Starving actors would've killed for the role of Lionel on a hit sitcom. Do you think it was a bad career move to quit the show?

Starving actors would've killed for the role of Lionel on a hit sitcom. Do you think it was a bad career move to quit the show?


I don't think so, I guess he felt his role should have been bigger than Mother Jefferson's since she was only on All in the Family once. So I would have left too

Yes, I believe it was a (very) bad career move; for his was a vital part of the Jefferson family; and Mike Evans, was also a decent actor (and handsome!!!); and I think Evans would had gone far, if he decided to stay in the show.



He wasn't treated like a vital part of the Jefferson Family which is why he left

He wasn't treated like a vital part of the Jefferson Family which is why he left

I guess he knew how Mabel King felt during the second season of Whats Happening.

I don't think so, I guess he felt his role should have been bigger than Mother Jefferson's since she was only on All in the Family once. So I would have left too

Yeah, but he wound up doing practically nothing after that.

I think he should have stayed. They may have come up with some storylines for him eventually. If he had another offer on the table, that would have been different, but I don't think he did.

He was by far the best of the actors in his age range appearing on tv in the 70s. He should have stayed, but I definitely can't fault him for leaving. Looking at season 1 he actually was pretty good in his supporting role. The episodes written around him in year 1 and even his supporting parts are better than when he came back in 79-81. I've always felt that he in particular and the character in general added something special to the show that was irreplaceable. Seeing George and Louise by themselves just wasn't as good. Knowing they had a child made them much more well developed characters and made George in particular more likeable. In the later shows I think one of the main reasons they had to soften him up so much was that the son was no longer in the picture and George's negative character traits would've made him too unpleasant. Blazing Jeffersons from season 8 speaks to this. This is the last show Mike Evans did before he quit the 2nd time and it is a much much stronger show than the typical episode from that era. So good are the character interactions in that one that the writers were able to write in George calling his own son the N word (which had practically been phased out of the series by that era). The show was never the same after that episode. It became a series of episodes that were either rather obvious moral lessons or more cartoonish.

Mike Evans was in a Danny Thomas series called The Practice in 1976 as an orderly or med student named Lenny. It was not a particularly memorable show or role. Clearly he did it because he needed a job. He had the talent to carry his own series and not just a sitcom either. He could sing so it is odd that he never guest starred on any of the various variety series that were popular in the 70s. Hollywood is not for everyone though. I get the feeling he's happier now as a peanut farmer.

Yeah, but he wound up doing practically nothing after that.


Not True, he was on the 1976 Drama called the Practice and made an appearance on the Richard Pryo Show in 1977

Not True, he was on the 1976 Drama called the Practice and made an appearance on the Richard Pryo Show in 1977

I said he did practically nothing. He did little stuff here and there, but nothing special.

Dumb career move. The Jeffersons was a hot show. He should have given it more time.

Dumb career move. The Jeffersons was a hot show. He should have given it more time.


Yeah the show was HOT in the summer of 75-lol

Yeah the show was HOT in the summer of 75-lol

I'm sure you have the ratings to back that up. lol

I'm sure you have the ratings to back that up. lol


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