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|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lena, played by Paulene Myers | ||||
| Personal Information | ||||
| Gender: | Female | |||
| Occupation/ Career: |
Not Mentioned, presumably retired | |||
| Spouse(s): | Henry Evans | |||
| Related to: | James Evans Sr. (stepson) Florida Evans (step-daughter in-law) J.J. Evans (step-grandson) Thelma Evans-Anderson (step-granddaughter) Keith Anderson (step-grandson in-law) Michael Evans (step-grandson)
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| Character information | ||||
| Appeared on: | Good Times | |||
| Episodes appeared in: | 2 in Seasons 4 & 5 | |||
| Character played by: | Paulene Myers | |||
Lena Anderson (later Lena Anderson-Evans) is the girlfriend and later fiancee, who becomes the second wife of Henry Evans. She becomes the stepmother of Henry's late son, James, the stepmother-in-law of Florida and the step-grandmother of J.J., Thelma, and Michael. She appeared in the episodes "Grandpa's Visit" in Season 4 and "Something Old, Something New" in Season 5. The part of Lena Anderson was played in the episodes by the late stage, film and TV actress Paulene Myers.
About Lena and Henry[]
When Grandpa Henry visits the Evans' household for a second time in "Grandpa's Visit," his girlfriend, Lena Anderson, who affectionately calls him "Tiger," accompanies him. After the two met and fell in love, they decided to live together. Florida is shocked when Henry tells her they're not married, and is uncomfortable with the idea of them sleeping in the same bedroom, and they decide to leave. As Henry and Lena wait for their bus, Florida has a change of heart and asks them to join her and the rest of the family for Thanksgiving Dinner, and they do.
When Grandpa Henry and Lena visit again in "Something Old, Something New," they're engaged. Lena has a hard time understanding Henry's reasoning in wanting to postpone their wedding over concerns that the two would have problems with Social Security, as the U.S. Patent Office turned down his latest invention - a food compressor.
After a talk about money concerns, the two go ahead with their planned wedding.
On their wedding day, Grandpa Henry returns to the Evans' household from a nearby bar just minutes before their wedding is about to start after having one too many drinks. Lena reassures him that she's not marrying him for his money, as she jokingly says: "If you think I'm marrying you for your money, you couldn't be wronger...Now if we can't make it on Social Security, I could always get a job as a topless dancer!" Afterward, Henry and Lena are married in the Evans' living room.