What cast Death shocked you the most?

Zara Cully-1892-1978
Roxie Roker-1929-1995
Isabel Sanford-1917-2004
Franklin Cover-1928-2006
Mike Evans-1949-2006
Paul Benedict-1938-2008

Mike Evans shocked me the most. I mean I know people die. But I wasn't expecting him to die when he did. He was too young.

Mike Evans came in a close second but for me, Isabel's came in a settled first place. Wow! I did not expect it when it happened. I knew she was older but you just don't expect some things and then you are blindsided all of the sudden. I know I was.

For sure it was Mike Evans' death. 57 was WAY to young. :(

I had a hard time believing Mike Evans dying at 57, whom I voted for on the poll, but the recent death of Paul Benedict is coming in a close second. The reason being I hadn't heard anything about him being ill. The same thing was with Mike Evans. He always looked so healthy. Well any way, part of life is death, so RIP to all these talented and wonderful performers. :rip:

Mike Evans, then Roxie Roker.

franklin covor mean he looked fine on the jeffersons i expected him to be round forever all them shocked me

They all did in their own way. But I would have to say Mike Evans and Roxie Roker, simply because I wasn't aware of either of them being sick. I found of about Roxie in the papers, I turned the page and read the article of her passing. Mike Evans, we haven't seen or heard from him in years, and I wanted to see what he looked like before he passed. Again, like many others on here said, he was too young.

mike evans

Mike Evans followed closely by Paul Benedict.

Mike Evans

Mike Evans was a shocker since he was young.

Mike Evans. As others have said: because he was so young. :( I loved him; he was awesome!

Mike Evans big time. He was way too young and still had much to look forward to.

I guess we have to add Sherman Hemsley to this list now. His death was really shocking to me. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I read that he had died the other night. But I guess it was surprising that Mike Evans died young too.

I was only 6 when Roxie died, so I have no opinion on that. Isabel's was quite shocking, as I had heard nothing of her being sick. Mike's was the biggest shock, and I was surprised he had throat cancer.

At the time, Roxie Roker was shocking because it kind of came out of the blue for me at least. I was really surprised when Isabel Sanford passed until I found out how much older she was than Sherman Hemsley. Mike Evans??? I'm really shocked because I didn't know he was gone until I read this. And Sherman Hemsley? Well, I'm simply heartbroken. He is one of my very favorites in classic TV, and always will be. I sure will miss him, always hoped someone would give him another show. God bless him.

I'm still shocked over Sherman Hemsley's death also because I just found out that he was never married nor did he have any children. That is such a sad thing to find out..:eek:

I guess we have to add Sherman Hemsley to this list now. His death was really shocking to me. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I read that he had died the other night. But I guess it was surprising that Mike Evans died young too.

I'd go with Sherman too. You always got this feeling he'd be around. I saw him on TV a few years ago at a charity event doing the George Jefferson strut!

He looked vibrant and healthy. Never saw this coming!

They each were upsetting but Mike Evans is hands down. He was the youngest of all of them to die. I know Mike was out of the loop for awhile but you was always waiting to her a comeback from him. Sherman, I was expecting to see him do another television series or something. I had the vision of him being the black male version of Betty White. Old and still kicking it like she's young. Go head Betty!

They each were upsetting but Mike Evans is hands down. He was the youngest of all of them to die. I know Mike was out of the loop for awhile but you was always waiting to her a comeback from him. Sherman, I was expecting to see him do another television series or something. I had the vision of him being the black male version of Betty White. Old and still kicking it like she's young. Go head Betty!

Exactly! I always thought Sherman would be around too!

Agree about Mike and the strangest thing is no pic exists of him in his later years! Anyone have one?

Exactly! I always thought Sherman would be around too!

Agree about Mike and the strangest thing is no pic exists of him in his later years! Anyone have one?

I wonder if Mike's health probably restricted him from doing photos. I am reminded of Groucho Marx was he was supposed to be on Welcome Back Kotter. The cast took pictures with him but he was so sickly looking that they were never released publicly. I think his appearance was either limited or canceled.

I wonder if Mike's health probably restricted him from doing photos. I am reminded of Groucho Marx was he was supposed to be on Welcome Back Kotter. The cast took pictures with him but he was so sickly looking that they were never released publicly. I think his appearance was either limited or canceled.

But I'm not even talking about when Mike was sick.

Even TVFactFan said Mike quit acting after the Jeffersons so I've not even seen a pic of Mike during the last 10 years of his life!

For me I'd say Sherman's death, it felt so unexpected.

I'm still shocked over Sherman Hemsley's death also because I just found out that he was never married nor did he have any children. That is such a sad thing to find out..:eek:

That is very shocking!

Sherman had a top rated show and met a lot of hot women. Anyone know why he never married or had kids?

That is very shocking!

Sherman had a top rated show and met a lot of hot women. Anyone know why he never married or had kids?

Many people stay single for their entire lives. He could either not wanted children or was unable to have children. I've also heard that he was homosexual as well. There has been no evidence to confirm this rumor other than heresay. Regardless of how Sherman chose to live his private life, I will always appreciate his comedic and entertaining acts he has done over his years. I also commend him for keeping his private life private.

Many people stay single for their entire lives. He could either not wanted children or was unable to have children. I've also heard that he was homosexual as well. There has been no evidence to confirm this rumor other than heresay. Regardless of how Sherman chose to live his private life, I will always appreciate his comedic and entertaining acts he has done over his years. I also commend him for keeping his private life private.

There's even a youtube clip of a singing/dancing troupe that he toured with. It has 4 hot younger girls in there! He toured with them and any straight man would've been turned on by at least some of them!

The gay rumor makes sense because no straight man would turn that down unless you were married!

i'm shocked that sherman helmsley lived that long. groucho marx was supposed to be on welcome back kotter? i didn't know that?

i'm shocked that sherman helmsley lived that long. groucho marx was supposed to be on welcome back kotter? i didn't know that?

I think TVParty did an article on this when they were talking about the problems of the show. Kotter had a thing for Groucho Marx and he was going to appear in the show. I have to find a source for this, it was either an article or stated with fact on the boards.

When I saw the title, I thought it meant on the show. I was thinking Mr. Whittendale's dog. :happyface
Anyway, being that all these people's deaths were sad to know about, and there's no "all of the above" in the list, I guess I'll have to go with George Jefferson here (Sherman Hemsley), since to me he was the most important one.

i'm shocked that sherman helmsley lived that long. groucho marx was supposed to be on welcome back kotter? i didn't know that?

What do you mean by that? Why would expect Sherman to die young??

They all did in their own way. But I would have to say Mike Evans and Roxie Roker, simply because I wasn't aware of either of them being sick. I found of about Roxie in the papers, I turned the page and read the article of her passing. Mike Evans, we haven't seen or heard from him in years, and I wanted to see what he looked like before he passed. Again, like many others on here said, he was too young.

I hate to get even more morbid but did Roxie Roker look thinner (in an "unhealthy way" if that makes sense) and a little "sickly" (and not just the typical, "she got older") towards the end of the Jeffersons run? Roxie passed away about a decade after The Jeffersons ended in 1985.

Mike Evans, then Roxie Roker.

Next year will officially mark 30 years since Roxie Roker passed away (on December 2, 1995). 66 is still a relatively young age to die. I mean, Isabel Sanford was in her late 60s when The Jeffersons went off the air in 1985. And Roxie's son, Lenny Kravitz recently turned 60. So that further hit me, how long it has now been since Roxie Roker left us.

franklin covor mean he looked fine on the jeffersons i expected him to be round forever all them shocked me

I don't know if this has been addressed yet, but I did notice that in Season 10 (https://jacksonupperco.com/2016/01/05/the-seven-best-the-jeffersons-episodes-of-season-ten/) (1983-84), Franklin Cover appeared to lose a significant amount of weight (https://alt.obituaries.narkive.com/yGhHaFZY/franklin-cover-actor-played-neighbor-on-the-jeffersons-77). He was said to be out on a medical leave for over a third of that season.

Def Mike Evans!!

I wonder if Mike's health probably restricted him from doing photos. I am reminded of Groucho Marx was he was supposed to be on Welcome Back Kotter. The cast took pictures with him but he was so sickly looking that they were never released publicly. I think his appearance was either limited or canceled.

Mike Evans' (https://youtu.be/BTIORRpcp3E?t=584) cancer ordeal (https://eurweb.com/2023/daughter-of-the-jeffersons-star-mike-evans-revealed-he-was-a-deadbeat-dad/) was apparently, really ugly towards the end. He was said (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/mike-evans-from-the-jeffersons.760338/post-19140367) to be a heavy smoker and the cancer wound up costing him his tongue. So maybe it was a blessing in disguise that there aren't that many known photos of him in his later years.

I think TVParty did an article on this when they were talking about the problems of the show. Kotter had a thing for Groucho Marx and he was going to appear in the show. I have to find a source for this, it was either an article or stated with fact on the boards.

There are photos (https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-welcome-back-kotter-sadie-hawkins-day-season-2-gabe-kaplan-groucho-128711686.html) that you can easily find online of Groucho Marx hanging out (https://bmj2k.com/2018/03/13/1976-groucho-marx-visits-welcome-back-kotter-and-makes-everyone-sad/) with the Welcome Back, Kotter cast on set. He was supposed to do a cameo in the episode (https://unobtainium13.com/2023/09/16/retro-television-reviews-welcome-back-kotter-2-7-sweathog-nebraska-style-and-2-8-sadie-hawkins-day/) "Sadie Hawkins Day" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745420/) from its second season. But at the time (https://www.newsfromme.com/2016/12/03/welcome-back-groucho/), Groucho was really elderly and in frail health (he passed away less than a year after his Welcome Back, Kotter set visit), so it was decided at the last minute to scrap his cameo.