John Michael Evans, better known as Michael Evans, was a renowned stage and screen actor born on July 27, 1920, in Sittingbourne, England. His parents, A.J. Evans and Marie Galbraith, were both accomplished individuals, with his father being a writer and his mother a concert violinist.
As a young boy, John was inspired by the great John Gielgud's performance in Shakespeare's Richard II, which prompted him to decide on a career in acting at the tender age of 12. Evans served as a navigator in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and after the war, he attended the Old Vic School in London to hone his acting skills.
Evans made his theatrical debut in the West End in 1948 and went on to make his cinema debut in 1950. The same year, he also made his Broadway debut in the comedy "Ring Round the Moon." The following year, he appeared on Broadway as Gaston in the musical "Gigi," which starred Audrey Hepburn in the title role.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Evans toured the United States and the USSR, performing in various productions, including a national touring production of My Fair Lady, in which he played the role of Henry Higgins. His film credits include the movie version of Bye Bye Birdie, released in 1963.
In 1980, Evans permanently relocated to the United States, where he continued to appear in numerous films and television shows. He is perhaps best known for his long-running role on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, which he played from 1980 to 1997.
Eric Braeden, one of Evans' co-stars on The Young and the Restless, paid tribute to him after his passing on September 4, 2007, at the age of 87. Braeden described Evans as "a total professional from the old English school, a gentleman through and through."
