Sudden loss: Star who defined childhood for many in ‘Family Matters’ has passed away hue01

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. 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.

Reginald VelJohnson

Reginald VelJohnson got his big break in 1988, when he played LAPD sergeant Al Powell in the action classic Die Hard. One year later, he landed the role of Carl Winslow, another police officer, in the beloved ABC series Family Matters.

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. On the big screen, he held small roles in films like Like Mike and You Again in 2002 and 2010, respectively.

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 also joined fellow Family Matters alumni Kellie Williams, Jo Marie Payton and Darius McCrary at the 2022 ’90s Con event.

Jo Marie Payton

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. In 1999, she joined Moesha‘s season 4 to play recurring character Mrs. Campbell. On Will & Grace‘s second season, Payton was Mrs. Freeman, an assistant at Will’s law firm. The actress could also be seen starring in Bounce TV’s Mann & Wife as Lorraine Mann from 2015 to 2017.

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. 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.

Darius McCrary

Darius McCrary played Eddie, the eldest Winslow child, on all five seasons of Family Matters. In the years after, he provided the voices for Jazz in the original Transformers movie and Tarix in the animated film Bionicle: The Legend Reborn. Aside from his voice work, McCrary appeared in films like 15 Minutes, which starred Robert De Niro, in 2001, and Saw IV.

In 2009, McCrary returned to TV to fill in for Shemar Moore on The Young and the Restless. He remained on the soap until 2011, then continued on the small screen in the FX sitcom Anger Management. In his latest work, the former child star starred as Connor on the drama series Monogamy, which aired its third season in 2021.

Kellie Shanygne Williams

Kellie Shanygne Williams made her name playing Laura Winslow, the seemingly perfect know-it-all daughter of Carl and Harriette on Family Matters. 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.

Beyond TV, Williams appeared in Usher’s 2005 crime-dramedy In The Mix and in the 2009 film Steppin: The Movie. 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.

Jaleel White

Jaleel White played the Winslows’ obnoxious, ever-present neighbor Steve Urkel for all nine seasons of Family Matters. 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.

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. Speaking to PEOPLE, White explained that he wanted to be known as “a versatile actor.”

That said, the TGIF alumnus does have a sizable number of acting credits since his Family Matters days. He went on to star in UPN’s sitcom Grown Ups and hosted the Syfy competition show Total Blackout from 2013 to 2014. In 2017, he played Darryl on the CBS sitcom Me, Myself & I alongside Bobby Moynihan. 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. He was also a contestant on season 14 of Dancing with the Stars, placing 8th.

White revisited Urkel after all in 2019, when he voiced him in the cartoon Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? The actor is set to do it again in Cartoon Network’s 2023 TV film Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story. (White is also listed as the movie’s producer.)

Telma Hopkins

Before Family Matters, Telma Hopkins was best known as a member of the ’70s pop music group Tony Orlando and Dawn. She broke into the world of sitcoms with the early ’80s series Bosom Buddies, continued on with Gimme A Break! in 1983 and finally signed on to Family Matters for its first through fourth seasons.

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). She then went on to appear as a regular cast member on Half & Half and Are We There Yet?

Hopkins made her name in film before she signed onto Family Matters. She’d previously starred in movies like the sci-fi feature Trancers and its sequels, Trancers II and Trancers III. After her TGIF run, she played Lillian Roanoke in Mike Myers’ 2008 film The Love Guru, and most recently she acted as Freya in 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections.

Bryton McClure

Bryton McClure was only 4 years old when he started playing Richie Crawford on Family Matters‘ second season. He replaced twin actors Joseph and Julius Wright, who alternated in the infant role during the show’s first year.

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. The former TGIF star has garnered widespread acclaim for his performance on the show: he’s a two-time Emmy winner and a two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award.

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.

Shawn Harrison

Shawn Harrison followed his role as Eddie Winslow’s friend Waldo on Family Matters with appearances on shows INCLUDING Moesha and Girlfriends. From 2006 to 2008, he voiced Timber Wolf in Warner Brothers’ animated adaptation of DC Comics’ Legion of Super Heroes. Most recently, Harrison made a cameo on fellow TGIF alumna Raven-Symoné’s show Raven’s Home for two episodes in 2022.