Isabel Sanford plays the character of Louise and Mike Evans plays the role of Lionel .
On All in the Family , a program on which he was referred to before he was ever seen ( in the program , the reason given for this non-appearance was that he refused to set foot in his neighbor Archie Bunker 's home ; the actual reason was that Helmsley was appearing in a Broadway play and could not commit to starring in All in the Family until his commitment to this play ended in 1973 ) , George Jefferson lived in a working-class neighborhood in the borough of Queens , next door to the Bunker family , with his wife Louise and son Lionel .
George Jefferson