I mean, I know that Danielle Spencer retired from acting to become a Vet & Mabel King wanted to return to Broadway. However what about Fred Berry, Haywood Nelson and Ernest Thomas? Why no work? Especially Shirley Hemphill, she was probably the funniest of everybody and nothing!I do recall Shirley had a brief return to sitcoms as a cab driver, but that failed.

Well I think Fred Berry destroyed his career with his addictions and his ego. He developed a reputation for being difficult to work with. And in fact he was fired from What's Happening Now. As for Shirley Hemphill her sitcom "One in a Million" may not have lasted very long but she had a successful career in stand-up comedy. And Ernest Thomas has been enjoying a renaissance in his career in recent years with guest starring roles on several shows and a recurring role on "Everyone Hates Chris".

Well I think Fred Berry destroyed his career with his addictions and his ego. He developed a reputation for being difficult to work with. And in fact he was fired from What's Happening Now. As for Shirley Hemphill her sitcom "One in a Million" may not have lasted very long but she had a successful career in stand-up comedy. And Ernest Thomas has been enjoying a renaissance in his career in recent years with guest starring roles on several shows and a recurring role on "Everyone Hates Chris".
I liked him in Everybody Hates Chris. It makes me feel old though. lol

Ernest Thomas (Raj) was also on an episode of the Steve Harvey Show.

Ernest Thomas (Raj) was also on an episode of the Steve Harvey Show.
Yes he played the minister who officiated the funeral service of Regina's late husband Jordan!

yes. He was great as Mr.Othmar,The Funeral director on Everybody Hates Chris,Man,It makes ME feel old,too.:lol:

Well I think Fred Berry destroyed his career with his addictions and his ego. He developed a reputation for being difficult to work with. And in fact he was fired from What's Happening Now.

A lot of times I feel kind of sad hearing the fat jokes on What's Happening because it probably contributed to Fred getting heavier into drugs. Ernest Thomas got into drugs too.

As for the actors not getting that many other roles, there was probably some typecasting.

Fred Berry made a guest appearance on Alice in 81

And Fred Berry and Ernest Thomas was in a ep of Martin


I guess you mean permanent roles

Fred Berry made a guest appearance on Alice in 81

And Fred Berry and Ernest Thomas was in a ep of Martin


I guess you mean permanent roles


As I was reading the last response to this thread, I was thinking of the "Alice" episode that you mentioned here! I guess that this just goes to show that great minds think alike!

Ernest Thomas also had a role in Malcolm X

I think they were all blackballed (no pun intended) from Tinseltown after the series ended in '79, due to all the behind-the-scenes drama...they were never seen or heard from again until "What's Happening Now!!" debuted in the autumn of 1985.

I think they were all blackballed (no pun intended) from Tinseltown after the series ended in '79, due to all the behind-the-scenes drama...they were never seen or heard from again until "What's Happening Now!!" debuted in the autumn of 1985.


Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson was part of a short lived series in 1980 and 1981

Rob from the soda shop guest starred on the Jeffersons in 1981 or 1982

Fred Berry guest starred on Alice in 1984

Shirley Hemphill had her own series in 1980

Mabel King made tons of guest appearances from 1982 to 1984 which included the Jeffersons



Dee was the only one who wasn't in anything from 1979 to 1985

Yes he played the minister who officiated the funeral service of Regina's late husband Jordan!
He also performed the marriage services for Lovita and Cederic.

Yep, this show did not really make any careers for the cast. When you get labeled, that follows you around in Hollywood. They tried to give Shirley her own show in 1980, Mabel's going back to Broadway (her health problems apparently had started in the early 1980's) and Danielle, according to TVOne focused on her education after WH ended by finishing high school and going to college. Hence her guest appearances on WHN. Mabel did a pilot based off a movie she was in but it was not picked up.

haywood nelson was in an awful movie called evilspeak with clint howard it must be seen at least once by those who like truly bad movies

I think there was still some type casting going on back then too. But, let's not forget that Fred and Ernest sang in a group at the end of Movie Dickie Roberts Former Child Star.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y7WWJGsKVA

Haywood Nelson and Danielle Spencer went to pursue their educational endeavors after What's Happening ended. She finished high school and they both graduated from college. Haywood has worked behind the scenes on many projects as a director and other production roles whereas Danielle retired from acting (like many child stars often do) and started her vet practice. She had some health problems that plagued her as well from that tragic accident that killed her father.

Mabel King was offered to do What's Happening Now but they didn't meet her salary demands. I am sure she probably wanted more to do in the new series as well especially since everyone was grown. The dynamic worked out as Raj was married and Dee was in college. It would have been nice to see her in some holiday episodes like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or during the first season of WHN to have the issue of Roger and Dee dealing with the fact their mother was planning to remarry. It would have been a good closure to her role. They did it for the father where apparently, Roger and him had some tension that they later resolved on I think a 2nd season episode.

It would have been great to have Mabel King guest star on What's Happening Now!

It would have been great to have Mabel King guest star on What's Happening Now!

Yep, I would have loved that as well as it made sense given that everyone was grown and 'mama' really needed to be off doing something else. It would be odd for a newlywed couple to be living with Mabel so they had to get creative with it. I'm sure Mabel also wanted to be more significant in the new series something she didn't get in the original one such as being married and having a life not just being a struggling blue collar black woman.

Yep, I would have loved that as well as it made sense given that everyone was grown and 'mama' really needed to be off doing something else. It would be odd for a newlywed couple to be living with Mabel so they had to get creative with it. I'm sure Mabel also wanted to be more significant in the new series something she didn't get in the original one such as being married and having a life not just being a struggling blue collar black woman.

Her character was useless in WH situation for obvious reasons

kids and teens tuned into to watch raj and his friends not his irritable overweight mother lol


BTW: she ended up making an appearance on the Jeffersons in the 80's

There's a lot of people who star in TV shows that either don't get much work or don't get anything major when it ends.