It’s been 25 years since “Family Matters” went off the air. Since then, its cast members have went on to lead differnet lives while still pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. Take a trip down memory lane and see what the actors have been up to in recent years.
“Family Matters” is an iconic sitcom that first hit television screens in the 1980s. It carried over into the next decade, with nine seasons and a total of 215 episodes, until it went off the air in 1998.
For years, fans grew attached to the “Family Matters” cast because of the show’s storyline and the characters’ relatability. While many cast members went on to have successful careers, some struggled with some personal issues through the years. Read on to see what’s happened in the lives of its cast members, 25 years since the iconic show ended.
1. Orlando Brown (Jerry Jamal “3J” Jameson)
Before Orlando Brown became a 2000s icon on the Nickelodeon show “That’s So Raven,” he was first on “Family Matters” for two years from 1996 to 1998. He played the character Jerry Jamal “3J” Jameson, the Winslows’ foster son.
Years after finding fame, the child actor had several run-ins with the law. He was arrested in Las Vegas on drug charges, as well as resisting arrest and obstructing an officer at the scene.
During the time of his arrest, the actor also had an active warrant for domestic battery. This was because of a past altercation involving his then-girlfriend and his girlfriend’s mother, which led to a previous arrest.
To make matters worse, just a couple of months later, he was arrested once more for breaking into an establishment owned by a friend of his. He was spotted trying to change the locks before police were able to find him on the roof of the building.
For years, he was in and out of trouble until finally seeming to put his life on the right path in 2020. He got into a relationship with a woman named Danielle Brown, and together they share a son named Frankie.
2. Jo Marie Payton (Harriette Winslow)
Jo Marie Payton played Harriette Winslow, the family matriarch. Thanks to her stellar performance, she landed several lead roles in other shows like “Will & Grace” and “Moesha.”
Other than a career as an actress, Payton also dove into voice acting. She played Suga Mama Proud on Disney’s “The Proud Family” for four years, before taking on the same role in “The Proud Family Movie” in 2005.
In more recent years, the actress has balanced her career and being a family woman. Payton has a beautiful daughter named France, who is her spitting image.
Her most recent credits are for 2019’s “The Beach Bum,” Disney+’s “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” which first premiered in 2022, and “Merry Little Switchmas” which premiered on the same year.
In January 2023, Payton showed her activism when she attended Miami’s MLK Day Parade as one of its grand marshals. She is proud to celebrate “peace, equality, and fairness,” which is why she gladly served as a grand marshal.
3. Darius McCrary (Eddie Winslow)
Darius McCrary played Eddie, the eldest child of the Winslows on the show. He transitioned from child actor to multi-fasceted artist when he juggled voice acting on “Transformers” and “Bionicle: The Legend Reborn,” and starring on films like “Saw IV” and “15 Minutes.”
For two years from 2009 to 2011, he was tasked to replace Shemar Moore on “The Young and the Restless.” His most recent acting credit is on “Monogamy” as the character Connor.
Although McCrary has made a name for himself through the years, he’s had some personal struggles with his ex-girlfriend, whom he recently claimed continues to “terrorize” him despite no longer being together. The actor tried to file a restraining order against the woman but failed to get one when he was a no-show at the hearing.
The move came for years after he and his ex-wife Tammy Brawner finalized their divorce. Ultimately, the actor claimed he has not been able to focus on work, as all his efforts were on trying to avoid his ex because he was fearful for his life.
4. Kellie Shanygne Williams (Laura Winslow)
Kellie Shanygne Williams’ great acting as Laura, the Winslows’ daughter, easily landed her more acting projects after the show ended. She went on to star on “What About Joan?” and transitioned to appearing on films like Usher’s “In The Mix” and “Steppin: The Movie.”
More than her career in the industry, Williams is a proud wife to a former US army reservist named Hannibal Jackson. Together, they share two children, daughter Hannah born in 2010, and son John born two years later.
In recent years, Williams reunited with some of her “Family Matters” co-stars. She starred on the Christmas movie “Carolina” in 2000, where she appeared alongside Darius McCrary, who was her on-screen brother on the sitcom.
