of black neighbors of the bigoted Archie Bunker in Queens.

He kept the role when “The Jeffersons” made its debut in 1975. In that show, the Jeffersons were “movin’ on up” to the East Side of Manhattan after striking it rich in the dry-cleaning business.

Mr. Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then returned to the series from 1979 to 1981.
He also acted in the 1976 mini-series “Rich Man, Poor Man” and made guest appearances on the series “Love, American Style” and “The Streets of San Francisco.” His last role was in 2000, in an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

Michael Jonas Evans was born Nov. 3, 1949, in Salisbury, N.C. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist; his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a schoolteacher. The family moved to Los Angeles when Mr. Evans was a child.

In recent years he had invested in real estate in Southern California, the family said.