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Jo Marie Payton

Highest Rated: 20% The Little Mermaid (2018)

Lowest Rated: 20% The Little Mermaid (2018)

Birthday: Aug 3, 1950

Birthplace: Albany, Georgia, USA

Payton has gained some measure of celebrity playing Harriet Winslow, first as a recurring character--the sarcastic elevator operator at the newspaper office on the goofy "buddy" sitcom "Perfect Strangers" (ABC, 1987-89)--and subsequently as a regular, the long-suffering Mom who must endure the increasingly cartoonish antics of her blowhard husband and oddball neighbor (the infamous Steve Urkel) on the hit sitcom "Family Matters," a role she vacated in 1997 after the series moved from ABC to CBS. Ironically, though her character was ostensibly the original spur for the spin-off, Payton has been somewhat shunted aside by the phenomenal success of her young co-star Jaleel White as Urkel. Even before this happened, however, her on-screen husband Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) was emphasized over her. Later, the interplay between Urkel and Carl became the focus when the stylized nerd shared the spotlight at all. Perhaps Payton's qualities are more those of a supporting player than a star. In any event, she has been working steadily for about a decade.

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Highest rated movies

20% 25% The Little Mermaid Watchlist
46% The Flight Before Christmas
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33% A Very Charming Christmas Town
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From This Day Forward
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Conundrum: Secrets Among Friends
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Momma Said Come Home for Christmas
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64% Gas
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A Family Matters Christmas
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Jerico
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66% The Proud Family
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Momma Said Come Home for Christmas Dolly Roundtree (Character) - 2023
No Score Yet No Score Yet Conundrum: Secrets Among Friends Mrs. Dumas (Character) - 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Family Matters Christmas Henrietta (Character) - 2022
No Score Yet 33% A Very Charming Christmas Town Estelle (Character) - 2020
No Score Yet 26% Christmas Made to Order Rachel (Character) - 2018
20% 25% The Little Mermaid Lorene (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jerico Maebell (Character) - 2016
No Score Yet 46% The Flight Before Christmas Marie (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet From This Day Forward Elena (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 66% The Proud Family Suga Mama (Voice) - 2005
No Score Yet 64% Gas Loretta (Character) - 2004

TV

Credit
100% 26% The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Suga Mama (Voice) 2022-2023
No Score Yet No Score Yet Blaze and the Monster Machines Grandma Ninja (Voice) 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mann & Wife Unknown (Character) 2016-2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Doctors Guest 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns Shirley (Guest Star) 2009
72% 89% Desperate Housewives Charlene (Guest Star) 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet Reba Grandma Ruby (Guest Star) 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Girlfriends Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Big House Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
No Score Yet 40% The Proud Family Suga Mama (Voice) 2001-2004
50% No Score Yet Wanda at Large Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Judging Amy Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Parkers Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Hughleys Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
54% No Score Yet The Ellen Show Unknown (Guest Star) 2001
20% No Score Yet City of Angels Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
No Score Yet 88% Will & Grace Mrs. Freeman (Guest Star) 1999-2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Moesha Unknown (Guest Star) 1996 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jamie Foxx Show Unknown (Guest Star) 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Family Matters Unknown (Character) 1989-1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perfect Strangers Unknown (Character) 1987-1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Frank's Place Unknown (Guest Star) 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet 227 Unknown (Guest Star) 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet The New Odd Couple Unknown (Character) 1982-1983