who played the original lionel on the jeffersons
Mike Evans (actor) Evans is best known for his recurring role as Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family and was the first and final actor to play Lionel on the spin-off The Jeffersons. He played Lionel on The Jeffersons for much of its 11-year run, with the majority of his appearances occurring from 1979 to 1981. Actor and opera singer Damon Evans (no relation to Michael) played the role from September 1975 to January 1978 on The Jeffersons, as Mike Evans was busy pursuing other aspects of his career.