and "Whoa, mama." Her birthday is September 23, 1968,"Jaleel revealed. Two years later, on November 25, 2016, Glass died of respiratory failure. 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. 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). Al Powell in the 1988 film Die Hard. [5][8][10] Since the end of Family Matters, VelJohnson has done mostly voice and guest star work. A genuinely good guy and purveyor of cheer whenever things got cheerless.". She married former U.S. army reservist Hannibal Jackson that same year, and together they welcomed a daughter, Hannah, in 2010 and a son, John, in 2012. In the season 2 episode, "Flash Pants," Mekka plays Charlie, a transfer who competes against Carl in a dance contest. May Michelle Thomas continue to rest peacefully. 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. 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 over and got the girl of his dreams. Jaleel recently appeared on the show,Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry. Beyond TV, Williams appeared in Usher's 2005 crime-dramedy In The Mix and in the 2009 film Steppin: The Movie. He was able to make it big in the show with his silly antics. The Cast of 'Shameless' : Where Are They Now? 8 Famous DEAD ACTORS from FAMILY MATTERS (1989 -2021) 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. ABC/Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images. She was known for her singing voice, her eccentric hats and how driven she was to become an entrepreneur. "Family Matters" was a popular American television sitcom that aired nine seasons from 1989 to 1997. So much so that Jaleel was brought to tears. No news outlets, including the Associated Press, the purported source of the article, published accounts about Jaleel White's death. 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. 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). VelJohnson is known for playing police officers in films and on television. After guest spots in shows like "Sanford and Son" and "Good Times," he landed his breakout role as Detective Harris in "Barney Miller." Barry Jenner was a recurring character in the sitcom show Family Matters. The Captain wasn't the most popular character, presumably because of his tendency to cheat at golf and make life difficult for Carl. Where is Kellie Shanygne Williams Now? Watch the shocking reveal in the clip above! When Ellyria's father died, he left the family spell book hidden. Family Matters Star Will Only Do a Revival if Judy Winslow Returns stuck around for 38 episodes but in 1998, she took a break from Hollywood 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 Actors You May Not Know Passed Away - Looper Dark Secrets The Cast Of Family Matters Tried To Hide - NickiSwift Kellie shaygne Williams also died. 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!" (per Today), White broke down in tears as he fondly remembered Thomas, who passed away in 1998 at the young age of 30. 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. To Be or Not to Be (Part 1) To Be or Not to Be (Part 2) We're Going to Disney World (Part 1) Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald Johnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. Emmy-nominated actor Fred Willard was a prolific actor whose career spanned more than fifty years. Naya Rivera was introduced to acting as a child star after she got a role in the sitcom show Family Matters. Natalie Desselle-Reid Dead: 'Madea' Actor was 53 - Variety She appeared in the show as Gwendolyn and was popularly known as the young child who asked Urkel for love advice. Of course, Thomas was much nicer than her on-screen persona. She is also famous for her roles as Justine Phillips on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show 1988 to 1990. He also portrayed a member of the LAPD in the Arnold Schwarzenegger action film "Commando." 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. 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. "We have all lost a dear, dear brother," said Reginald VelJohnson, who played Carl Winslow. Of course, most Family Matters fans remember Steve Urkels fascination with Laura Winslow and how his special bond with the Winslow family was one of the most memorable dynamics of the show. She spent her remaining years dealing with health-related complications caused by diabetes. [12] The following year, he appeared as the "Sgt. "Come on, man. [8] VelJohnson again portrayed Sgt. 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.. "I didn't realize I was going to see . Michelle Thomas, the late actress who played Myra on Family Matters with a rare stomach cancer in 1997 and died in 1998 at . 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. In 2017, VelJohnson took part in a "Family Matters" reunion alongside the rest of the cast. The show, centered around a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, was a spin-off of. Landers passed away on March 12, 2015, at the age of 62 from cancer. 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. Kellie Shanygne Williams made her name playing Laura Winslow, the seemingly perfect know-it-all daughter of Carl and Harriette on Family Matters. Chicago Sun-Times. In his latest work, the former child star starred as Connor on the drama series Monogamy, which aired its third season in 2021. He died back in 2007 due to respiratory failure at the age of 85. After leaving the series, Foxworth grew up struggling with mental health and controlled substance issues. In the years after, he provided the voices for Jazz in the original Transformers movie and Tarix in. 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. Natalie Desselle Reid, star of 1997 film 'B.A.P.S.,' dead at 53 According to CNN, Rivera had gone out on a rented boat with her then-four-year-old son. Jaleel White played Steve Urkel, the Speaking to PEOPLE, White explained that he wanted to be known as "a versatile actor.". Quick Facts Also Known As: Michelle Doris Thomas Died At Age: 30 Family: father: Dennis D.T. "You got to be messing with me, dog. White has continued to guest star on a variety of television shows like Trial and Error and Fresh Off the Boat. In 2019, he reprised his role of Steve Urkel on the TV series, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? He also appeared on the The Big Show Show in 2020 and the Disney Channel series Ravens Home. He has a daughter named Samaya White, who he had with ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy. The sitcom show was created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. What The Cast Of Family Matters Is Up To These Days - MSN Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald Johnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. Jaleel sincerely misses Michelle Thomas,which is evident in his emotional video, check it out below. 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?" Aside from his voice work, McCrary appeared in films like 15 Minutes, which starred Robert De Niro, in 2001, and Saw IV. Authorities state that upon entering the home they discovered a young African-American male with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. 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. joke. 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 . placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', 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?" Menteer passed away on January 18, 2016, at the age of 72. 'In Living Color' Cast: Where Are They Now? One of the cornerstones of ABC's TGIF lineup, Family Matters ran from 1989-1997 and spawned at least one of the '90s most indelible catchphrases. 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. From 1986 to 1993, the sitcom chronicled the hilarious misadventures of the Winslow family and Urkel, capturing the hearts of viewers in the process. To this day, her death is still unbelievable to lots of fans, and apparently, it still hits home for Jaleel White. She has been away from the entertainment world since 2011, and many have wondered where she is now. Im looking at what looks like E and then L-L-E is the only way to describe it, Tylershared. Bryton James, Richie Crawford. Neighbor and friend, Bradley Spencer alerted police after hearing what he described as "a loud bang" coming from White's Los Angeles apartment. Point is! She then went on to appear as a regular cast member on Half & Half and Are We There Yet? 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!'. Townsend has remained active in Hollywood since moving on from Family Matters. She appeared as Candace in the TV series Stuck With You in 2020. In 2017, he played Darryl on the CBS sitcom Me, Myself & I alongside Bobby Moynihan. Thenthe 21-year-old psychic claimed that he didnt even know who Jaleel White a.k.a. Kellie Shanygne Williams made her name playing Laura Winslow, the seemingly perfect know-it-all daughter of Carl and Harriette on Family Matters. With the exception of The Golden Girls, grandparents are never the main stars of sitcoms. Jaimee Foxworth played Judy Winslow, Carl and Harriettes youngest daughter. 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. Rivera even successfully navigated her way from child actor to adult, most of those years spent on "The Bernie Mac Show" from 2002 to 2006. Image Via Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. May 13 2020, Updated 10:30 p.m. She was 78 years old at the time, but she had no interest in letting her career wind down. 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 Dennis died in April 2009 in Shadow Hills Los Angeles. McCrary was married to She Ball actress Tammy Brawner. Thomas brought the aspect of jealousy and made the sitcom more interesting. She also got a role in the sitcoms show Young And Restless as Callie Rogers and as Justine Phillips in The Cosby Show. Michelle Thomas' first role on television was on the hit TV series "The Cosby Show," where she played Theo's girlfriend, Justine. She had a lot of friends in the music industry." 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. Bryton McClure was only 4 years old when he started playing Richie Crawford on Family Matters' second season. She underwent surgery to remove a tumor in 1998 and returned home to her family to recover. 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. Over the years, fans watched him grow up until the series ended in 1998. 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. 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. Darius McCrary played Eddie, the eldest Winslow child, on all five seasons of Family Matters. "Family Matters" was a popular American television sitcom that aired nine seasons from 1989 to 1997. Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 23 . He later reprised his role as David Sutton on Disney's Turner & Hooch. Mekka continued getting roles in TV and movies, including small ones in 1992's "A League of Their Own" and 2006's "Dreamgirls." (She also played the girlfriend of Malcolm . As a youngster, Rivera was known for her confident performances and upbeat charisma. That said, the TGIF alumnus does have a sizable number of acting credits since his Family Matters days. After playing the Winslow family matriarch, Harriette, on Family Matters, Jo Marie Payton continued her television career with recurring and lead roles on several other primetime shows. [8] VelJohnson played alongside Tom Hanks, as Det. It has nine seasons with a total of 215 episodes. Jaleel White Death Hoax | Snopes.com 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."