Something puzzling about Damon Evans on Living in TV Land

[Brian Damage]

He seemed to be great buddies with Sherman. That wouldn't be so weird in itself, but Damon was fired from the Jeffersons and instead of Hemsley fighting for his job back, he asked the producers to bring back Mike Evans instead.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

He seemed to be great buddies with Sherman. That wouldn't be so weird in itself, but Damon was fired from the Jeffersons and instead of Hemsley fighting for his job back, he asked the producers to bring back Mike Evans instead.

Damon Evans left the show after the 77-78 season because they wouldn't give him more money. He was never fired


Jet Mag, 1978

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

Damon Evans left the show after the 77-78 season because they wouldn't give him more money. He was never fired


Jet Mag, 1978

Oh, well that totally changes things. How stupid was Damon Evans to demand more money? lol

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Oh, well that totally changes things. How stupid was Damon Evans to demand more money? lol

Yeah I was surprised when I read it too-lol I was like contract dispute????-lol

[jamesanthony]

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

Yeah I was surprised when I read it too-lol I was like contract dispute????-lol

I wonder how much he was being paid? He is a trained opera singer from what I have heard and The Jeffersons certainly wasn't giving him any opportunities to sing. One thing I like to pay attention to is how the actors in these shows are billed in the credits and the # of shows they appear in. Mike Evans was billed 3rd out of the original 8 players and appeared in more season 1 shows than any other supporting actor which means that although he was a supporting character he probably was considered the most important one and probably got the most money. Damon was billed 7th out of 8 players in years 2 and 3 and 8 out of 9 in year 4. Paul Benedict had a spelling AND credit at the end which seems to suggest that Damon and Berlinda Tolbert probably had the lowest salaries of all the actors (probably even less than Zara Cully who was on her way out at that point) so it is not unreasonable that he would want a pay raise and that he would bounce when they told him fat chance.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by jamesanthony

I wonder how much he was being paid? He is a trained opera singer from what I have heard and The Jeffersons certainly wasn't giving him any opportunities to sing. One thing I like to pay attention to is how the actors in these shows are billed in the credits and the # of shows they appear in. Mike Evans was billed 3rd out of the original 8 players and appeared in more season 1 shows than any other supporting actor which means that although he was a supporting character he probably was considered the most important one and probably got the most money. Damon was billed 7th out of 8 players in years 2 and 3 and 8 out of 9 in year 4. Paul Benedict had a spelling AND credit at the end which seems to suggest that Damon and Berlinda Tolbert probably had the lowest salaries of all the actors (probably even less than Zara Cully who was on her way out at that point) so it is not unreasonable that he would want a pay raise and that he would bounce when they told him fat chance.

I wonder if he went to a show that was short-lived after the Jeffersons

[TVFactFan]

Yeah his acting career was short after the Jeffersons. After he left he was in Roots in 1979, then was out of Acting for 6 years and played a subway cop in 1985, then was out of acting again for another 8 years and played another role in 1993. Then went on to guest star in Third Watch in 2003. So yes he was not doing anything the remaining 6 years the Jeffersons was on the air

[James"Thunder"Early]

I've read he's an opera singer now and does stage shows

[jamesanthony]

I remember he played a young Alex Haley in Roots the Next Generations the season after he left The Jeffersons. That's probably his next best remembered part.

Overall he wasn't such a bad performer. If he had originated the role of Lionel I could have liked him well enough. The problem is Mike Evans set the bar extremely high and anyone who took his place would be fighting an uphill battle.

I noticed that he wasn't in the first 2 shows of season 2 and was wondering if he wasn't hired until after they had started filming for that season. I wonder how hard it was to get a 2nd Lionel. And although he never sang in the show, many times (esp. in the past) tv producers liked to hire actors who had musical theater experience because they had certain acting sensibilities and could bring something more to the table than a straight up method actor. Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs, Isabel Sanford, Mike Evans and Roxie Roker were all from that background and Paul Benedict was clearly a physical comedian sort of actor so they brought more to the table than just straight acting.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by jamesanthony

I remember he played a young Alex Haley in Roots the Next Generations the season after he left The Jeffersons. That's probably his next best remembered part.

Overall he wasn't such a bad performer. If he had originated the role of Lionel I could have liked him well enough. The problem is Mike Evans set the bar extremely high and anyone who took his place would be fighting an uphill battle.

I noticed that he wasn't in the first 2 shows of season 2 and was wondering if he wasn't hired until after they had started filming for that season. I wonder how hard it was to get a 2nd Lionel. And although he never sang in the show, many times (esp. in the past) tv producers liked to hire actors who had musical theater experience because they had certain acting sensibilities and could bring something more to the table than a straight up method actor. Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs, Isabel Sanford, Mike Evans and Roxie Roker were all from that background and Paul Benedict was clearly a physical comedian sort of actor so they brought more to the table than just straight acting.

He just appeared out of nowhere in the ep when the girl claimed to be Louise's Daughter

[James"Thunder"Early]

Originally Posted by jamesanthony

I remember he played a young Alex Haley in Roots the Next Generations the season after he left The Jeffersons. That's probably his next best remembered part.

Overall he wasn't such a bad performer. If he had originated the role of Lionel I could have liked him well enough. The problem is Mike Evans set the bar extremely high and anyone who took his place would be fighting an uphill battle.

I noticed that he wasn't in the first 2 shows of season 2 and was wondering if he wasn't hired until after they had started filming for that season. I wonder how hard it was to get a 2nd Lionel. And although he never sang in the show, many times (esp. in the past) tv producers liked to hire actors who had musical theater experience because they had certain acting sensibilities and could bring something more to the table than a straight up method actor. Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs, Isabel Sanford, Mike Evans and Roxie Roker were all from that background and Paul Benedict was clearly a physical comedian sort of actor so they brought more to the table than just straight acting.

In some ways, the show came off like a stage show, just from the way the actors delivered the dialouge.