Former Young and the Restless Star Michael Evans Dies at 87

[Zoneboy]

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English-born stage and screen actor Michael Evans, who portrayed Col. Douglas Austin on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless from 1980 to 1995, has died in Los Angeles, a Los Angeles Times obituary said Sunday.

Although the Internet Movie Database gave his birth date as July 27, 1926, family members said that he died at 87.

Evans was the narrator of Oliver Twist And The Artful Dodger, a two-episode Hanna-Barbera feature which aired as part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie in 1972.

He was in the voice cast of Hanna-Barbera's Black Beauty, a special which aired in 1978 as part of CBS's Famous Classic Tales series. His other TV animation credits include the H-B series Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids and Scooby and Scrappy-Doo, as well as Ruby-Spears Productions' Puppy's New Adventure.

Evans starred on Broadway, in films and on television consistently through a 40-year life on the stage.

As a young man in his native England, he chose a spot at The Old Vic, choosing membership there over an offer from the Royal Shakespeare Repertory. He studied under legendary acting coach Michel St. Denis (a direct disciple of Stanislavski), and eventually came to the United States in the Broadway show Ring Around The Moon, in which he appeared opposite Harry Belafonte. The show proved a success, and he and Belafonte then toured extensively across the country.

Evans then won a starring role in Gigi opposite ingenue Audrey Hepburn, which caused a sensation. He was instrumental in Hepburn's early stage process and growth, and the show was a vehicle to her stardom.

His next significant role was in My Fair Lady as Henry Higgins. He starred in the National Company. Evans went on to give thousands of performances in the role across the country and around the world. He eventually toured with the National Company, crisscrossing the country on the fabled "My Fair Lady Train," maintaining a grueling schedule of performances in the marathon musical.

He returned to Broadway in Mary, Mary. Evans was soon drawn to Hollywood and the screen for the film version of Bye-Bye Birdie (as Claude Paisley). Other films and countless TV roles followed.

He and his family settled in Hollywood after years in Greenwich Village. His appearances began, ranging from prestigious showcases like Kraft Theater and Studio One to popular series like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Perry Mason.

His long-running role in The Young & The Restless grew from popular response to his early appearances as "The Colonel," Douglas Austin.

He was born John Michael Evans "The Ramblers," his family's place at Sittingbourne, Kent. His mother was the former Marie Galbraith, a Dublin-born concert violinist. His father, Royal Air Force-decorated ace A.J. Evans, was shot down twice in the First World War and captured, then escaping both prisoner of war camps.

Evans flew with Trevor Howard and others in the RAF during the Blitz of London in the Second World War.

He met his first wife, Patricia Wedgwood, the mother of his children, in London at The Players Bar, Chelsea. They remained married for 25 years.

Among the many highlights of Evans' career was the Russian tour of My Fair Lady that was undertaken at the height of the Cold War. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev himself attended, and the tour was seen as a groundbreaking cultural exchange, as well as an artistic triumph, bringing Henry Higgins to Moscow and beyond.

Michael Evans' second wife, Pat Sigris Evans, died in 1986. He is survived by sisters Rosemarie and Bridget, as well as by sons Nick Evans, of Beverly Hills, California, and Christopher Evans, of Northern California.

There was a private service.

[80sTrivia]

I remember his character on the show, as I've watched since I was about five years old. He provided quite a bit of comic relief and whenever Col. Austin was around, the character actually made Victor Newman seem almost human, which is a miracle if you are a fan of the show. I wondered why they wrote his character off the show? RIP, Mr. Evans...