Evans, Michael Jonas
1949-2006 · Contribution: 1971-1979
Actor & TV Co-Creator
Originated the role of Lionel Jefferson on 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons'; co-created 'Good Times' with Eric Monte, already profiled in this collection, though he died believing his creative contributions had gone uncredited and uncompensated by producer Norman Lear
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1949
- Active since
- 1971
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- Lionel Jefferson on TVCo-created "Good Times"Landmark Black sitcoms
Impact on the world
Evans helped bring groundbreaking Black-centered sitcoms to American television. His co-creation of "Good Times" expanded what network TV would portray.
Sources
- Hollywood Reporter (Mike Evans, original Lionel Jefferson, dies)
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Related visionaries
Monte, Eric (Kenneth Williams)
1943–2022
Created the characters and concepts behind 'Good Times,' 'The Jeffersons,' and 'What's Happening!!,' three landmark Black sitcoms of the 1970s, though credit and creative control were largely retained by producer Norman Lear until Monte won a lawsuit and settlement in 1977
Foxx, Redd (John Elroy Sanford)
1922-1991
Star of 'Sanford and Son,' one of television's first sitcoms built around a predominantly Black cast; pioneered the raunchy 'party record' comedy album format and personally mentored Flip Wilson and Richard Pryor
Wilson, Flip (Clerow Wilson Jr.)
1933-1998
First African American to host a successful weekly network variety show; his 'Geraldine' character's catchphrase 'What you see is what you get' inspired the computing term WYSIWYG
Reid, Timothy Lee Sr.
1944-
Co-created and starred in 'Frank's Place,' a critically acclaimed 1987 dramedy; co-founded New Millennium Studios in Virginia, the first Black-owned film studio in the U.S. since the 1930s