From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Damon Evans (born November 24, 1949) is an American actor, born in Baltimore, Maryland, best known as the second of two actors who portrayed Lionel Jefferson on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons. He also portrayed the young Alex Haley (ages 17–25) in the ABC television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Evans attended the Interlochen Academy on a Reader's Digest Scholarship. After graduation, he attended the Boston Conservatory of Music. While in Boston h ...