She was only 33 years old. She appeared in the show as Gwendolyn and was popularly known as the young child who asked Urkel for love advice. Landers continued to act, including a recurring role on "Days of Our Lives," until 2010, appearing last on "Law and Order." 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. 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 . Al Powell in the 1988 film Die Hard. All we know is we have no record of prayers being answered. 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. 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. Dennis died in April 2009 in Shadow Hills Los Angeles. One year later, he landed the role of Carl Winslow, another police officer, in the beloved ABC series Family Matters. 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. But many "Family Matters" have not stayed on the small screen and others have sadly passed on. In 1992, Carry appeared in an episode of "Family Matters" in which played Harriet's tall, handsome piano teacher that Carl thinks twice about leaving her alone with. Lenoir was a broadway star working as an actress, producer and even casting agent. On stage, the young actress starred in . From 1986. Per The New York Times, this is when her illness, a rare form of stomach cancer, seemed to take a foothold, and Thomas had to take a medical leave from filming. 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. 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 Stars of That '70s Show: Where Are They Now? 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. Following a childhood rickets diagnosis that put her in leg braces for some time, LeNoire took up dance and musical theater. target_type: 'mix' He was later found asleep in the boat and had reported to authorities that he and his mother had gone swimming but instead of getting in the boat she slipped under the water. The sitcom show was created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. [12] The following year, he appeared as the "Sgt. 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. Dennis was a Screen Actors Guild and Drama Logo award-winning English actor. To make matters worse, her mother fell into a drug habit, leaving the teenager to handle the household finances alone. 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. Poston was a jack of all talents. The actress, a former child model, remained a fixture on TV post . Powell in the GameCube video game title, Die Hard: Vendetta, in 2002. 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. Come on, man. 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. VelJohnson is known for playing police officers in films and on television. 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 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. The character's obsession with Urkel along with her jealousy toward Laura made her polarizing among fans and created some entertaining moments. The actor is set to do it again in Cartoon Network's 2023 TV film Did I Do That to the Holidays? Barry played Carl's buffoonish boss, Lieutenant Lou Murtaugh. 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!" ", 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.". over and got the girl of his dreams. Eddie dreamt of being a basketball star but had horrible grades all throughout high school. "I didn't realize I was going to see . 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. 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." Jaleel explained. But Jaleel wouldnt give in. 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. The cast of "Laverne & Shirley is seen above in a publicity photo. 9 June 2002 (p. 11). "Everyone adored him," she said. Actress Kellie Williams Laura Winslow on the series described White as a consummate professional actor. The network TV landscape of the 1980s and the 1990s was all about family-oriented sitcoms, with the occasional exception such as Married with Children, which was about a family but courted controversy with its more risque episodes. 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. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', Johnson died in Los Angeles at the age of 78. Watch the shocking reveal in the clip above! After "Good Times," he continued his sweep through television roles, including a stint as a voice on the "Alvin & the Chipmunks," animated series. Murtaugh was a recurring character in Family Matters between 1990 and 1992, and he was able to make a big impact with his silly antics. Jaleel sincerely misses Michelle Thomas,which is evident in his emotional video, check it out below. Menteer passed away on January 18, 2016, at the age of 72. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Now: Since 2004, James has played Devon . 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 Unfortunately, Payton left the series halfway through the final season, and actress Judyann Elder took over the role. 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. It remains one of the second longest running series in the history of television after the Jeffersons and it revolved around African American characters. Sherman Hemsley is probably one of the funniest actors in the sitcoms. Its been over 30 years since the ABC sitcom Family Matters first aired. Thomas died Tuesday in Manhattan, according to her publicist, Kahdijah Bell. Naya Rivera was introduced to acting as a child star after she got a role in the sitcom show Family Matters. In a 2014 Boston Globeinterview, Mekka mused, "I got to do a great jitterbug number with Madonna in 'A League of Their Own.'" In 1952 comedian and actor Reginal VelJohnson was born! In the season 2 episode, "Flash Pants," Mekka plays Charlie, a transfer who competes against Carl in a dance contest. She was also awarded the national medal of arts. 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. 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. Born Jaleel Ahmad White, he began his career at the age of three acting in television commercials, before landing guest spots on shows such as "The Jeffersons" and "Mr. ", Emmy-nominated actor Ron Glass was a staple of American television starting in 1973 with his first role on "All in the Family." Over the years, fans watched him grow up until the series ended in 1998. We loved him so very much.". Come on, man. 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. At the time of this writing, no further details are available regarding Brown's death. Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald Johnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. Carl Winslow - Family Matters. 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 Eric McClure. 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. 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. His daughter, Hope Mulbarger, toldPeopleof her father, "He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. The cause of death at the time had been ruled acute drug intoxication and other conditions. But Jaleel wasn't biting just yet. 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. He was 74. 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. Before she was on Family Matters, Johnson was on another sitcom called Punky Brewster where she played Punkys best friend, Cherie. Of course, most Family Matters fans remember "Steve Urkel's" fascination with "Laura Winslow" and how his special bond with the 'Winslow family' was one of the most memorable dynamics of the show. Family Matters attracted a lot of cast members but this article will feature some of the cast members who died in real life. 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. She was my old co-star from Family Matters and she died from stomach cancer quickly. Willard also portrayed Vice Principal Mallet on "Family Matters" from 1994 to 1996, appearing in three episodes. Her most notable role on television was that of Santana Lopez on the musical comedy series "Glee." 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. He was also a contestant on season 14 of Dancing with the Stars, placing 8th. Emmy-nominated actor Fred Willard was a prolific actor whose career spanned more than fifty years. The show, centered around a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, was a spin-off of. On December 22, 1998, Thomas died in New York City from desmoplastic small round cell tumor. 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). "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. As a child, she appeared in three sitcoms shows and this earned her a spot in the screens. [5][6] Early in his acting career, he changed his name from Reginald Johnson (his birth name) to Reginald VelJohnson. While California is famed for its laid-back attitude toward a great many things, said easygoing philosophy does not extend to its hospitals admitting the dead for treatment. White revisited Urkel after all in 2019, when he voiced him in the cartoon Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Hemsley made the sitcom show family memorable when he got a chance as a guest cast and Carl's obnoxious boss, Captain Marion Savage. Per The Guardian, Rosetta LeNoire was born in Hell's Kitchen, New York, in 1911. 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. In 1998, Michelle passed away shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Kellie shaygne Williams also died. 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.