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. Before Family Matters, Telma Hopkins was best known as a member of the '70s pop music group Tony Orlando and Dawn. [8][10] He also later reprised the character in the 1990 sequel Die Hard 2. December 28, 1998. All we know is we have no record of prayers being answered. Chicago Sun-Times. One year later, he landed the role of Carl Winslow, another police officer, in the beloved ABC series Family Matters. 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. White is far from the first celebrity to be made the butt of a "He's dead!" His daughter, Hope Mulbarger, toldPeopleof her father, "He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. Actor. Townsend has remained active in Hollywood since moving on from Family Matters. She appeared as Candace in the TV series Stuck With You in 2020. Kellie Shanygne Williams made her name playing Laura Winslow, the seemingly perfect know-it-all daughter of Carl and Harriette on Family Matters. So, he got his cousin, Myra, to meet with him and she and Urkel wound up hitting it off, but ultimately, it didnt work out. He was also the Winslow childrens adorable youngest cousin. Stars From Family Matters You Didn't Know Died, Rivera drowned while saving her son's life, He diedon March 2, 2022, at the age of 84. Kellie Williams - Carl Winslow's smart-aleck daughter and object of Steve Urkel's affections was portrayed by Kellie Williams. During the golden ages of sitcoms, many hilarious shows were produced, but Family Matters stood out for various reasons. Murtaugh was a recurring character in Family Matters between 1990 and 1992, and he was able to make a big impact with his silly antics. The Captain wasn't the most popular character, presumably because of his tendency to cheat at golf and make life difficult for Carl. Years active. Thenthe 21-year-old psychic claimed that he didnt even know who Jaleel White a.k.a. Her former boyfriend, actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, was at her side. Michelle Thomas dies of cancer at 29, CBS Website, Dec. 1998. [8] VelJohnson played alongside Tom Hanks, as Det. The Stars of That '70s Show: Where Are They Now? Family Matters was one of the most popular sitcoms during the 90s. 'Family Matters' Alum Jo Marie Payton Claims Jaleel White Tried to 'Physically Fight' Her on Set, Reginald VelJohnson Once Walked Out on 'Family Matters' over the 'Challenge' of Working with Teens. As a three-year-old in real life, it was his screen debut. As for the character's origins, he started out as a slated one-time appearance, and he was named after a friend of one of the show's co . It has been over 16 years but the show still remains one of the greatest show of its time. Unfortunately, Payton left the series halfway through the final season, and actress Judyann Elder took over the role. In 1989, VelJohnson was cast as the memorable police officer and family patriarch Carl Winslow in the ABC (later CBS) sitcom Family Matters, alongside Jo Marie Payton, who played his wife Harriette Winslow. She broke into the world of sitcoms with the early '80s series Bosom Buddies, continued on with Gimme A Break! In 1991 and 1992, Family Matters was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Comedy series and in 1997 White won the award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. Read: Actors From the movie Friday who have lost their lives. 15 Reginald VelJohnson Reginald VelJohnson 's acting career has really come full circle. 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. [5][6] Early in his acting career, he changed his name from Reginald Johnson (his birth name) to Reginald VelJohnson. On December 22, 1998, Thomas died in New York City from desmoplastic small round cell tumor. Their love/hate relationship was one of the reasons that the show was such a hit. Bryton Eric McClure. Williams married President and CEO of the IT firm Y-Tech, Hannibal Jackson in 2009. If the content contained herein violates any of your rights, including those of copyright, and/or violates any the above mentioned factors, you are requested to immediately notify us using via the following email address operanews-external(at)opera.com and/or report the article using the available reporting functionality built into our Platform. Davenport, Misha. On the show, Jaleel sat down for a reading with Tyler Henry. He was 29 years old. 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." White was pronounced dead on arrival after. She appeared in all nine seasons and unlike most of the other Winslow clan, she actually liked their neighbor Steve Urkel. That said, the TGIF alumnus does have a sizable number of acting credits since his Family Matters days. In my opinion, Google appears to be Henrys best friend, because everything he told Jaleelabout Michelleis easily verifiable on Googlebut I digress. Of course, most Family Matters fans remember "Steve Urkel's" fascination with "Laura Winslow" and how his special bond with the 'Winslow family' was one of the most memorable dynamics of the show. Adventure Comedy Drama The Winslow family deals with various misadventures, many of them caused by their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel. In 2021, VelJohnson voiced Principal Winslow in the animated adaptation of the comic Invincible. (She also played the girlfriend of Malcolm . It was all a send-up, though. teacher in Urkel's swim class. Though she spent plenty of time onscreen in her music videos and she starred in the 1978 musical comedy "Thank God it's Friday," Summer wasn't making any moves toward a career in films or television. Shes not currently active in Hollywood, but she has stayed pretty busy working on the Kellie Williams Program, a project in Washington, DC, that gives 14 to 20-year-olds a shot at producing their own television shows. The Cast of Family Matters. Gone way too soon, but never forgotten. His character was described as totally dim-witted, and he often annoyed Steve Urkel by saying the silliest things. Michelle Thomas played Myra Monkhouse, who was introduced as a love interest for Urkel. September birthday, sudden passing, E-L-L-ENo Google?. Still baffled, Jaleel went on to share more details about Michelle. White shed tears as he remembered actress Michelle Thomas, who played Myra, the girlfriend of his nerdy character, Steve Urkel, on his hit '90s sitcom. 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 from stomach cancer quickly. You've got to be Googling stuff. He has starred in Fresh Prince Of Bel-air and he was popularly known for his character in the sitcom The Jeffersons. It has nine seasons with a total of 215 episodes. (per Today), White broke down in tears as he fondly remembered Thomas, who passed away in 1998 at the young age of 30. The poorly-written and fake Associated Press article both had the victim being found dead in his home and pronounced dead following admission to a Los Angeles-area hospital. In October of that year, she underwent a second surgery to have another growth removed. He later said he changed the spelling "because I wanted a name people would remember."[7]. Michelle Thomas | The Cosby Show, Family Matters & A Rare Disease Leads To a Tragic End Juicy Pop 188K views 1 year ago 'Family Matters' Reunion ft. Reginald VelJohnson, Jaleel White & More. 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. While some only appeared a few times and some were on all 215 episodes, you won't believe what the cast of Family Matters looks like now! He began his career back in the 1950s. She spent her remaining years dealing with health-related complications caused by diabetes. 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?" Ironically, Landers was on the other side of the law in his first appearance on "Family Matters," playing a robber at a convenience store. As to why it was Jaleel White this time around, the answer is perhaps found in the suicide note he supposedly left behind. He was later found asleep in the boat and had reported to authorities that he and his mother had gone swimming but instead of getting in the boat she slipped under the water. His other popular credits include St. "Don't worry about that part. The group talked about their experience on the show and revealed that, like the title dictated, the family did matter to them. To this day, her death is still unbelievable to lots of fans, and apparently, it still hits home for Jaleel White. 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). Shes reportedly filming the movies Heart of a Champion and Conundrum: Secrets Among Friends.. As Today pointed out, some of the adults who worked with her back in the day claimed that she was wise beyond her years and had a natural gift for the craft. Unfortunately for the pair, their friendship came to an end after Murtaugh took all of the nerd's money during a poker game. Throughout the 90's, Family Matters dominated Friday nights on ABC.The show was filled with fond memories that most fans will probably never forget. In July 24, 2012,Sherman Hemsley died of a lung mass. VelJohnson voiced the character Jerry in the TV show, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia from 2018 to 2019. One of his earliest television roles was, of course, the one that would forever brand him as "The Big Ragoo." He's made. In the spring of 1998, she underwent surgery to have the lemon-sized tumor removed shortly before she landed a role on The Young and The Restless. Lenoir was a broadway star working as an actress, producer and even casting agent. He also appeared in 6 "Police Academy" movies and the TV series. Jaimee Foxworth played Judy Winslow, Carl and Harriettes youngest daughter. Following a childhood rickets diagnosis that put her in leg braces for some time, LeNoire took up dance and musical theater. ", a popular catchphrase from the show. But by the end of the series, Urkel finally won Laura Season 3 of 'The Mandalorian' is 'epic,' cast says Tom Sizemore's family deciding end of life matters, rep says James Marsden, LeVar Burton explain the power of a movie director 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. Throughoutthe 90s, Family Mattersdominated Friday nights on ABC. Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. 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 Powell in the films Die Hard and Die Hard 2. A Steve Urkel Story. In 1999, she joined Moesha's season 4 to play recurring character Mrs. Campbell. On February 18, 2020, he announced via his Instagram that he was working on the upcoming web series A Sitcom for Gio, as its director. "We have all lost a dear, dear brother," said Reginald VelJohnson, who played Carl Winslow. Under that theory, the "news account" of the former child star's suicide serves as the set-up for that line. Menteer also popped up in variety shows like "The Dean Martin Show" and "The Carol Burnett Show" before he began his career behind the camera. "She was my old co-star from Family Matters and she died of stomach cancer quickly, White said. Mekka continued working until his last credit in 2018, then a few short years later, Mekka died on November 27, 2021, at the age of 79. While her private life remains pretty much private, Hopkins has kept pretty busy over the years. He went on to form his own production company and eventually signed a deal with Warner Bros. TV predecessor Lorimar Television. 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." Laura Winslows heart. She eventually left Hollywood and went to work for the adult entertainment industry. Now: Since 2004, James has played Devon . 'In Living Color' Cast: Where Are They Now? in 1983 and finally signed on to Family Matters for its first through fourth seasons. She then went on to appear as a regular cast member on Half & Half and Are We There Yet? Family Matters Actors You May Not Know Passed Away. Carmine Ragusa was the bright-faced, dancing, on-again-off-again boyfriend of Shirley Feeney. In 1952 comedian and actor Reginal VelJohnson was born! It happened after Lauras boyfriend, Ted, got tired of Urkel trying to put the moves on his girlfriend. The cast of "Laverne & Shirley is seen above in a publicity photo. Dont let her age fool you, though. 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. That's why it must have been quite a treat when Summer showed up in not one but two episodes of "Family Matters." 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. After "Good Times," he continued his sweep through television roles, including a stint as a voice on the "Alvin & the Chipmunks," animated series. Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald Johnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. Their mother subsequently married John Reilly. 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. He has also appeared in the comedy film, The Formula, starring alongside Brandon Baker and Sasha Jackson. The actress, a former child model, remained a fixture on TV post . When Ellyria's father died, he left the family spell book hidden. Audiences fondly remember these characters and the actors who portrayed them. Thomas died Tuesday in Manhattan, according to her publicist, Kahdijah Bell. 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. Like many actors of his time, he started on the stage in the 1950s. He died back in 2007 due to respiratory failure at the age of 85. Per The Guardian, five-time Grammy winner and queen of disco Donna Summer went from church choir singer to musical theater performer to music superstar who put out hit albums like "Bad Girls" and "Love to Love You baby." Jaleel White played the Winslows' obnoxious, ever-present neighbor Steve Urkel for all nine seasons of Family Matters. He spent much of the '80s in guest roles on television shows including recurring parts in "Bay City Blues" and "The New Leave It to Beaver," but it was his 1985 appearance in the classic martial arts spoof film "The Last Dragon" as Sho'Nuff, the villain in the movie, that would forever cement him a place in Hollywood history. Also an accomplished dancer, he was in the original cast of "The Music Man" on Broadway and appeared in several musical adaptations, including "Hello,Dolly!" Youre talking aboutMichelle Thomas. On Will & Grace's second season, Payton was Mrs. Freeman, an assistant at Will's law firm. Who is that? Tyler questioned. The actress could also be seen starring in Bounce TV's Mann & Wife as Lorraine Mann from 2015 to 2017. He appeared in a few episodes of the show. He replaced twin actors Joseph and Julius Wright, who alternated in the infant role during the show's first year. Menteer holds credits for writing, directing, producing on many of the shows he worked on including "Happy Days," "Punky Brewster," and "Family Matters." Thomas brought the aspect of jealousy and made the sitcom more interesting. White has continued to guest star on a variety of television shows like Trial and Error and Fresh Off the Boat. In 2019, he reprised his role of Steve Urkel on the TV series, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? He also appeared on the The Big Show Show in 2020 and the Disney Channel series Ravens Home. He has a daughter named Samaya White, who he had with ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy. It was UT's loss, and a big one at that:Smith became a two-time All-American in 1965 and 1966. Hemsley continued his reign on TV, garnering guest spots on shows like, "Designing Women," "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper," and 3 episodes of "Family Matters," in which he played the wise-cracking Captain Savage who has an instant connection to Urkel and cheats at golf, much to Mr. Winslow's dismay. The Family Matters character who is famous for walking up the stairs in Season 4 never to come back down again ( until that was debunked by YouTuber Vee Infuso) is the Winslow's youngest. Bubba Smith's character on Family Matters, Bones, is an intimidating muscle to the loan shark the guys got in deep with, complete with a hilarious growling match between Urkel and Bones. Poston was a jack of all talents. VelJohnson was hired after Gene Hackman, originally hired to play the role, became unavailable, and producers decided to hire a relatively unknown actor for the part. Landers' next time on "Family Matters" was in 1997, and he played a pirate named Flint when Urkel and Carl went back in time. Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. It was in 1989 that White landed the role that would make him famous, playing wacky neighbor 'Steve Urkel' on the ABC program "Family Matters. The role was initially only meant to be a guest spot, but the audience received the suspenders-clad nuisance so well in the first season that he continued on the show as a main cast member. former wfsb meteorologists, 6 pillars of lvmh business model,