If ’90s family sitcoms taught us anything, it’s that nerdy neighbors like Steve Urkel actually stood a chance with the beautiful girl next door. For Family Matters, that girl was Kellie Shanygne William’s Laura Winslow, the very grounded and mature teen who behaved like someone beyond her years. When she wasn’t being the object of Urkel’s desires, Laura kept her family together, anchoring the chaos that often occurred.
Yet Kellie Shanygne Williams’ life wasn’t always that way. Born in Washington, D.C., she grew up as a shy and quite young girl. Her parents signed her up for a theatre program in order to remedy that. And it worked.
By the age of 13, Williams found herself at the center of the Family Matters family in 1989.
Behind the scenes, she and Jaleel White (who played Urkel) weren’t at each other’s throats. Instead, they shared private school tutors, had lunch together every dya and built a solid and very real friendship. “People don’t understand how talented… the amount of work, the dedication, the level of detail that he did on that character was insane,” she said years later, praising his performance.
When the show eventually wrapped in 1997, many years later, Williams graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychology. She also took on different roles in Moesha, The Parkers, and What About Joan. And while the characters weren’t as popular as Laura Winslow, they kept her busy for years to come. In fact, her IMDB page shows that she’s done at least one movie or TV show since Family Matters ended.
In 2007, she met her husband, Hannibal Jackson. Two years later, they married. Today, they have two kids. And Williams actually slowed down for a bit to take care of them.
She was also very active in her community. Launching the Kellie Williams Program in 2007, she works with young people, training them for film and television work.
Kellie Shanygne Williams turned 50 two days ago, on 22 March. On social media, she posted, “Feeling so blessed today. Thank you all for the incredible love, messages, and support on my 50th birthday. My heart is truly full.”
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