Left: Jaleel White (Steve Urkel) and Kellie Shanygne (Laura Winslow), during the Family Matters years. On the right, Shanygne today.Getty/ IG
As a child, Kellie Shanygne was unable to speak, so her parents took her to special theater programs that helped her come out of her shell. "The thing is, I come from a huge family of 22 aunts and uncles, so I rarely socialized with other people and, therefore, was extremely shy."
She enjoyed that experience so much that her parents allowed her to gradually immerse herself in the artistic world. At the age of four, she started studying theater, worked as a model, and acted in her first play in her native Washington titled Cousins.
Thanks to a home video recorded by her father, Kellie received a call from Hollywood to audition for a series. It was Family Matters (1989-1998), one of the most celebrated comedies that made Kellie (Laura Winslow) one of the most famous actresses of the 90s. Just like her co-star, Jaleel White (49), who played Steve Urkel.
Despite the fights they had on screen, they have always been excellent friends.
The success was overwhelming, so the loved ones of the actors helped protect them from fame and keep their feet on the ground. Every time she returned to her hometown, she had to endure questions like whether Jaleel was really a nerd, like the character he portrayed. At first, the actress was annoyed, but she eventually got used to it.
Alongside filming, Kellie did not neglect her studies and in 2000, she graduated in Psychology from UCLA. Due to her busy schedule, as she would confess years later, she didn't have time to fall in love.
But in 2007, her time came when, through a mutual friend, she met Hannibal Jackson, a former reservist born in Seoul where his father was in the military.
"I never thought marriage was for me because I loved being single. When you don't believe love will come, it arrives when you least expect it," she said in an interview.
In 2009, Kellie and Hannibal tied the knot at the African Methodist Episcopal Ebenezer Church in Fort Washington, where 300 guests attended following the white dress code.
Soon after, their children arrived, a daughter named Hannah Belle (16) and a son, John Ervin (14), who are the pillars of the family. For a while, the actress stopped working to personally care for them.
Privately, the actress has always shown her concern for childhood and adolescence, which has earned her awards for her charitable initiatives. These include the creation of The Kellie Williams Program, which since 2007 has provided young people access to the arts and the fine arts program for youth with the Children's Theater at Howard University.
Additionally, Williams has supported charitable organizations such as The Starlight Foundation, Hollywood For Children, and Great Beginnings for Black Babies. In her free time, she loves singing, dancing, and roller skating.
This past Sunday, March 22, the actress celebrated her 50th birthday.