Many curious fans have been wondering about the whereabouts of the What's Happening cast after the show's cancellation. The ABC sitcom series ran from 5th August 1976 to 28th April 1979, detailing the lives of three working-class African-American teenagers living in Watts, Los Angeles.
What's Happening graced the airwaves on ABC 45 years ago. The show's success led to a remake of the sequel What's Happening Now, which features much of the original cast as young adults. So where is the What’s Happening cast now, and what are they currently up to?
What's Happening cast now
The cast of the ABC sitcom show went on to become full-on movie stars while others sadly lost their lives to some dreaded illnesses. However, much of the What's Happening cast is still around, and here's what they've been up to.
1. (Rojer Raj) Ernest Lee Thomas
Ernest Lee Thomas was born on 26th March 1949 in Indiana Gary, US and became a high-profile TV star after he departed from What's Happening. He landed acting roles in films such as A Piece of the Action, The Brady Bunch Hour, Baretta, and Roots.
Moreover, after a six-year hiatus, he returned to the What's Happening Now sequel and remastered his role. The films opened more doors for him, helping him make appearances in The Steve Harvey Show, Malcolm X, Everybody Hates Chris, and In the Heat of the Night.
2. (Dwayne Nelson) Haywood Nelson
Haywood Nelson was the youngest trio of the What's Happening cast and was born on 25th March 1960 in New York, US. He had previously appeared in shows If You Give a Dance, Sanford and Son, and This Property is Condemned.
Where is Dwayne from what's happening now? He went on to make a career for himself after the show's cancellation, featuring in the show's sequel What's Happening Now and The White Shadow.
3. (Rerun Stubbs)Frederick Berry
Frederick Allen Berry was born on 19th March 1951 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. He was often touted as the clown of the What's Happening cast, earning him the nickname Rerun on the show.
He kept a low profile after the cancellation of the ABC show, but he returned to feature on the What's Happening Now sequel. He was eventually fired after requesting a pay rise that was subsequently higher than his co-stars.
Stubbs allegedly struggled with drug and substance abuse that greatly impacted his overall health. He was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment in 2003, and his apparent cause of death was due to natural causes.
4. (Dee Thomas) Danielle Spencer
Danielle Spenser was born on 24th June 1965 in North Trenton, New Jersey, and was renowned for her role on What's Happening. She played the role of Dee Thomas, the rude little girl who had an affinity love for money, and she would even resort to blackmail to cash in.
After she left What's Happening, she was involved in a car accident that killed her father and left her in a coma. Danielle was in a vegetative state for over a month, but she luckily recovered and went on to study veterinary medicine, graduating in 1996.
Danielle also became an author detailing her acting life as a child but has remained out of the limelight.
5. (Mabel King) Mabel Thomas
Mabel Thomas was born on 25th December 1932 in Charleston, South Carolina. She played the role of Mama as the mother to the characters Raj and Dee, who were portrayed as the voice of reason in What's Happening.
So why did Mabel leave What's happening? Mabel left What's Happening following a disagreement with the show's producers over the role her character was evolving to become.
After she quit What's Happening, she went on to work on The Jeffersons, Scrooged and Dead Men Don't Die. Mabel was a single mum who was divorced and worked hard to provide for her children.
She contracted diabetes, which resulted in the amputation of her feet and one arm. Unfortunately, the disease had infected most of her body, and she lost the fight, succumbing in 1999 at age 66.
6. (Shirley) Shirley Hemphill
Shirley Hemphill was born on 1st July 1947 in Asheville, North Carolina, US. She played the role of a waitress at Rob's place on What's Happening. Aside from appearing in Martin after ABC's show cancellation, the waitress went on to land her sitcom, One In a Million.
The actress is the second cast member who passed away from What's Happening. She was aged 52. She was found dead in her home after suffering from kidney failure on 10th December 1999.
7. Eric Monte
Eric Monte is the producer of What's Happening. He was born on 25th December 1943 in Chicago, Illinois. Eric is the creative brainchild behind What's Happening, its sequel, What's Happening Now, and another subsequent film, the Good Times.
As the producer of What's Happening, he auditioned and assembled the show's casting crew. However, in 1977, he filed a lawsuit against CBS and Tandem Productions for alleged copyright and intellectual theft.
Monte allegedly received a $1 million compensation and rights to some residuals from Good Times. The lawsuits had financial implications as he could not acquire new pitches for script writing.
Eric Monte fell on hard times and filed for bankruptcy in 2003 after developing alcohol and substance abuse that left him addicted. Although he published a book, BluePrint for Peace, copy sales didn't pick up, and he currently resides in a home shelter in Portland, Oregon.
8. Anne-Marie Johnson
Annie Marie Johnson was born on 18th July 1980 in Los Angeles, California, and appeared on the sitcom show for 66 episodes.
After the What's Happening cancellation, Anne was featured on That's So Raven, In the Heat of the Night, and In Living Color. Aside from the shows, she also got regular roles in Melrose Place, JAG, Girlfriends, and The InBetween.
9. (Diane Harris) Debbi Morgan
Debbi Morgan was born on 20th September 1951 in Dunn, North Carolina, and was featured on the ABC sitcom as a recurring cast member from 1976 to 1977. After the cancellation of the sitcom show, she went on to launch a successful acting career and is still active to date.
Some of the films Debbie featured include All My Children, Loving, Generations, Roots: The Next Generations, and The City. In 1989, she became the first African American to win the Daytime Emmy Award for Oustanding Support Actress in a Drama series.
10. (Rob) Earl Billings
Earl Billings was born on 4th July 1945 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. He is best renowned as Rob in ABC's television series What's Happening.
He also appeared in the popular Aflac advertisement and posted What's Happening. Earl also appeared in the shows Antwone Fisher, American Splendor, The Incredible Hulk, Something New, and Miss Guided, among others.
Why was What's Happening cancelled?
ABC, the network that aired What's Happening, opted not to renew the series for a fourth season. The decision came after ABC and the cast crew failed to negotiate a pay raise for the team and renew the license agreement despite its consistently good ratings.
Final word
ABC's What's Happening concluded on 26 March 1988 after three seasons and 66 episodes. Most of the What's Happening cast featured in its sequel, What Happening Now, and went on to work on various projects both in TV and films, although some are also deceased.
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