Child actors have been a part of the industry since 1921 when John Leslie Coogan starred in Charles Chaplin’s silent filmThe Kid. Unfortunately, there is a common thread among child actors that they have complicated lives leading to trauma and, a lot of times, addiction. This should be looked into, and some methods should change regarding how children are treated on set and what they are exposed to. Nevertheless, not all stories end up like this, and some child actors have had a pretty good life since they first stepped into the frame. One comes from one of the best ’90s sitcoms,Family Matters.
Kellie Shanygne Williams’sbiggest acting debut was on the beloved show about the Winslow family. Since then, her career hasn’t been as easy as some may think, as people would probably assume because she starred in a fan-favorite show for so long. Nevertheless, everyone’s career is always different, and the time Williams spent off the screen, she used to do some good in the world. Sadly, her act of paying it forward is still rare to see nowadays — and should be encouraged. Willaims showed that everyone with a platform can and should be finding ways to improve others' experiences and the lives of people that could, in the future, enter the industry and people who won’t.
Here’s a little bit about Kellie Shanygne Williams’s career journey and what she did when she wasn’t acting. We also take a look at when and how she madeher comeback as an actor.
Kellie Shanygne Williams' Acting Career
Kellie Shanygne Williams had her first serious role on television after appearing inABC TGIFandOddville, MTV, in none other than the ’90s sitcomFamily Matters. The actress, who started as a child model and became an actor at the age of six, was only 13 years old whenFamily Mattersaired. Williams was a part of the show for its whole run of nine years. She played Laura Lee Winslow, a know-it-all straight-A kind of girl.
Related:Family Matters Cast: Where They Are Now and Who Passed Away
While people still love to watch her on the show, which like a lot of older series, had increased viewership in the pandemic, she explained toTV One, “At that most awkward time in your life, you’re in front of the whole world to see. A lot of times I would watch the show and just be totally embarrassed.”
After the show ended, Williams got a handful of roles, includingWhat About Joan,Moesha, andSteppin: The Movie. Most of these stories were marketed to an African American audience, indicating thestructural racism in televisionthen.Steppin: The Moviewas her last big project. She was also in a short film in 2011 calledAide-de-Campbefore she took a break from acting and made a comeback a couple of years ago.
Charity Work and Community Outreach
While she stopped acting for a while, she wasn’t completely detached from the industry and has done an incredible job of paying it forward. In 2006 the actress came back to her hometown, the Washington, D.C. area, and started the Kellie Williams Program. The program exposes children to the arts that otherwise wouldn’t have that opportunity. She wanted to make it possible for these students (between the ages of 14-20) to have similar experiences to what she had in the Howard University Children’s Theatre. The program runs with the help of William E. Doar Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts.
Related:Best 90s TV Family Sitcoms Ranked
But that’s only part ofwhat the child actress has beendoing when away from the small screen. Beyond her program, Williams also joined the board of The William Kellibrew Foundation. As stated on theirwebsite, “The William Kellibrew Foundation is a national organization that focuses on sexual assault, domestic violence, trauma and resiliency through training and technical assistance. It also supports policies that shift the culture of serving victims and survivors.“Her aid for the foundation couldn’t be more critical nowadays, showcasing someone that uses her platform and success to honestly try to make a change.
Making an Acting Comeback with Her Family
While it took some years for Williams to work as an actor again, she wasn’t completely detached from the small screen. Williams appeared on TV programs as herself a couple of times. She co-hosted some episodes ofClean Houseand participated inCelebrity Wife Swapin 2015.
But that wasn’t enough for her, and in 2020, Williams made a comeback to her career as an actor. She starred in the holiday movieChristmas in Carolinaalongside her TV brother Darius McCray; they played siblings once again. Two years later, she made another movie about “the most wonderful time of the year,” to quote Andy William’s song, calledMerry Switchmas. Her daughter, Hannah Belle Jackson, made her acting debut in the movie. The cast also included her own television mom, Jo Marie Payton. Currently, Williams' IMDB page does not list any future projects she will participate in.
Nevertheless, Williams found other ways to be involved with television and film besides returning to her acting roots. With two of her co-stars fromFamily Matters, Darius McCray and Jo Marie Payton, she createdDreamflix TV. Dreamflix TV is an American internet television network and multimedia group providing news, entertainment, and other programming developed primarily for all audiences. Therefore, Williams doesn’t intend to doanother years-long hiatusand will continue to work closely with the industry.
