Danielle Spencer is DEAD TO ME!

Dee was a DL legend. RIP Danielle.

A child star who went on to provide care to pets. Dead of cancer at 60.

And yet Trump still lives. F. U., God!

Dee was an awesome and iconic character. RIP, Sr Danielle

In a death threesome with Julian McMahon.

R1 thinks it’s funny when black people die.

Dee, Mother Jefferson, Mrs. Stephens, and Mrs Kravitz were the templates for the typical Datalounger.

I loved how she always squealed on Roger. She was sassy. RIP.

Give me a quarter.

She was such a talented actress and it seems like she was a terrific human being.

She was paralyzed.

RIP ......

Hey, Hey, Hey.

I loved Dee's sassy backtalk. RIP, honey.

Aw, man. Hate to hear this. RIP, Danielle.

Dee was a master of deadpan before she even hit puberty.

And Danielle Spencer made it out of childhood acting, not just alive, but successful and hopefully happy and satisfied with her life.

But her life ended far too soon. RIP.

Very sad news. She was hilarious on the show and seemed lovely in the Oprah clip.

Wasn't What's Happening one of the shows Bill Cosby used to bitch about because he thought it was stereotypical?

Nooooo. I loved her. And she carved out a great post television career as a veterinarian. I’m only a year older than her. So sad.

She was a terrific child actress who added so much fun to the show. This is so sad to hear especially in light of the personal challenges she faced.

Who is still alive from the show?

Raj and Dwayne.

Dee is up in heaven with Rerun, Shirley, and Mama.

WHO?

You gonna get it R24!

I loved Traci Spencer.

R.I.P.

R18: Probably. According to Ernest Thomas, Cosby was beyond rude to him, Haywood Nelson & Fred Berry when ABC wanted them to appear on his shitty "Cos" variety show. Completely ignored them on the set, wouldn't even look at them.

Rerun: I can't help it if I'm fat. It runs in my family!

Dee: Nobody runs in your family. They all waddle.

From Haywood Nelson

Was Fred Berry family? He was in the movie Vice Squad where he gets his balls cut off.

R30- Rerun seemed gay from OUTER SPACE to me.

Wow. She grew up to be a really lovely woman judging by the link at R29

She was the best thing on that show. Her 'take no prisoners' attitude toward her older brother and his friends was hilarious. I think the producers knew how funny she was because she got the best lines.

She was apparently still close with Heywood Nelson who played Dwayne on the shot.

Rip

This was reposted today by a Richmond, VA tv station, from 2016 (when her cancer-free). R.I.P. 😢

I LOVED What’s Happening! All the characters were so clearly delineated; each one vibrant.

Her sass brought the show to life. Never knew she because a vet!

Very sad to see this.

Very sad. One of my favorites sitcom stars growing up. She was a real scene stealer.

R17 Dee calling Cousin Oliver a “she” at 12:30 in that clip is priceless.

Danielle remained close with both Haywood Nelson and Ernest Thomas.

R11 She overcame her paralysis in recent years.

Poor thing. She seemed to be the constant victim of unfortunate events.

R41- 48 years of unfortunate events starting with her stepfather in a car accident in 1977.

Lots and lots of fat jokes on that show.

Ten year old me loved her sass and attitude. RIP.

What I loved most about Dee is that she always looked like she was about to crack herself up whenever she said a deadpan line.

Loved her as Dee and appreciated her love of animals!

Only 60 years old…

I was born the same year as Dee ( I'm still 59). My brothers and I were watching tv in 1976 and saw a quick ad for the show where Shirley tastes the food before putting it down on the table for Raj, Rerun and Dwayne because she forgot which one was tuna and which was chicken salad- we were laughing our heads off and knew this was going to be a very funny show.

I saw her interviewed about pet care a couple of years ago. Just lovely, smart, and soft-spoken.

The other day on my Facebook 'Reelz' a clip from 'What's Happening' popped up for a change (usually it's all 'Golden Girls' and 'The Jeffersons' for some reason). It was a clip of 'Mama' punishing 'Raj' and Dee getting in the middle. I couldn't stop laughing. I Googled to see what she, Ernest Thomas, and Heywood Nelson were up to (he was one of my first gay crushes) and was happy to see how well each of them did in life. I can't believe two days later, I'm reading her obituary.

Not Dee!

WHEN WILL THE TEARS END???!?!?!?????? 😭

Her acting was okay when she was little-- but when she got older her acting who horrific. Like I couldn't even listen to her speak. Same thing happened to the man who played Beaver. Natural delivery when young, but oddly a clunky actor when an adults.

So many young people are dying of cancer these days. It’s fucking depressing.

Ahhh, Ms. Spencer's Dee was the highlight of the show; such a talented child actor! I am so happy to learn she achieved her dream of a veterinary career and went on to live a richly rewarding life, albeit a far too short one.

Rest In Peace, Danielle Spencer.

Marla Gibbs, you in danger gurl!

I saw another thread and thought they were referring to Dee from Wayans Bros. My heart skipped a beat.

Sad. I guess the little boy from Julia is next.

Damn, this is so sad. Cancer is taking way too many people at an early age.

[quote]She was apparently still close with Heywood Nelson who played Dwayne on the show

I wouldn't mind getting close to Haywood Nelson.

Sarcastic Dee walked so that sarcastic Chandler Bing could run.

Nah......Dee walked so the cute, sassy, but not nearly as-sarcastic TOOTIE could run!

[quote]Nah......Dee walked so the cute, sassy, but not nearly as-sarcastic TOOTIE could run!

EDIT: Er, I mean roller skate.

Alison Arngrim posted a picture of the two of them giving an award on TV Land, and said admiringly that Dee was the only TV kid who could give Nellie a run for her money in brattiness.

Aw, she seems like a wonderful lady. I haven't seen that show in many years, but remember having a big crush on Heywood Nelson.

Suggested quote for tombstone:

"Raj, you is so stupid."

Imagine! To have made so big an impact on so many people in so short a time on television! She truly was perfect in her role, and she made that show what it was. That she managed to do so much after Hollywood is a testament to the person she truly was.

RIP, Ms. Spencer. You were one of the greats, and the world is less because you're not with us anymore.

did she have a spouse or kids?

Shirley (Shirley Hemphill) died in 1999.

She's be 78 today.

*she'd

[quote]Malcom Jamal-Warner

Double "oh, dear." The man is dead. His name was MALCOLM-JAMAL

During the third season (1978–79), Berry [Rerun], still dissatisfied with his pay, again threatened to strike (as a result he did not appear in the third-season episode "Dee, the Cheerleader"). Thomas [Raj] supported and joined Berry in his efforts which led to a heated meeting with the executive producers, culminating with Berry accusing them of racism.[6] Unable to come to terms, the producers opted to cancel the series.

Like JJ of 'Good Times' and Fonzie of 'Happy Days', Spencer became the 'breakout' star of this show with her character Dee. She brought all the laughs as the bratty kid. But the producers were smart, and kept control of her character - keeping the 'group' as the stars, and not a supporting cast around her.

The first two seasons were great, like a Marx Brothers movie. All the actors worked well off each other, and Mabel King was a great straight woman to all of them. I thought Dee's interactions with her were better than with Raj.

Losing Mabel King in the third season was a blow to the show. It wasn't the same with that father/son duo.

My family loved this show when I was a kid. Dee was my favorite, and Dwayne was one of my first crushes, even though I was too young to fully understand that why he made me feel a certain way! For years and years after, my mom (who was half the size of Mabel King) and I had a “bit” where anytime she’d hug me I’d say, “Mama I can’t breathe” like on the show. I do remember kind of hating ReRun though.

Let's celebrate Dee with an episode of What's Happening!

Thanks for posting that R17.

I've only seen a handful of episodes, but she sure could lay a joke out like no one else.

The mother wanted to bring the dad back into the family and show a united black family. The creators didn't agree with her that that would be better for the show. She was unhappy with that and they started writing her out.

R43- For instance

Rerun: Hey Shirley what's the scoop?

Shirley: Scoop is- you're FAT!

I don't like it when actors break but there were a few times when you could see Danielle trying not to crack up when the audience reacted to her deadpan delivery. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Would anyone under 60 even know who she is? I don't remember seeing WH in syndication, for some reason.

The house number for Raj’s entrance is 111xx. That means the cross street was 111th, putting them in Inglewood, somewhere near Morningside High.

What's Happening's theme song was by the great Henry Mancini.

R81 Yes, Barbra Streisand asked her friends The Bergmans to write lyrics to the music so she could record it, for an album she was planning called 'The Television Album' but they couldn't come up with anything as cever as their previous songs, 'Then There's Maude' and 'New Girl In Town'.

R47. That's great! Very rare that all siblings in the family have Aspbergers or Down's.

No Roger, no Rerun, no rent!

'Dee' was a younger version of 'Florence Johnson' from 'The Jeffersons'. I think Spencer learned a lot from Marla Gibbs.

I watched a couple episodes last night; it was a very funny show with very good performers (especially Dee, Raj, Rerun, and Mama. And Dwayne was cute and Shirley was just so likable.)

Dwayne had the most fuckable ass on 70s TV. Sadly he is a $cien0 now

R87 Dwayne made my young gayling loins stir.

He's a Scientologist? Ugh. Must mean he's also a closeted homosexual.

Nelson had that fine bubble butt. One of my first childhood crushes.

I think he finally showed it off in a shower scene in that weird Clint Howard devil computer movie. It was glorious.