family matters cast that died family matters cast that died

8 Famous DEAD ACTORS from FAMILY MATTERS (1989 -2021) Tom Poston popularly known as Mr Lonely by fans of the family sitcom show Family Matters, is another actor that has passed away in real life. The actor is set to do it again in Cartoon Network's 2023 TV film Did I Do That to the Holidays? 15 Reginald VelJohnson Reginald VelJohnson 's acting career has really come full circle. Her most notable role on television was that of Santana Lopez on the musical comedy series "Glee." 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. Johnson was popularly known for his role in Shaft, My Demon Lover and many more. During the golden ages of sitcoms, many hilarious shows were produced, but Family Matters stood out for various reasons. She was just 30 years old. Sadly, she passed away that same year of 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. Michelle Thomas played Myra Monkhouse, who was introduced as a love interest for Urkel. Reginald VelJohnson got his big break in 1988, when he played LAPD sergeant Al Powell in the action classic Die Hard. Michelle Thomas (September 23, 1968 - December 22, 1998) was an American actress and comedian who portrays the role of Myra Monkhouse as Steve Urkel's (Jaleel White) girlfriend on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters from 1993 to 1998. Image Via Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. 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"). Peter Dennis is another cast member from Family Matters that has passed away in real life. We loved him so very much.". 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. Telma Hopkins played Rachel Crawford, Harriet Winslows sister and aunt to her kids, Eddie, Laura and Judy. Per NPR, he was an activist and member of the board of directors for Los Angeles' AL Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. Once the series wrapped, Williams hopped onto another ABC show, What About Joan?, to play Alice Adams, a coworker and friend of the protagonist, played by Joan Cusack. 10 Things You Didn't Know about Family Matters - TVOvermind 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' Jaleel White Sadly Breaks Down Over Deceased Co-star He was 74. tweetedGloria Estefan. 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. 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 . 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. Youve got to be Googling stuff. The Captain wasn't the most popular character, presumably because of his tendency to cheat at golf and make life difficult for Carl. 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 Has She Died? 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. Although it seemed like Urkel and Myra were two peas in a pod whod live happily ever after, sadly, life didnt pan out the way most would have expected for the beloved Michelle Thomas. She underwent surgery to remove a tumor in 1998 and returned home to her family to recover. May 13 2020, Updated 10:30 p.m. 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. She was just 30 years old. In 2010, VelJohnson started a recurring role as Principal, later Superintendent, Strickland on the Disney sitcom I'm in the Band and also Funnyordie.com's short HBO film titled Just 3 Boyz starring Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, and Zach Galifianakis. So much so that Jaleel was brought to tears. Aside from his voice work, McCrary appeared in films like 15 Minutes, which starred Robert De Niro, in 2001, and Saw IV. "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. Willard went to two military institutes before serving in the US army and being stationed in Germany. Whatever Happened to the Cast of Family Matters? - Celebrity Toob According to CNN, Rivera had gone out on a rented boat with her then-four-year-old son. Jaleel White played Steve Urkel, the 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. 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. ET If you were a faithful Family Matters viewer between 1989 and 1993, you may remember the character of little Judy Winslow. After "Barney Miller," he continued to secure role after role, including portraying an actor named Buddy Goodrich in a 1989 episode of "Family Matters." iloveoldschoolmusic.com. Still baffled, Jaleel went on to share more details about Michelle. VelJohnson voiced the character Jerry in the TV show, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia from 2018 to 2019. See the Cast of 'Family Matters' Then and Now In 1952 comedian and actor Reginal VelJohnson was born! Rumor has it that the character was removed because of budget issues. She appeared in all nine seasons and unlike most of the other Winslow clan, she actually liked their neighbor Steve Urkel. Jo Marie Payton played the familys matriarch, Harriette Winslow. Al Powell in the 1988 film Die Hard. This eventually turned into a Broadway career, and sheeven founded her own theater company in 1968 called Amas. Neighbor and friend, Bradley Spencer alerted police after hearing what he described as "a loud bang" coming from White's Los Angeles apartment. 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. She was only 33 years old. VelJohnson is known for playing police officers in films and on television. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. [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. On Will & Grace's second season, Payton was Mrs. Freeman, an assistant at Will's law firm. [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. Jaleel White Death Hoax | Snopes.com His comedic talent on shows "Modern Family" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" earned him multiple Emmy noms, and he was a fixture of Christopher Guest's mockumentary troupe. 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. Bryton McClure was only 4 years old when he started playing Richie Crawford on Family Matters' second season. 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. Barry played Carl's buffoonish boss, Lieutenant Lou Murtaugh. LOS ANGELES, California (AP) Jaleel White, who played 'nerdy' neighbor Steve Urkel on "Family Matters" found dead Monday. [15] He has never married and has no children. He remained on the soap until 2011, then continued on the small screen in the FX sitcom Anger Management. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. She eventually left Hollywood and went to work for the adult entertainment industry. She had a lot of friends in the music industry. he explained. [14] VelJohnson also voices several minor characters in the series. All rights reserved. Her birthday is September 23, 1968,"Jaleel revealed. "Family Matters" was a popular American television sitcom that aired nine seasons from 1989 to 1997. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. A child actor on "Family Matters," Darius McCrary was only 13 when he first began playing the role of Eddie Winslow, and audiences watched him grow up over the show's nine-season run. Her former boyfriend, actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, was at her side. Jaleel recently appeared on the show,Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry. As a three-year-old in real life, it was his screen debut. Bryton James, Richie Crawford. 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. Also found was a note, which read simply "Did I do that? Rosetta LeNoire played Estelle Winslow, who was Carls mother. A genuinely good guy and purveyor of cheer whenever things got cheerless.". A Steve Urkel Story. ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Jesse Grant/Getty, Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty, ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Unique Nicole/Getty, ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Rick Kern/Getty, ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Alberto Rodriguez/GA/Getty, ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; David Livingston/Getty, ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty, Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Shawn Harrison/Instagram, Jo Marie Payton Says She Will Only Do a 'Family Matters' Reboot If Judy Winslow Is Written Back In, 'Family Matters' ' Jo Marie Payton, Reginald VelJohnson Acted Like Parents Off Set: 'They Did Not Play!'. because of health issues. Come on, man. David Sutton, in Turner & Hooch (1989). Jaleel White in tears after 'Hollywood Medium' mentions deceased He was able to make it big in the show with his silly antics. Youre talking aboutMichelle Thomas. LeNoire passed away in 2002, four years after the final season of Family Matters originally aired. Black-Led TV Shows. Kellie shaygne Williams also died. Dennis died in April 2009 in Shadow Hills Los Angeles. In 2018, "Family Matters" star Reginald VelJohnson told Today that Miller helped him land the role of Carl. Where Are They Now? The Cast of "Family Matters" - Obsev He began his career back in the 1950s. }); Copyright 2015 . Laura Winslows heart. Williams married President and CEO of the IT firm Y-Tech, Hannibal Jackson in 2009. He went on to form his own production company and eventually signed a deal with Warner Bros. TV predecessor Lorimar Television. Stars Who Think They Have a Psychic Ability. Thomas brought the aspect of jealousy and made the sitcom more interesting. He appeared in a few episodes of the show. Family Matters premiered on September 22, 1989, and ran for nine seasons. But Jaleel wasn't biting just yet. So he's staying fresh and busy as ever, even at 67 years old. Dennis was a Screen Actors Guild and Drama Logo award-winning English actor. His final TV spot was "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" in 2014. 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). Television actress Michelle Thomas, 30, a co-star on the sitcom "Family Matters," died Dec. 22 after a struggle with stomach cancer. He's made. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Eddie dreamt of being a basketball star but had horrible grades all throughout high school. 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. The actress only appeared in three episodes of the sitcom, but her performances caught the eye of television executives and she subsequently landed parts in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Arsenio Hall Show, and The Young and the Restless. 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). Before she was on Family Matters, Johnson was on another sitcom called Punky Brewster where she played Punkys best friend, Cherie. In 2021, VelJohnson voiced Principal Winslow in the animated adaptation of the comic Invincible. The Stars of That '70s Show: Where Are They Now? Thomas died Tuesday in Manhattan, according to her publicist, Kahdijah Bell. 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. Her character was witty, sassy, smart and pretty powerful, much like her mother, Harriette. Actress Natalie Desselle Reid, who starred in the 1997 film "B.A.P.S." and played Janie Egins in the 2003-2006 sitcom "Eve," died Monday. We'll talk about that part later. Family Matters is an American television sitcom that originated on ABC from September 1989 to 1997 and later was moved to CBS from 1998. Kellie Shanygne Williams made her name playing Laura Winslow, the seemingly perfect know-it-all daughter of Carl and Harriette on Family Matters. 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. Brown's last role came in 2013. Family Matters was a popular sitcom of the 90's and was a key part of ABC's TGIF lineup. 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. Y&R's Thomas Dies Of Cancer At 29 - CBS News 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. Michelle Thomas was a late arrival to Family Matters, debuting in the fourth season as Myra Monkhouse, Steve Urkel's love interest. He started with the Baltimore Colts, won a Super Bowl in 1970, and played until 1976. May Michelle Thomas continue to rest peacefully. This is crazy. Carmine Ragusa was the bright-faced, dancing, on-again-off-again boyfriend of Shirley Feeney. 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. 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." Darius McCrary played Eddie, the eldest Winslow child, on all five seasons of Family Matters. Thomas joined the cast team later in the fourth season and appeared in several seasons as Steve Urkel's lover Myra Monkhouse. "This is embarrassing, I don't even recognize you," Tyler tells him. Jo Marie Payton, who played the . The cast of "Family Matters" (Warner Bros. Television) On Sept. 22, 1989, "Family Matters" debuted on ABC with the pilot "The Mama Who Came to Dinner" as What Happened to the Original Harriette on 'Family Matters'? - Distractify Eddie Mekka, Carmine on 'Laverne & Shirley,' dies at 69 Jo Marie was a main cast member since day one, having first appeared on the show in the Season 1 premiere airing on Sept. 22, 1989, titled "The Mama Who Came to Dinner." As Harriette, the family matriarch, Jo Marie played a strong character who was able to exert a positive influence on her police officer husband, Carl (Reginald VelJohnson . Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald Johnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. But most will probably agree that his relationship with the beautiful Myra Monkhouse portrayed by actress, Michelle Thomas -was just as special. In 1994 and 1997, she played Urkel's aunt, Oona Urkel, who according to Urkel is "a little odd." His work ranged from Avengers to Sideways. 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. 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. 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. September birthday, sudden passing, E-L-L-ENo Google?. She passed away in 2002. He appeared as a comic actor, game show panelist and many more. Mekka continued getting roles in TV and movies, including small ones in 1992's "A League of Their Own" and 2006's "Dreamgirls." Then in "Sink or Swim" in season 6, Mekka plays Mr. Nutting, the P.E. In 2017, VelJohnson took part in a "Family Matters" reunion alongside the rest of the cast. With the exception of The Golden Girls, grandparents are never the main stars of sitcoms. Who is that? Tyler questioned. Unfortunately, LeNoire is no longer with us. Family Matters Actors You May Not Know Passed Away - Looper 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. Emmy-nominated actor Fred Willard was a prolific actor whose career spanned more than fifty years. From 1986. 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. The death is being investigated as a suicide. In 1975, Mekka received a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance in "The Lieutenant." 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 We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. Hollywood Medium With Tyler Henry visited the home of Jaleel White where he connected with one of White's former Family Matters co-stars. Natalie Desselle-Reid Dead: 'Madea' Actor was 53 - Variety Jenner unfortunately passed away in 2016 at the age of 75 following a long battle with leukemia. _taboola.push({ On May 15, 2020, Willard died of natural causes at the age of 86. McCrary was married to She Ball actress Tammy Brawner. She is reportedly working on a short film called Absent in the Present. She also has a YouTube channel and she is available to send messages to fans on the app Cameo. Gary Menteer, a writer, director, and producer, actually started out as an actor. She was also awarded the national medal of arts. 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. Once the series wrapped, Williams hopped onto. 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 replaced twin actors Joseph and Julius Wright, who alternated in the infant role during the show's first year. 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. "It's the end of an era.". 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. 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. After leaving the series, Foxworth grew up struggling with mental health and controlled substance issues. Their mother subsequently married John Reilly. 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. He was 29 years old. Davenport, Misha. But it took more than one character to make this show a hit, and after nine seasons, America was entertained by dozens of talented actors who stepped onto the set and into the Winslows' living room. To this day, her death is still unbelievable to lots of fans, and apparently, it still hits home for Jaleel White. Actor. Menteer passed away on January 18, 2016, at the age of 72. over and got the girl of his dreams. VelJohnson had his breakthrough role[5] as Sgt. Jo Marie Payton played the family's matriarch, Harriette Winslow. It is believed that Rivera drowned while saving her son's life. Confident, hilarious, and kick-a** fighting skills, Carry drew in audiences who couldn't help but fall in love with Sho'Nuff. "Few singers have impacted music & the world like Donna Summer!" 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. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', Here's What 'Steve Urkel' Jaleel White Looks Like Now - TheThings Jaleel White Breaks Down Over Death of Family Matters Co-Star in Hollywood Medium Sneak Peek See the actor get a sad reminder of his early acting days By Vannessa Jackson Aug 07, 2017 9:30 AM. 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. At the time of this writing, no further details are available regarding Brown's death. It was UT's loss, and a big one at that:Smith became a two-time All-American in 1965 and 1966. 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. (per Today), White broke down in tears as he fondly remembered Thomas, who passed away in 1998 at the young age of 30. That's why it must have been quite a treat when Summer showed up in not one but two episodes of "Family Matters." container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', Of course, Thomas was much nicer than her on-screen persona. A year after Family Matters ended, LeNoire guest-starred as a nurse on the TV series Cosby in 1998. was the wide-eyed humorous pronouncement associated with Steve Urkel, the character's signature catchphrase. "Did I do that?" Hemsley made the sitcom show family memorable when he got a chance as a guest cast and Carl's obnoxious boss, Captain Marion Savage. In a 2014 Boston Globeinterview, Mekka mused, "I got to do a great jitterbug number with Madonna in 'A League of Their Own.'" The cast of "Laverne & Shirley is seen above in a publicity photo. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reginald_VelJohnson&oldid=1137928866, Episodes: "Face Lift" and "Gentle, Gentle", Episode: "11 Cut to 10 & 10 Directors Complete", Principal/Superintendent Cornelius Strickland, Episode: "McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial of the Century", Episode: "Audrey Hepburn and a Jalepeo Pepper", Denotes films that have not yet been released, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 03:24. 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. 9 June 2002 (p. 11). Jaleel explained. According to Hello Magazine, the autopsy report revealed that "accidental drowning" was the cause of death. Dont let her age fool you, though. 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?" LeNoire spent more than three decades on television with roles on "Another World," "Ryan's Hope," "Gimme a Break," and "Amen," before landing her spot in the cast of "Family Matters." 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. In 1998, Michelle passed away shortly after being diagnosed with cancer.