Whatever happened to Reginald VelJohnson from 'Family Matters?'

For nine years, he was one of the most recognized faces on TV. The character of Carl Winslow, who formed an unforgettable comic duo with Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), VelJohnson indisputably etched an iconic place in TV history and the hearts of laughing audiences of the 90s.

Behind the character of Carl Winslow was the actor Reginald VelJohnson. He is remembered almost universally for this role, but also for several others where he was cast as a police officer.

Aside from his role as a Chicago cop in ‘Family Matters’, VelJohnson spent the 90s playing numerous characters who also donned a police uniform.

Some may also recall his roles as Sergeant Al Powell in the first two 'Die Hard' installments (1988 and 1990), the prison officer in 'Ghostbusters' (1984), or as Gus, the limo driver in 'Crocodile Dundee.'

While he had minor roles that got his foot in the industry door, it was his performance as Carl Winslow in ‘Family Matters’ that truly launched his career. The original protagonist of the show, he later shared the spotlight and even took the backseat after the unexpected boom of Steve Urkel.

Those peak years earned him a few more roles in movies like 'Turner & Hooch' (1989) and guest appearances on other shows like 'Diagnosis Murder' or 'Perfect Strangers,' where he reprised his role as Carl Winslow.

After 'Family Matters' ended in 1998 following nine seasons and 215 episodes, in which VelJohnson appeared in every single one, he embarked on a new professional chapter away from the character that defined his career. So, what's he been up to since?

Truth be told, even if we may have lost track, Reginald VelJohnson never really went away. He has been present in movies, TV shows, and even on stage! The theatre, in particular, has been a significant part of his career.

His most notable success on stage came in 2004 with 'She All Dat!' on Broadway, where he was one of the lead characters.

Television, however, has been the major platform for his acting career. In the early 2000s, he appeared in episodes of shows like 'CSI,' 'Crossing Jordan,' 'Will & Grace,' 'The Parkers,' 'Ghost Whisperer,' 'Monk,' 'Bones,' and 'Chuck,' among others.

During these years, he also worked in lesser-known television movies and even a few big-screen flicks, like 'Like Mike' (2002). He also returned as Sergeant Al Powell, lending his voice to the video game 'Die Hard: Vendetta' (2002).

A career shift came in 2009 and 2010 when he played Principal Cornelius Strickland in three episodes of 'I'm in the Band.'

Starting from the second decade of the 2000s, VelJohnson made sporadic appearances in TV shows. However, he found stability with 'Hart of Dixie' where he played Dash DeWitt for four years, spanning 53 episodes between 2011 and 2015.

This series was paired with his work on 'Mike and Molly,' where he appeared in six episodes between 2010 and 2013, playing the role of Reverend Keywood.

In 2015, after his stint in ‘Hart of Dixie’, he worked on the sitcom ‘Clipped’ that only lasted one season. VelJohnson played Tommy, partner and then the husband of Buzzy, played by the iconic George Wendt. And guess what... he was a cop once again!

Besides these roles, he had guest appearances in series like 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (2016), 'Girl Meets World' (2016), 'Liberty Crossing' (2018), and 'Mom' (2019), among many others.

The film industry also welcomed him back, albeit mostly for lesser-known titles and many TV movies. He lent his voice to animated series like ‘Tron: Uprising’ (2012-2013) and ‘3Below: Tales of Arcadia’ (2018-2019), ‘Lazor Wulf’ (2019-2021), and ‘Invincible’ (2021).

In 2021, VelJohnson revisited his past to work on 'Turner & Hooch,' a Disney+ series adaptation, returning to his role as David Sutton. He didn't act alongside Tom Hanks this time but with Josh Peck instead. The series, however, was canceled after its second season.

Among his recent works are the TV movie 'Ghost of Christmas Always' (2022) and the action thriller 'Imani' (2023) by Mike Ho. There’s also the sci-fi film 'Roswell Delirium' released on December 7, 2023, and the miniseries 'Easter,' spread over 2023 and 2024.

Despite being over 70 years old, Reginald VelJohnson is still going strong, all while being remembered for his iconic role as Carl Winslow. Even though Winslow may remain an unmatched character, VelJohnson is still out there entertaining like no other and winning new generations of fans.

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