Growing up in the US in the ’90s likely meant one thing: TGIF on ABC. Bob Iger, who’s now Disney’s CEO, came up with the idea to get families watching TV together again. The result was a two-hour block of family-friendly sitcoms like Family Matters, Full House, Step by Step, etc. Essentially, it encompassed all the popular shows that aired from 1989 until 2000. While they were (and still are) fun to watch, those shows feature actors and actresses who are no longer with us.
Suzanne Somers — Step by Step
Somers starred opposite Patrick Duffy in Step by Step, a comedy about a blended family that ran for seven seasons. Already famous from Three’s Company and her ThighMaster commercials, Somers also produced, wrote, and acted till she was in her 70s. She died on October 15, 2023, at 76 after a long and exhausting battle with cancer, just one day before her 77th birthday.
Rosetta LeNoire — Family Matters
Family Matters, a spin-off of Perfect Strangers, was meant to focus on the Winslow family, until Steve Urkel stole the spotlight. Rosetta LeNoire played Grandma Estelle Winslow in over 150 episodes. A stage veteran, she founded an interracial theater in the ’60s and earned the National Medal of the Arts in 1999. She died at 90 on March 17, 2002.
Jessica Walter — Dinosaurs
Jim Henson’s 1991 prehistoric sitcom Dinosaurs was full of poignant social commentary and life-sized dino puppets. Jessica Walter voiced Fran Sinclair, the dino mom holding the family together. Walter’s career spanned over 60 years, including some Emmy-winning work, memorable appearances in Arrested Development, and leadership roles in the Screen Actors Guild. Jessica passed away in her sleep on March 24, 2021, at 80.
Cindy Williams — Getting By
The television series Getting By (1993–94) featured Cindy Williams and Telma Hopkins as single mothers raising their children together. Williams was already a TV legend from Laverne & Shirley and appeared in films like American Graffiti. She was still working into her 70s, with a 2023 series called Sami. Sadly, the actress died at 75 on January 25, 2023, after a short illness.
Bob Saget — Full House
Whether you watched it live or in reruns, Full House set the standard for TGIF. Bob Saget played Danny Tanner, the widowed dad raising three daughters, for nearly 200 episodes. He also hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos, narrated How I Met Your Mother, and toured as a stand-up comic. Saget died on January 9, 2022, at 65 from accidental head trauma after a fall in his Florida hotel room.
Sullivan Walker — Where I Live
This 1993 sitcom, based on Doug E. Doug’s real life, followed a Harlem teen and his friends. Sullivan Walker played the father, James St. Martin. Walker had a long career in TV, film, and on Broadway, and even appeared in The Cosby Show back when it was a good thing. He died of a heart attack on February 20, 2012, at 65.
Conchata Ferrell — Teen Angel
In Teen Angel (1997–98), Ferrell played Aunt Pam in the quirky story of a teen haunted by his guardian angel, who apparently died from eating an old cheeseburger. Don’t ask. Ferrell’s career included roles in Edward Scissorhands, True Romance, and as Berta the housekeeper in Two and a Half Men. She died on October 12, 2020, at 77 from complications after a heart attack.
Michelle Thomas — Family Matters
Michelle Thomas played Myra Monkhouse, Urkel’s smitten girlfriend. She’d also appeared as Theo’s girlfriend on The Cosby Show and later joined The Young and the Restless, which got her nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Thomas died tragically young at 29 on December 23, 1998, from a rare stomach cancer, surrounded by loved ones.
Matthew Perry — Home Free
Before his iconic role in Friends, Matthew Perry starred in Home Free as a 20-something moving back in with his mom. The 1993 sitcom didn’t last, even after ABC tried moving it to the TGIF block. Shortly after, Perry went on to global fame as Chandler Bing, reportedly earning $20 million a year in residuals. He died at 54 on October 28, 2023, after being found unresponsive in his hot tub.
