Former The Young and the Restless actor Michael Evans passed away at the age of 87 on September 4. His son, Nick, said Evans died from age-related complications at an assisted-living center located at Woodland Hills in Los Angeles.
Evans was known for his portrayal of Colonel Douglas Austin on the long-running CBS soap, The Young and the Restless. His character served as the best friend and main confidante of billionaire Victor Newman, played by Eric Braeden.
“Michael Evans was a total professional from the old English school, a gentleman through and through,” Braeden told the Los Angeles Times in a statement on Wednesday.
Born in Sittingbourne, England, Michael Evans was inspired to become an actor after watching John Gielgud perform in a stage production of Richard II. During World War II, Evans served as a navigator for the Royal Air Force.
He launched his theater career in 1948, and a few years later, went to New York to perform on a Broadway production of Ring Around The Moon, wherein he co-starred with Harry Belafonte. In 1951, he landed the lead role in Gigi, acting opposite Audrey Hepburn. His succeeding acting credits include a touring production of My Fair Lady, a Broadway production of Mary, Mary and the film Bye, Bye Birdie, which was produced in Hollywood.
Upon arriving in Hollywood, Michael Evans took on roles in several television programs, including The New Perry Mason, Hart to Hart, Charlie’s Angels and The Man From UNCLE. It was in 1980 that he joined the cast of The Young and the Restless. His last appearance on the daytime drama was in 1995.
The Young and the Restless is a soap opera that airs weekdays on CBS. The series, which is set in the fictional city of Genoa, premiered in 1973, and has earned numerous Daytime Emmy Awards, the most recent for Outstanding Drama Series at this year’s awards ceremony.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Los Angeles Times
(Image Courtesy of CBS)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
