By LawBlessing (self media writer) | 1 year ago. "Who is that?" (White is also listed as the movie's producer.). [5][8][10] Since the end of Family Matters, VelJohnson has done mostly voice and guest star work. In 1999, she joined Moesha's season 4 to play recurring character Mrs. Campbell. The group talked about their experience on the show and revealed that, like the title dictated, the family did matter to them. What Happened to the Original Harriette on 'Family Matters'? - Distractify He was 29 years old. It was all a send-up, though. Michelle Thomas was a late arrival to Family Matters, debuting in the fourth season as Myra Monkhouse, Steve Urkel's love interest. In the sitcom show Family Matters, he got a role as mother Winslow's husband. As to why it was Jaleel White this time around, the answer is perhaps found in the suicide note he supposedly left behind. ", Following the cancellation of "Family Matters" in 1997, friends claim White became obsessed with the character, and grew despondent, despite further successes as star and producer of the UPN sitcom "Grownups", and as a writer for NBA.com. Jo Marie was a main cast member since day one, having first appeared on the show in the Season 1 premiere airing on Sept. 22, 1989, titled "The Mama Who Came to Dinner." As Harriette, the family matriarch, Jo Marie played a strong character who was able to exert a positive influence on her police officer husband, Carl (Reginald VelJohnson . Barry Jenner was a recurring character in the sitcom show Family Matters. The "Family Matters" actress died on Wednesday, December 23, 1998, at the young age of thirty in a private room at a Manhattan's Memorial Sloan-Kettering cancer center surrounded by her family and close friends. NFL defensive end Bubba Smith was born in 1945 in Texas. He would also play an ambulance driver in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) in which he was credited by the stage name Ivory Ocean. WASHINGTON (PRWEB) April 18, 2022 -- Three of the three of the key cast members and three forward-thinking producers decided to launch their own digital platform. Cast Members Of The Award-Winning Sitcom "Family Matters" Launch New She is also famous for her roles as Justine Phillips on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show 1988 to 1990. Apart from Family Matters, Jenner had notable roles in Star Trek, Deep Space and many more. But Jaleel wouldnt give in. Actor. Urkel iseven though the basis of his show is centered around featuring well known celebs: This is embarrassing, I dont even recognize you, Tyler statedto Jaleel. At the time of this writing, no further details are available regarding Brown's death. After guest spots in shows like "Sanford and Son" and "Good Times," he landed his breakout role as Detective Harris in "Barney Miller." Come on, man. She often portrayed the character as a tough mom with a witty sense of humor, but was also a no-nonsense wife to her husband, Carl. He also appeared in 6 "Police Academy" movies and the TV series. Michelle Thomas, the late actress who played Myra on Family Matters Michelle Thomas, an actress in the television programs ''The Cosby Show,'' ''Family Matters'' and ''The Young and the Restless'' died on Wednesday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in . Glass toldPop Goes the Culture TV that another actor, Rod Perry, had the role in the pilot but was picked up by another show, leaving an opening. "She was my old co-star from Family Matters and she died of stomach cancer quickly, White said. Matters and landed the role of Callie on The Young and the Restless. She Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. The death is being investigated as a suicide. But they have been an essential function of some of the most iconic family units in small-screen comedies. He went on to star in UPN's sitcom Grown Ups and hosted the Syfy competition show Total Blackout from 2013 to 2014. The character's obsession with Urkel along with her jealousy toward Laura made her polarizing among fans and created some entertaining moments. Kellie Shanygne Williams made her name playing Laura Winslow, the seemingly perfect know-it-all daughter of Carl and Harriette on Family Matters. Thenthe 21-year-old psychic claimed that he didnt even know who Jaleel White a.k.a. With the exception of The Golden Girls, grandparents are never the main stars of sitcoms. Per NPR, he was an activist and member of the board of directors for Los Angeles' AL Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. Kellie Williams - Carl Winslow's smart-aleck daughter and object of Steve Urkel's affections was portrayed by Kellie Williams. Family Matters | The Gods are Dead | Episode 20-The Gods are He has also appeared in the comedy film, The Formula, starring alongside Brandon Baker and Sasha Jackson. She was Lauras friend, but she also put the moves on her brother, Eddie, and started going out with him instead. Thomas appeared on the CBS soap opera The . Reginald VelJohnson - Wikipedia Apparently, Miller had seen an early screening of "Die Hard" and thought he'd be perfect for the show. He started out in the mid-1980s getting bit parts, usually as a white-collar guy. She was known for her singing voice, her eccentric hats and how driven she was to become an entrepreneur. The Winslow couple's children would complete the would-be new sitcom's main cast: Eddie (Darius McCrary), Laura Lee (Kellie Shanygne Williams), and Judy (Valerie Jones in the first season and Jaimee Foxworth in the second to fifth seasons before she was eventually written off from the show). She was a hilarious older female version of Urkel, and when the two started wreaking accidental havoc on the Winslows living room, spilling popcorn and breaking the coffee table, they both exclaimed, "Did we do that?" On December 22, 1998, she passed away, surrounded by friends and family in New York City, including her then long-time boyfriend/Cosby Show actor, Malcolm Jamal Warner (Theo). The quintessential hoax of this ilk is the "Paul is dead" belief attaching to Paul McCartney it began in 1969 and at least among some continues to this day. She also got a role in the sitcoms show Young And Restless as Callie Rogers and as Justine Phillips in The Cosby Show. On August 19, 2008, Carry died at 56 years old. "I didn't realize I was going to see . Family Matters was one of the most popular sitcoms during the 90s. She was also a grandmother to Eddie, Laura and Judy. That adorably sweet smile and natural acting ability garnered her more roles on shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "Baywatch.". Family Matters Star Will Only Do a Revival if Judy Winslow Returns Cherie Johnson from Family Matters has returned to her family sitcom roots after a career shift ABC, Peacock/YouTube Cherie Johnson was no stranger to television when she was cast as Laura Winslow's best friend, Maxine, on "Family Matters" the actress had also enjoyed great success as Punky Brewster's best friend on the eponymous show. After the sitcom ended in 1998, Thomas portrayed Callie Rogers, an aspiring singer and love interest of Malcolm Winters, on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless. Born in 1952 to an Armenian father and an Italian mother, Eddie Mekka told Broadway.comhegot the performing bug when he was asked to be the emcee of their variety school, so of course his next stop was the stage. Rivera even successfully navigated her way from child actor to adult, most of those years spent on "The Bernie Mac Show" from 2002 to 2006. The show, a spinoff of Jo Marie Payton's "Perfect Strangers" character Harriette Winslow, has left us with fond memories of The Urkel, the sweet sounds of the accordion and the epitome of tortoise shell hipster glasses. Category:Deceased Characters | Family Matters Wiki | Fandom [1] His father left the family, which included Reginald's brother Barry,[2] when Johnson was 13 years old. In 1975, Mekka received a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance in "The Lieutenant." VelJohnson is known for playing police officers in films and on television. Actress Kellie Williams Laura Winslow on the series described White as a consummate professional actor. Her last role was in Aide-de-Camp" in 2011. LeNoire spent more than three decades on television with roles on "Another World," "Ryan's Hope," "Gimme a Break," and "Amen," before landing her spot in the cast of "Family Matters." Audiences watched her grow up during the first few seasons. Al Powell" character from the Die Hard series in an episode of NBC's Chuck titled "Chuck Versus the Santa Claus", as the cousin of Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence). Opera News does not consent to nor does it condone the posting of any content that violates the rights (including the copyrights) of any third party, nor content that may malign, inter alia, any religion, ethnic group, organization, gender, company, or individual. Dennis died in April 2009 in Shadow Hills Los Angeles. Her former boyfriend, actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, was at her side. Then: James start playing Richie Crawford, Rachel's daughter, in the second season of 'Family Matters,' when the character miraculously aged from an infant to a three-year-old. Michelle Thomas dies of cancer at 29, CBS Website, Dec. 1998. Is any the cast members of family matters dead? - Answers She passed away in 2002. In addition to Family Matters, Jenner had a notable role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, portraying Starfleet Admiral William Ross in 12 episodes of the beloved sci-fi series. Jaleel White Tributes 'Family Matters' Star Michelle Thomas - VIBE.com Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald Johnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. They got divorced in 2019, and have a daughter together named Zoey. His character was described as totally dim-witted, and he often annoyed Steve Urkel by saying the silliest things. Most recently, the former TGIF star played Reggie in the 2020 Australian comedy The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, which was Olivia Newton-John's last film before her death in 2022. In 1998, Michelle passed away shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. He appeared in a few episodes of the show. In 1999, Thomas was nominated for an NAACP award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for her role on "Young and the Restless.". One year later, he landed the role of Carl Winslow, another police officer, in the beloved ABC series Family Matters. Dont let her age fool you, though. A genuinely good guy and purveyor of cheer whenever things got cheerless.". Following the adventures of the Winslow family (and their friends and neighbors), the sitcom starred (pictured from left in this 1992 photo) Bryton James, Telma Hopkins, Reginald VelJohnson, Rosetta Lenoire (she played Estelle "Mother" Winslow, and died in 2002), Darius McCrary, Jo Marie Payton, Jaimee Foxworth (who played daughter Judy Winslow but was written out of the show in the middle of season 4 and not mentioned again), Shawn Harrison, Kellie Shangyne Williams and Jaleel White. When Donna Summer died of lung cancer on May 17, 2012, many singers and industry professionals mourned her, some attending her service, others voicing their feelings on social media. Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 23 . One of the first additions to the "Family Matters" cast was Bryton McClure, who played the role of Richie Crawford, the son of Rachel Crawford. Tragedy struck in 2020 after her body was found in the river after disappearing during a boat trip. Thomas would eventually end up as the real life girlfriend of the actor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo. Michelle Thomas - Wikipedia Hopkins made her name in film before she signed onto Family Matters. Kellie Shanygne Williams made her name playing Laura Winslow, the seemingly perfect know-it-all daughter of Carl and Harriette on Family Matters. He is best known for playing police officer characters, such as Carl Winslow on the sitcom Family Matters, which ran from 1989 to 1998, and LAPD Sergeant Al . It was UT's loss, and a big one at that:Smith became a two-time All-American in 1965 and 1966. Powell in the GameCube video game title, Die Hard: Vendetta, in 2002. Hemsley made the sitcom show family memorable when he got a chance as a guest cast and Carl's obnoxious boss, Captain Marion Savage. Actor Natalie Desselle -Reid, known for her roles in " Madea 's Big Happy Family," "Eve" and "B*A*P*S*," died Monday at the age of 53. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. Jaleel White, an actor best known for his portrayal of Steve Urkel, the nerdy young neighbor in the television sitcom "Family Matters" (1989-1998), was said to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. She spent her remaining years dealing with health-related complications caused by diabetes. Sherman Hemsley is probably one of the funniest actors in the sitcoms. As of 2009, VelJohnson had homes in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Los Angeles, and resided primarily in Oceanside, New York. 8 actors from Family Matters who have passed on - Opera News She is reportedly working on a short film called Absent in the Present. She also has a YouTube channel and she is available to send messages to fans on the app Cameo. "We feel privileged to have known him and worked with him. At a recent cast reunion at 90s Con, the Family Matters cast was asked about whether they'd be interested in revisiting the Winslow family with a series revival. Sadly, some of those famous faces are no longer delivering lines and laughs. Hemsley was in his fifties when he starred in Family Matters, so he was already a veteran performer by the time he joined the sitcom. (per Today), White broke down in tears as he fondly remembered Thomas, who passed away in 1998 at the young age of 30. [5][6] Early in his acting career, he changed his name from Reginald Johnson (his birth name) to Reginald VelJohnson. Smith must have enjoyed the bite from the acting bug because he continued acting, now not as himself, on shows like, "Charlie's Angels" and "Eight is Enough," and then landed some regular gigs such as a recurring role on "Open All Night." "Family Matters" was a popular American television sitcom that aired nine seasons from 1989 to 1997. It has nine seasons with a total of 215 episodes. Did Judy Winslow Really Disappear From 'Family Matters'? - Distractify While he was quite incompetent at his job, he had the patience of a saint, being that he was one of the few characters who tolerated Urkel. Darius McCrary played Eddie, the eldest Winslow child, on all five seasons of Family Matters. He then worked for the US postal service while attending a dramatic arts college and eventually found his way to off-Broadway productions. Harrisons latest role was in 2018 when he played Reverend Ike in Uncle Eds Bucket List. But, the actor isn't done with Hollywood yet. Thomas L. Miller produced some of the most memorable television shows in TV history including hits like "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," "Family Matters," and "Full House." She was 90 years old at the time, and she left behind an impressive body of work in television, film, music, and theater. Carry was a working actor up to his last role in 2006's "The 12th Man" before his untimely death from pancreatic cancer. Mekka continued getting roles in TV and movies, including small ones in 1992's "A League of Their Own" and 2006's "Dreamgirls." Michelle Thomas from 'Family Matters' Lived a Vibrant Life before Her Desselle-Reid's manager, Dolores Robinson, confirmed . Jo Marie Payton, Now To make matters worse, her mother fell into a drug habit, leaving the teenager to handle the household finances alone. "Come on, man. Simply known as Urkel, the nerdy, accident-prone neighbor of the Winslows tripped his way into America's heart with catchphrases like, "Did I do that?" From 1993 to 1998, she portrayed the role of Myra Monkhouse, the girlfriend of Steve Urkel, on Family Matters. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Per USA Today, years later it was discovered he suffered from CTE, a brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas. Eddie Mekka, Carmine on 'Laverne & Shirley,' dies at 69 All rights reserved. Naya Rivera was introduced to acting as a child star after she got a role in the sitcom show Family Matters. Though his character, often referred to as "Booger" by character Willona, was meant to be an antagonist, Bookman soon became a fan favorite and Brown would always be remembered for this role. But Jaleel wasn't biting just yet. The History of Family Matters | Mental Itch The series centered around the Winslows, a middle-class African-American family. In 2004, McClure scored his next big gig on The Young and the Restless playing Devon Hamilton, a struggling teen who was living on the streets before the Winters family took him in. Actors From the movie Friday who have lost their lives. The cast of 'Family Matters' has largely continued to work in the industry after the show ended in 1998. Unfortunately, LeNoire is no longer with us. A spinoff of the hit '80s sitcom Perfect Strangers, Family Matters began life as a modest hit before morphing into one of the most successful comedies on the small screen at the time. Thomas died Tuesday in Manhattan, according to her publicist, Kahdijah Bell. This is crazy. In August of 1997, Michelle Thomas life was forever changed when she was diagnosed withintra-abdominaldesmoplastic small-round-cell tumor,a rare form of stomach cancer. Her birthday is September 23, 1968,"Jaleel revealed. One of his earliest television roles was, of course, the one that would forever brand him as "The Big Ragoo." 'Family Matters' Jaleel White Breaks Down Over Deceased Co-Star [8] VelJohnson again portrayed Sgt. Lenoir died in 2002, just four years after the final season of Family Matters was aired. "Everyone adored him," she said. Soon Brown found himself garnering role after role on TV shows like, "Maude," "Chico and the Man," and in 1975 was cast in Season 2 of "Good Times" in the role of Nathan Bookman, the super for the building in the projects that the Evans family lived in. After appearing in all 8 seasons, Mekka went on to a myriad of guest roles in both movies and series, including two different characters on "Family Matters."