Family Matters was a popular sitcom of the 90's and was a key part of ABC's TGIF lineup. 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 . Just a few short years later, she was cast in Season 4 of "Family Matters" as Myra, who for some reason, sees Urkel as the man of her dreams. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. His character was described as totally dim-witted, and he often annoyed Steve Urkel by saying the silliest things. In an interview with E! Jo Marie Payton played the family's matriarch, Harriette Winslow. But many "Family Matters" have not stayed on the small screen and others have sadly passed on. One year later, he landed the role of Carl Winslow, another police officer, in the beloved ABC series 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 . (She also played the girlfriend of Malcolm . Desselle-Reid's manager, Dolores Robinson, confirmed . The Cast of 'Shameless' : Where Are They Now? Thomas mother: Phynjuar Thomas Actresses American Women Height: 5'0" (152 cm ), 5'0" Females Died on: December 22, 1998 place of death: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York City: Boston Cause of Death: Cancer She spent her remaining years dealing with health-related complications caused by diabetes. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. 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. 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. As iconic character actor Julius Carry recalled to the Chicago Tribune in 1990, he got into show business as a teen when he joined a touring play group called the Spartan Players. In 1975, Mekka received a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance in "The Lieutenant." And now, she is set to reprise her role again in the upcoming Punky Brewster" sequel series. As to why it was Jaleel White this time around, the answer is perhaps found in the suicide note he supposedly left behind. Family Matters - Full Cast & Crew 51 Metascore 1989 -2021 9 Seasons CBS Family, Comedy TVG Watchlist Where to Watch A suburban Chicago family is pestered by nerdy, nosy neighbor Steve Urkel. Two years later, on November 25, 2016, Glass died of respiratory failure. 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. She underwent surgery to remove a tumor in 1998 and returned home to her family to recover. Michelle Thomas was a late arrival to Family Matters, debuting in the fourth season as Myra Monkhouse, Steve Urkel's love interest. 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. Family Matters Actors You May Not Know Passed Away. In July 24, 2012,Sherman Hemsley died of a lung mass. NFL defensive end Bubba Smith was born in 1945 in Texas. Landers' next time on "Family Matters" was in 1997, and he played a pirate named Flint when Urkel and Carl went back in time. 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). In 2017, VelJohnson took part in a "Family Matters" reunion alongside the rest of the cast. 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. Speaking to PEOPLE, White explained that he wanted to be known as "a versatile actor.". The cast of "Laverne & Shirley is seen above in a publicity photo. Thomas died December 22 in Manhattan,. 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." Actress Kellie Williams Laura Winslow on the series described White as a consummate professional actor. Walt Disney Television via Getty Jaleel White Returns as Steve Urkel in New Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Her birthday is September 23, 1968, Jaleel revealed. 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." Thomas brought the aspect of jealousy and made the sitcom more interesting. 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. The character's obsession with Urkel along with her jealousy toward Laura made her polarizing among fans and created some entertaining moments. Eddie Mekka, top right, died in Newhall on Nov. 27, 2021, at age 69, according to a friend's social media post. 9 June 2002 (p. 11). Kellie Williams - Carl Winslow's smart-aleck daughter and object of Steve Urkel's affections was portrayed by Kellie Williams. After the show wrapped, White stated that he never wanted to step back into Urkel's shoes again, though he later revised the claim over a decade later. Per USA Today, years later it was discovered he suffered from CTE, a brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas. ET If you were a faithful Family Matters viewer between 1989 and 1993, you may remember the character of little Judy Winslow. 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. The group talked about their experience on the show and revealed that, like the title dictated, the family did matter to them. Dennis was a Screen Actors Guild and Drama Logo award-winning English actor. 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. Jaleel explained. She broke into the world of sitcoms with the early '80s series Bosom Buddies, continued on with Gimme A Break! Throughoutthe 90s, Family Mattersdominated Friday nights on ABC. "On the Tail of Scooby-Doo." Gone way too soon, but never forgotten. 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. Stars Who Think They Have a Psychic Ability. 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. 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. teacher in Urkel's swim class. target_type: 'mix' Her last role was in Aide-de-Camp" in 2011. David Sutton, in Turner & Hooch (1989). Payton also has a busy career in voice acting: She voiced The Proud Family's Suga Mama Proud, the unpredictable grandmother of protagonist Penny Proud, on Disney Channel from 2001 through 2005. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. 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.". Bryton James, Richie Crawford. Menteer passed away on January 18, 2016, at the age of 72. Shawn Harrison played Waldo Faldo, who was Eddie Winslows best friend. Then in "Sink or Swim" in season 6, Mekka plays Mr. Nutting, the P.E. It has been over 16 years but the show still remains one of the greatest show of its time. The golden age of sitcoms produced many hilarious shows, but Family Matters stands out from the pack for a couple of reasons. 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. 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. A genuinely good guy and purveyor of cheer whenever things got cheerless.". Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! In 2021, VelJohnson voiced Principal Winslow in the animated adaptation of the comic Invincible. Davenport, Misha. The sitcom show was created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. From 1993 to 1998, she portrayed the role of Myra Monkhouse, the girlfriend of Steve Urkel, on Family Matters. She'd previously starred in movies like the sci-fi feature Trancers and its sequels, Trancers II and Trancers III. At the same time, Hemsley delivered a terrific performance that proved why he's regarded as sitcom royalty. Powell in the GameCube video game title, Die Hard: Vendetta, in 2002. That said, he also had a memorable guest role in Family Matters, playing Carl's boss, Captain Marion Savage, in a few episodes between 1994 and 1995. LeNoire passed away in 2002, four years after the final season of Family Matters originally aired. The show, centered around a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, was a spin-off of. To Be or Not to Be (Part 1) To Be or Not to Be (Part 2) We're Going to Disney World (Part 1) 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. 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. Jo Marie Payton played the familys matriarch, Harriette Winslow. 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. We loved him so very much.". 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. Jaleel said dumbfounded. She was also awarded the national medal of arts. He was more interested in cars, dating girls and pulling silly pranks. [8] VelJohnson played alongside Tom Hanks, as Det. It has nine seasons with a total of 215 episodes. Rosetta Lenoir was one of the main cast members of the comedy sitcom Family Matters. 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. 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. He starred on the show until it ended in 1998. He later reprised his role as David Sutton on Disney's Turner & Hooch. 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. September birthday, sudden passing, E-L-L-ENo Google?. 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. Carmine Ragusa was the bright-faced, dancing, on-again-off-again boyfriend of Shirley Feeney. His work ranged from Avengers to Sideways. Its been over 30 years since the ABC sitcom Family Matters first aired. Jaleel recently appeared on the show,Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry. Michelle Thomas' first role on television was on the hit TV series "The Cosby Show," where she played Theo's girlfriend, Justine. ", 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.". You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Black-Led TV Shows. This is crazy. 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. Other famed personages scuttlebutt had pushing up daisies even as they themselves continued to traverse this mortal coil include William Hung of "American Idol" fame, Subway pitchman >Jared Fogel, children's television host Steve Burns of "Blue's Clues", Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite," and even the dog from the Taco Bell commercials. She is also famous for her roles as Justine Phillips on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show 1988 to 1990. In October of that year, she underwent a second surgery to have another growth removed. His latest acting role was in the 2019 TV movie Fanatic where he played Officer Hardaway. 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." [1] His father left the family, which included Reginald's brother Barry,[2] when Johnson was 13 years old. 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. Her character was witty, sassy, smart and pretty powerful, much like her mother, Harriette. The series centered around the Winslows, a middle-class African-American family. She was buried on boxing day, following Muslim rights as she requested. Family Matters. 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. He's made. Darius McCrary played Eddie Winslow, the handsome, eldest brother to Laura and Judy and cousin to Richie. On December 22, 1998, Thomas died in New York City from desmoplastic small round cell tumor. In the season 2 episode, "Flash Pants," Mekka plays Charlie, a transfer who competes against Carl in a dance contest. Michelle Thomas dies of cancer at 29, CBS Website, Dec. 1998. She was 78 years old at the time, but she had no interest in letting her career wind down. Jaleel White, who portrayed Steve Urkel on the television sitcom "Family Matters," committed suicide in 2006. His other popular credits include St. In 2007, he appeared in the short films Reverse, Nerve Endings, and Time Upon A Once which were made during the reality show On the Lot. It was a spinoff of the popular show Perfect Strangers on which he appeared only once, though Harriette appeared as a re-occurring guest star. She has been away from the entertainment world since 2011, and many have wondered where she is now. But most will probably agree that his relationship with the beautiful Myra Monkhouse portrayed by actress, Michelle Thomas -was just as special. Unfortunately for the pair, their friendship came to an end after Murtaugh took all of the nerd's money during a poker game. That's why it must have been quite a treat when Summer showed up in not one but two episodes of "Family Matters." After leaving the series, Foxworth grew up struggling with mental health and controlled substance issues. 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. The actress, a former child model, remained a fixture on TV post . Arnold Johnson Family Matters (1989-1998) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Directed by Series Writing Credits Series Cast Series Produced by Series Music by Series Cinematography by Series Film Editing by Series Casting By Series Art Direction by Series Set Decoration by Series Makeup Department Series Production Management On stage, the young actress starred in . It is believed that Rivera drowned while saving her son's life. Willard went to two military institutes before serving in the US army and being stationed in Germany. That said, the TGIF alumnus does have a sizable number of acting credits since his Family Matters days. 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. Kellie shaygne Williams also died. On July 8, 2020, Rivera died at the age of 33. 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). 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. In 1986, he would go on to star in another series, "Amen," where he played a deacon who was also a lawyer. No news outlets, including the Associated Press, the purported source of the article, published accounts about Jaleel White's death. According to CNN, Rivera had gone out on a rented boat with her then-four-year-old son. joke. "She had a lot of friends in the music industry.". She was only 33 at the time. Mekka continued getting roles in TV and movies, including small ones in 1992's "A League of Their Own" and 2006's "Dreamgirls." Dont let her age fool you, though. While the rest of his career primarily consisted of supporting roles, he continued to act until 2011, making appearances in shows like Family Guy and Tyler Perry's House of Payne. "It's the end of an era.". Their love/hate relationship was one of the reasons that the show was such a hit. It seemed there was no limit to her talent, no height her star couldn't reach. 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. Shes reportedly filming the movies Heart of a Champion and Conundrum: Secrets Among Friends.. Dennis died in April 2009 in Shadow Hills Los Angeles. In the years after, he provided the voices for Jazz in the original Transformers movie and Tarix in. Costar Michael McKean tweeted, "A sad goodbye to Eddie Mekka this morning. Eddie dreamt of being a basketball star but had horrible grades all throughout high school.