She was just 30 years old. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. The sitcom starred Reginald Vel Johnson (Carl Winslow), Jo Marie Payton (Harriet Winslow), Darius McCray (Eddie. [13] He played air traffic controller Bob Abbot in the 2012 film Air Collision. The Cast of 'Shameless' : Where Are They Now? 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. Gone way too soon, but never forgotten. He went on to form his own production company and eventually signed a deal with Warner Bros. TV predecessor Lorimar Television. Thomas joined the cast team later in the fourth season and appeared in several seasons as Steve Urkel's lover Myra Monkhouse. White was pronounced dead on arrival after. Speaking to PEOPLE, White explained that he wanted to be known as "a versatile actor.". Her character was witty, sassy, smart and pretty powerful, much like her mother, Harriette. 15 Reginald VelJohnson Reginald VelJohnson 's acting career has really come full circle. Darius McCrary played Eddie Winslow, the handsome, eldest brother to Laura and Judy and cousin to Richie. "Jaleel was an uncommonly good man, an exceptional role model and a great comedic actor," said William Bickley, who created the series, and Thomas L. Miller, one of the executive producers, in a joint statement. Singer and actor Johnny Brown had a megawatt smile that was perfect for stage and television. While her private life remains pretty much private, Hopkins has kept pretty busy over the years. [3] Johnson attended Benjamin N. Cardozo High School . The death is being investigated as a suicide. with a rare stomach cancer in 1997 and died in 1998 at . Per USA Today, years later it was discovered he suffered from CTE, a brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas. "Family Matters" was a popular American television sitcom that aired nine seasons from 1989 to 1997. "Who is that?" Per The Guardian, Rosetta LeNoire was born in Hell's Kitchen, New York, in 1911. He starred on the show until it ended in 1998. Unfortunately, Payton left the series halfway through the final season, and actress Judyann Elder took over the role. Family Matters is an American television sitcom that originated on ABC from September 1989 to 1997 and later was moved to CBS from 1998. Family Matters was a popular sitcom of the 90's and was a key part of ABC's TGIF lineup. Kellie Williams - Carl Winslow's smart-aleck daughter and object of Steve Urkel's affections was portrayed by Kellie Williams. Carmine Ragusa was the bright-faced, dancing, on-again-off-again boyfriend of Shirley Feeney. Thomas would eventually end up as the real life girlfriend of the actor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo. 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. Before Family Matters, Telma Hopkins was best known as a member of the '70s pop music group Tony Orlando and Dawn. His early career included a brief appearance in Ghostbusters (1984) as a municipal corrections officer, and an appearance in Crocodile Dundee (1986) as a limo driver. She was my old co-star fromFamily Mattersand she died from stomach cancer quickly. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. But many "Family Matters" have not stayed on the small screen and others have sadly passed on. 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. He was more interested in cars, dating girls and pulling silly pranks. 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. Between 1994 and 1995, Landers appeared as Larry Pinkerton in 18 episodes of "The George Carlin Show." From Frank and Marie in Everybody Loves Raymond to Albert in The Goldbergs, the old-timers can always be relied on to share their wisdom with their younger counterparts. 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." "She was my old co-star from Family Matters and she died of stomach cancer quickly, White said. What was touching was not so much that Henry supposedly cosmically connected with Michelle in the afterlife, it was because of the evident connection and pain Jaleel still feels to this day, after losing his beautiful friend/co-worker, Michelle Thomas. A genuinely good guy and purveyor of cheer whenever things got cheerless.". He was 74. Come on, man. He was 29 years old. ABC/Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images. Menteer passed away on January 18, 2016, at the age of 72. Steve was a complete misfit, but he was hilarious, endearing, and a complete fixture as part of the cast of 'Family Matters.' In fact, the character's entrance onto the show saved it from being canceled. Barry Jenner was a recurring character in the sitcom show Family Matters. But most will probably agree that his relationship with the beautiful Myra Monkhouse portrayed by actress, Michelle Thomas -was just as special. His final TV spot was "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" in 2014. That adorably sweet smile and natural acting ability garnered her more roles on shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "Baywatch.". "September birthday, sudden passing, E-L-L-ENo Google?". 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. On May 15, 2020, Willard died of natural causes at the age of 86. 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. Darius McCrary played Eddie, the eldest Winslow child, on all five seasons of Family Matters. May Michelle Thomas continue to rest peacefully. According to theLos Angeles Times article, LeNoire said in 1992, "I tell people I'm against retirement, I'm for God, I believe in goodness and also luck." Payton also lent her voice to The Proud Family Movie, and she can be heard as Suga Mama in the show's 2023 Disney+ revival. His most notable on screen part was in the Bruce Willis blockbuster film "Die Hard," in which he played Captain Mitchell, an officer on scene who directs the SWAT team during the hostage situation. This is crazy. By Variety. It gives me joy that you don't know who I am." "I didn't realize I was going to see . Jaimee Foxworth played Judy Winslow, Carl and Harriettes youngest daughter. Actor Matt Landers was in dozens of television shows and 20 motion pictures over his thirty-year career in show business. Although Jaleel has been out of the public eye for a while, he is alive and well. Find out the latest on Jaleel White, Jo Marie Payton, and more. LeNoire's championing of diversity in the arts ultimately led to the prestigious Rosie Award being created in her honor, forever cementing her legacy as one of the all-time greats. Following a childhood rickets diagnosis that put her in leg braces for some time, LeNoire took up dance and musical theater. In 1998, Michelle passed away shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. LeNoire passed away in 2002, four years after the final season of Family Matters originally aired. Jaleel recently appeared on the show,Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry. Im looking at what looks like E and then L-L-E is the only way to describe it, Tylershared. There were temples and churches to Gods and they suddenly closed their doors forever. Darius McCrary played Eddie, the eldest Winslow child, on all five seasons of Family Matters. As to why it was Jaleel White this time around, the answer is perhaps found in the suicide note he supposedly left behind. He also appeared in 6 "Police Academy" movies and the TV series. 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 Once the series wrapped, Williams hopped onto. If you havent seen the show,it captures moments where Henry showcases his alleged psychic capabilities. Dennis was a Screen Actors Guild and Drama Logo award-winning English actor. Family Matters premiered on September 22, 1989, and ran for nine seasons. He later said he changed the spelling "because I wanted a name people would remember."[7]. [15] He has never married and has no children. It has nine seasons with a total of 215 episodes. One year later, he landed the role of Carl Winslow, another police officer, in the beloved ABC series Family Matters. He appeared in a few episodes of the show. 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. Kelly Shangyne Williams, who played Laura in Family Matters, even described her co-star as "[the] foundation" of the series in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. September birthday, sudden passing, E-L-L-ENo Google?. 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. 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. "On the Tail of Scooby-Doo." By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. cancer-related complications. This eventually turned into a Broadway career, and sheeven founded her own theater company in 1968 called Amas. In the late '60s, he began showing up on television and in movies, and by the time the '70s rolled around, it seemed he was bitten by the comedy bug, appearing in variety shows like "Love, American Style" and sitcoms such as "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Fernwood Tonight," in which he appeared in 44 episodes as Jerry Hubbard. 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. As of 2009, VelJohnson had homes in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Los Angeles, and resided primarily in Oceanside, New York. Per theNew York Daily News, Hemsley succumbed to superior vena cava syndrome and passed away in 2012. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. However, much like her boyfriend before her, Myra was soon promoted to a recurring role and eventually became an integral part of the Family Matters ensemble. He's made. He also joined fellow Family Matters alumni Kellie Williams, Jo Marie Payton and Darius McCrary at the 2022 '90s Con event. Creators William Bickley Robert L. Boyett Thomas L. Miller Stars Reginald VelJohnson Jaleel White Kellie Shanygne Williams See production, box office & company info Watch on HBO Max You've got to be Googling this stuff before you come in here." White revisited Urkel after all in 2019, when he voiced him in the cartoon Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? 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. She appeared in all nine seasons and unlike most of the other Winslow clan, she actually liked their neighbor Steve Urkel. . It was all a send-up, though. 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. He diedon March 2, 2022, at the age of 84. In 1994 and 1997, she played Urkel's aunt, Oona Urkel, who according to Urkel is "a little odd." (She also played the girlfriend of Malcolm . Al Powell in the 1988 film Die Hard. White was pronounced dead on arrival after admission to an LA hospital early Monday morning. in 1983 and finally signed on to Family Matters for its first through fourth seasons. It seemed there was no limit to her talent, no height her star couldn't reach. Apart from Family Matters, Jenner had notable roles in Star Trek, Deep Space and many more. Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald Johnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. 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.". Jenner unfortunately passed away in 2016 at the age of 75 following a long battle with leukemia. Bryton McClure played Richie Crawford, the son of Telma Hopkins character, Rachel. In 2018, "Family Matters" star Reginald VelJohnson told Today that Miller helped him land the role of Carl. Jaleel seemed to then believe Henry, based on what happened next: Dont worry about that part. McCrary was married to She Ball actress Tammy Brawner. In the years after, he provided the voices for Jazz in the original Transformers movie and Tarix in the animated film Bionicle: The Legend Reborn. 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. Dont let her age fool you, though. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Carl was seriously irritated by his pesky neighbor Urkel and his annoying antics. 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. She was buried on boxing day, following Muslim rights as she requested. 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. Payton got married to her third husband Leonard Downs in 2007 and she has a daughter named Chantale France from a previous relationship.