They even developed a bond over root beer and romantic woes. 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. White has also made several film appearances in movies like Big Fat Liar, Dreamgirls, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer and recently in 2022's Hustle starring Adam Sandler. Before Captain Savage became Carl's boss at the Chicago Police Department, the patriarch of the Winslow gang served under Lieutenant Lou Murtaugh, played by Barry Jenner. And now, she is set to reprise her role again in the upcoming Punky Brewster" sequel series. Sherman Hemsley is probably one of the funniest actors in the sitcoms. 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!" 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?" He also had a minor role in the 2002 film Like Mike. In 1998, Michelle passed away shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Sherman Hemsley is perhaps best known for playing George Jefferson in bothAll In the Family and The Jeffersons, the latter of which gained him earned him Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations. 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. Jo Marie Payton portrayed elevator operator Harriette Winslow on that show, and Family Matters depicted her home life with husband Carl, their three kids, plus Aunt Rachel and Mother Winslow,. 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?" VelJohnson is known for playing police officers in films and on television. His other popular credits include St. McClure eventually became known as Bryton James, but most soap fans know him as Devon Hamilton on The Young and the Restless. According to IMDB, he has done about 1,104 episodes of the classic soap. From 1986 to 1993, the sitcom chronicled the hilarious misadventures of the Winslow family and Urkel, capturing the hearts of viewers in the process. This granny was hip and street-wise and also had plenty of love and advice to offer everyone. She was also awarded the national medal of arts. [5][6] Early in his acting career, he changed his name from Reginald Johnson (his birth name) to Reginald VelJohnson. He also credited the writers with taking his character from "just kind of a Black guy who was in the room" to something that more resembled the actor himself. A Steve Urkel Story. Shawn Harrison followed his role as Eddie Winslow's friend Waldo on Family Matters with appearances on shows INCLUDING Moesha and Girlfriends. He started with the Baltimore Colts, won a Super Bowl in 1970, and played until 1976. To Be or Not to Be (Part 1) To Be or Not to Be (Part 2) We're Going to Disney World (Part 1) The sitcom show was created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. It gives me joy that you don't know who I am." She was just 30 years old. [11] VelJohnson has made guest appearances in several TV shows, including The Equalizer, Diagnosis: Murder, Twice in a Lifetime, Will & Grace, Monk, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Eve, Crossing Jordan, The Parkers, That's So Raven, and Bones. She was only 33 years old. Watch the shocking reveal in the clip above! 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. However, some of the show's most memorable denizens have sadly passed away since Family Matters came to an end. 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. (White is also listed as the movie's producer.). Eddie dreamt of being a basketball star but had horrible grades all throughout high school. Per BlackPast, Sherman Hemsley dropped out of school in the tenth grade to join the air force and served four years in Japan and Korea. Of course, Family Matters also introduced Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) to the pop culture lexicon, turning what was originally supposed to be a one-off character into a mainstay and all-around sitcom phenomenon. He was also the Winslow childrens adorable youngest cousin. On stage, the young actress starred in . Carl was seriously irritated by his pesky neighbor Urkel and his annoying antics. [13] He played air traffic controller Bob Abbot in the 2012 film Air Collision. She was just 30 years old. 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. The sitcom starred Reginald Vel Johnson (Carl Winslow), Jo Marie Payton (Harriet Winslow), Darius McCray (Eddie. He replaced twin actors Joseph and Julius Wright, who alternated in the infant role during the show's first year. 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. 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. He also portrayed a member of the LAPD in the Arnold Schwarzenegger action film "Commando." David Sutton, in Turner & Hooch (1989). As to why it was Jaleel White this time around, the answer is perhaps found in the suicide note he supposedly left behind. Her career however was short-lived as she passed away in 1998 at the young age of 30 years after battling with stomach cancer for a while. There were temples and churches to Gods and they suddenly closed their doors forever. She underwent surgery to remove a tumor in 1998 and returned home to her family to recover. (She also played the girlfriend of Malcolm . Powell in the GameCube video game title, Die Hard: Vendetta, in 2002. 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. VelJohnson was born Reginald Johnson on August 16, 1952, in the Queens borough of New York City, the son of Eva, a nurses aid, and Dan, a hospital attendant. One of his earliest television roles was, of course, the one that would forever brand him as "The Big Ragoo." She starred in films such as Glee, The Arsenio Hall Show, Step Up and many more. She then went on to appear as a regular cast member on Half & Half and Are We There Yet? After playing Rachel Baines-Crawford, the younger sister of Harriette Winslow, Hopkins starred in Getting By, another TGIF show that aired from 1993 to 1994 (its second season aired on NBC). Elsewhere and JAG. Actor. In addition to his longtime work on the CBS soap opera, McClure has lent his voice for several animated series including Nickelodeon's Zevo-3, Cartoon Network's Young Justice: Invasion and in Disney+'s 2022 miniseries Tales of the Jedi. 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. NFL defensive end Bubba Smith was born in 1945 in Texas. Authorities state that upon entering the home they discovered a young African-American male with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. 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. 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. Walt Disney Television via Getty Jaleel White Returns as Steve Urkel in New Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Al Powell - Die Hard. Dennis died in April 2009 in Shadow Hills Los Angeles. Their mother subsequently married John Reilly. Although the sitcom achieved decent ratings in its first season, it wasn't until the character of Steve Urkel, portrayed by Jaleel White, was introduced that the show really took off. Arnold Johnson He went on to form his own production company and eventually signed a deal with Warner Bros. TV predecessor Lorimar Television. The cause of death at the time had been ruled acute drug intoxication and other conditions. Known for. Per theNew York Daily News, Hemsley succumbed to superior vena cava syndrome and passed away in 2012. Eddie Mekka, top right, died in Newhall on Nov. 27, 2021, at age 69, according to a friend's social media post. [3] Johnson attended Benjamin N. Cardozo High School . By Variety. But they have been an essential function of some of the most iconic family units in small-screen comedies. She was also a grandmother to Eddie, Laura and Judy. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', 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. Unfortunately, LeNoire is no longer with us. Television actress Michelle Thomas, 30, a co-star on the sitcom "Family Matters," died Dec. 22 after a struggle with stomach cancer. She was Lauras friend, but she also put the moves on her brother, Eddie, and started going out with him instead. It was all a send-up, though. In 2018, "Family Matters" star Reginald VelJohnson told Today that Miller helped him land the role of Carl. Michelle Thomas' first role on television was on the hit TV series "The Cosby Show," where she played Theo's girlfriend, Justine. cancer-related complications. 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. 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. Per Broadway World, his film debut was alongside Sammy Davis Jr., whom he also appeared with on Broadway, in the 1966 movie "A Man Called Adam." The network TV landscape of the 1980s and the 1990s was all about family-oriented sitcoms, with the occasional exception such as Married with Children, which was about a family but courted controversy with its more risque episodes. (per Today), White broke down in tears as he fondly remembered Thomas, who passed away in 1998 at the young age of 30. On Will & Grace's second season, Payton was Mrs. Freeman, an assistant at Will's law firm. While her private life remains pretty much private, Hopkins has kept pretty busy over the years. That said, the TGIF alumnus does have a sizable number of acting credits since his Family Matters days. Tammy Townsend played Greta McClure for 14 episodes. Darius McCrary played Eddie Winslow, the handsome, eldest brother to Laura and Judy and cousin to Richie. Jaleel said before breaking down. One year later, he landed the role of Carl Winslow, another police officer, in the beloved ABC series Family Matters. Tragedy struck in 2020 after her body was found in the river after disappearing during a boat trip. "Monsters" then took advantage of this power vacuum and began their hunt.Now the races that supposedly made war against the world have become peacefulmostly. Jaleel White played Steve Urkel, the Belvedere." She was 90 years old at the time, and she left behind an impressive body of work in television, film, music, and theater. Over the years, fans watched him grow up until the series ended in 1998. ABC/Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images. 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. Shes also working on other projects like The Regiment and South Beacon Hill. But aside from acting, shes also a producer, an author and a certified nutritionist who co-owns the health and beauty company Keeping It All Natural. She is also famous for her roles as Justine Phillips on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show 1988 to 1990. Miller died on April 5, 2020, from complications related to heart disease. The show, centered around a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, was a spin-off of. The golden age of sitcoms produced many hilarious shows, but Family Matters stands out from the pack for a couple of reasons. Jaleel recently appeared on the show,Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry. In the season 2 episode, "Flash Pants," Mekka plays Charlie, a transfer who competes against Carl in a dance contest. Naya Rivera was introduced to acting as a child star after she got a role in the sitcom show Family Matters. This material may not be reproduced without permission. White, an only child, is survived by "cousins, aunts, uncles, and wonderful friends," Bickley said. 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. A still shocked Jaleel wrestled with the information, before finally accepting it. Lenoir died in 2002, just four years after the final season of Family Matters was aired. In both the comic and the television series, the main character attends a high school named after the actor, and the character itself is named after his previous role of Carl Winslow from Family Matters. 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." In July 24, 2012,Sherman Hemsley died of a lung mass. However, as Variety noted, Jenner, passed away in 2016 at the age of 75 following a long battle with leukemia. "Come on, man. [1] His father left the family, which included Reginald's brother Barry,[2] when Johnson was 13 years old.