Audiences fondly remember these characters and the actors who portrayed them. Youve got to be Googling stuff. 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?" teacher in Urkel's swim class. Dennis was a Screen Actors Guild and Drama Logo award-winning English actor. 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. tweetedGloria Estefan. Menteer passed away on January 18, 2016, at the age of 72. But during the fourth season, Judy seemingly vanished and was never mentioned by anyone again. The series centered around the Winslows, a middle-class African-American family. According to Hello Magazine, the autopsy report revealed that "accidental drowning" was the cause of death. and "Whoa, mama." "September birthday, sudden passing, E-L-L-ENo Google?". Michelle Thomas is another cast member from the show Family Matters that has passed away. To this day, her death is still unbelievable to lots of fans, and apparently, it still hits home for Jaleel White. Watch the shocking reveal in the clip above! He has also appeared in the comedy film, The Formula, starring alongside Brandon Baker and Sasha Jackson. On August 19, 2008, Carry died at 56 years old. As of 2009, VelJohnson had homes in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Los Angeles, and resided primarily in Oceanside, New York. By LawBlessing (self media writer) | 1 year ago. Tragedy struck in 2020, however, when her body was found in a river after she disappeared during a boating trip with her son, Josey. In 1999, she joined Moesha's season 4 to play recurring character Mrs. Campbell. 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. On Will & Grace's second season, Payton was Mrs. Freeman, an assistant at Will's law firm. 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 cause of death at the time had been ruled acute drug intoxication and other conditions. 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. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. 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. She has been away from the entertainment world since 2011, and many have wondered where she is now. According to CNN, Rivera had gone out on a rented boat with her then-four-year-old son. He appeared as a comic actor, game show panelist and many more. Shes appeared in the TV series Family Reunion, as Maybelle, and shes voicing a character also named Maybelle for the animated series The Casagrandes, which is a spin-off of 2016s animated show, The Loud House.. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Portrayed by Jaimee Foxworth, the precocious youngest member of the family was adorable and a great way to reel in younger viewers. Jaleel explained. target_type: 'mix' Desselle-Reid's manager, Dolores Robinson, confirmed . The show became a major staple on network television and the classic '90s "TGIF" lineup. 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. Cherie Johnson played Maxine Johnson who was Lauras best friend, but was sometimes portrayed as a bad influence as a result of her neglectful parents. Tammy Townsend played Greta McClure for 14 episodes. In 1994 and 1997, she played Urkel's aunt, Oona Urkel, who according to Urkel is "a little odd." 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. Tragedy struck in 2020 after her body was found in the river after disappearing during a boat trip. It has been over 16 years but the show still remains one of the greatest show of its time. The sitcom starred Reginald Vel Johnson (Carl Winslow), Jo Marie Payton (Harriet Winslow), Darius McCray (Eddie. 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. Per Beaumont Enterprise, when it came time for college ball, he ended up leaving his homestate for Michigan State because the University of Texas teamwas not yet integrated. Johnson was popularly known for his role in Shaft, My Demon Lover and many more. 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. Lenoir championed diversity in the arts and ultimately led the prestigious Rosie awards being created in her name. Laura Winslows heart. The Cast of Family Matters. [9] He came from New York to California to film it for nine months, which was so long that he just ended up residing in California permanently thereafter. He was also a contestant on season 14 of Dancing with the Stars, placing 8th. 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. See More, Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. 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. 9 June 2002 (p. 11). Jaleel seemed to then believe Henry, based on what happened next: Dont worry about that part. Reginald VelJohnson got his big break in 1988, when he played LAPD sergeant Al Powell in the action classic Die Hard. 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. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', Thomas died December 22 in Manhattan,. News ), Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. Once the series wrapped, Williams hopped onto. This granny was hip and street-wise and also had plenty of love and advice to offer everyone. He starred on the show until it ended in 1998. Elsewhere and JAG. Rosetta LeNoire's turn as Mother Winslow in Family Matterswas critically acclaimed, and she was central to some of the sitcom's most memorable moments during its nine-season run. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. "On the Tail of Scooby-Doo." Maxine always tried to get Laura to do the wrong thing, but she eventually stopped doing that once she and Waldo started dating. Confident, hilarious, and kick-a** fighting skills, Carry drew in audiences who couldn't help but fall in love with Sho'Nuff. Johnson died in Los Angeles at the age of 78. Hes also rumored to be dating his co-star Brytni Sarpy. The show, centered around a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, was a spin-off of the sitcom "Perfect Strangers," in which the Winslows were introduced Harriette as an elevator operator and husband Carl a police officer. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Jaleel Whitemay bebestknown for playing hilariously nerd Steve Urkel on the '90s sitcom Family Matters, but there's nothing funnyabout theshocking revelation he receives from Tyler Henry on Wednesday night's Hollywood Medium With Tyler Henry episode. Following his nine seasons on the show, VelJohnson made guest appearances on series including The Equalizer, Will & Grace, Monk, CSI, The Parkers and That's So Raven. 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. In 1975, Mekka received a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance in "The Lieutenant." After guest spots in shows like "Sanford and Son" and "Good Times," he landed his breakout role as Detective Harris in "Barney Miller." However, as Variety noted, Jenner, passed away in 2016 at the age of 75 following a long battle with leukemia. Actress Michelle Thomas, who had television roles in The Young & The Restless, The Cosby Show and Family Matters, has died of cancer at age 29. 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. Family Matters is an American television sitcom that originated on ABC from September 1989 to 1997 and later was moved to CBS from 1998. They got divorced in 2019, and have a daughter together named Zoey. A Steve Urkel Story. He was survived by his wife and two children. Naya Rivera was a child star when she appeared in Family Matters as Gwendolyn, a young child who asked Urkel, of all people, for love advice. Over the years, fans watched him grow up until the series ended in 1998. As a three-year-old in real life, it was his screen debut. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. Also found was a note, which read simply "Did I do that? Jaleel sincerely misses Michelle Thomas,which is evident in his emotional video, check it out below. Gone way too soon, but never forgotten. In October of that year, she underwent a second surgery to have another growth removed. 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. Barry Jenner was a recurring character in the sitcom show Family Matters. He remained on the soap until 2011, then continued on the small screen in the FX sitcom Anger Management. Dennis was a Screen Actors Guild and Drama Logo award-winning English actor. Im looking at what looks like E and then L-L-E is the only way to describe it, Tylershared. All rights reserved. Actress Kellie Williams Laura Winslow on the series described White as a consummate professional actor. [8] VelJohnson played alongside Tom Hanks, as Det. Per his obituary inThe Hollywood Reporter, Miller's dreams of showbiz came true when he landed his first real gig as assistant to William Self at 20th Century Fox. You've got to be Googling stuff. 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. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Before she was on Family Matters, Johnson was on another sitcom called Punky Brewster where she played Punkys best friend, Cherie. There were temples and churches to Gods and they suddenly closed their doors forever. 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. But it was his Broadway debut in "Purlie" that got him noticed by Norman Lear and led to his first TV roleas grumpy Archie Bunker's neighbor in "All in the Family," for which George Jefferson was born and inspired the spin-off, "The Jefferson's. On December 22, 1998, Thomas died in New York City from desmoplastic small round cell tumor. Find out the latest on Jaleel White, Jo Marie Payton, and more. Lenoir was a broadway star working as an actress, producer and even casting agent. He also appeared in an episode of the show, Mom in 2019. Has She Died? So much so that Jaleel was brought to tears. Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 23 . 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. Reginald VelJohnson played Carl Winslow, the familys patriarch who made a living as a cop and was always annoyed by his nerdy neighbor, Steve Urkel. He was 29 years old. Five-year-old Naya Rivera already had a series ("The Royal Family") under her belt when she was cast in "Family Matters" as Gwendolyn, a new neighbor who had a crush on Richie. Thomas moved on from Family Speaking to PEOPLE, White explained that he wanted to be known as "a versatile actor.". "Everyone adored him," she said. Kellie shaygne Williams also died. She was my old co-star from Family Matters and she died from stomach cancer quickly. On July 8, 2020, Rivera died at the age of 33. Unfortunately in 2012, Hemsley succumbed to heart complication at the age of 74. (She also played the girlfriend of Malcolm . The series ran for nine seasons and featured 215 family friendly episodes. Sherman Hemsley is probably one of the funniest actors in the sitcoms. In 1952 comedian and actor Reginal VelJohnson was born! 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. Jo Marie Payton, Now The show was filled with fond memories that most fans will probably never forget. Singer and actor Johnny Brown had a megawatt smile that was perfect for stage and television. September birthday, sudden passing, E-L-L-ENo Google?. We loved him so very much.". ", When you think of Sherman Hemsley it might just draw an image of him getting out of a cab in front of a high-rise in Manhattan, strutting toward the door, or doing some fancy footwork in his living room as he did in the famously fun opening theme of his hit sitcom "The Jeffersons.". mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', Powell in the GameCube video game title, Die Hard: Vendetta, in 2002. Willard went to two military institutes before serving in the US army and being stationed in Germany. Jaleel White, who portrayed Steve Urkel on the television sitcom "Family Matters," committed suicide in 2006. All we know is we have no record of prayers being answered. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. with a rare stomach cancer in 1997 and died in 1998 at . In the season 2 episode, "Flash Pants," Mekka plays Charlie, a transfer who competes against Carl in a dance contest. Sadly, she passed away that same year of She finished out the series with the rest of the cast and then jumped right over to a recurring role on "The Young and the Restless.". We'll talk about that part later. As to why it was Jaleel White this time around, the answer is perhaps found in the suicide note he supposedly left behind.