Articles about Telma
Hopkins
Telma Hopkins,
biography and what she thinks about Family Matters, 1993
Classic TV
Characters: Telma Hopkins
Interview with Telma Hopkins, November 12,
2003
Listen to a song
performed by Telma Hopkins
New biography and
filmography 2003 (Half and Half)
 Telma
Hopkins,
biography and what she thinks about Family Matters, 1993
Behind the scenes, Troll Associates
Rachel Crawford's stay in
her sister Harriette Winslow's home was supposed to be
temporary. She turned to the emotional support of the
Winslow family following the death of her husband. But
after three seasons on the air, it's hard to picture the
Winslow household without the warm, funny, and energetic
presence of Rachel.
The reason for this, of
course, is the multitalented singer/actress Telma Hopkins.
She brings high energy and a strong positive life force
to the character each week on Family Matters.
"The show works so
well because we (the cast) really believe in each other,"
explains Telma. "We've become close and care for
each other. Each of us gets to display our talents."
Telma certainly has many different talents to display.
She began her performing
career as a backup singer for such superstars as Stevie
Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, Issac Hayes, Dionne
Warwick, and the Four Tops.
"If you lived in
Detroit," says Telma, "and you didn't work for
GM, Ford, or Chrysler, you worked for Motown."
Motown is the name of a famous music company that
produced such stars as the Jackson Five, Diana Ross and
the Supremes, and the Temptations.
She went on to greater
success in the 1970s as a member of the singing group
Tony Orlando and Dawn. The group had a series of hit
records and starred in a TV variety show that ran for
four years.
Telma made her television
acting debut as Daisy in the ground-breaking mini-series Roots:
The Next Generation. From there she went on to star
in Bosom Buddies with Tom Hanks, The New Odd
Couple, and Gimme A Break. She also appeared
in the feature films Vital Signs, Trancers, and Pulse
Pounders.
Telma Hopkins has been
successful in both the music and acting fields. Which
does she prefer? "I've found that acting suits me
better the older I get," she reveals. "The
lifestyle is more normal than being on the road (a common
situation for musicians). I like going home every day. I
need that stability."
 Telma believes the character of
Rachel is closer to her own personality than any other
role she‘s ever played. "She's a single parent
like me" - Telma has a 20-year-old son in college -
"she's very earthy very worldly. I love kids, and
Rachel has a lot of kid in her, and more than a little
bit of comedienne."
Telma‘s comedic
inspirations growing up were Carol Burnett, whom she
idolized, and Pearl Bailey, whom she calls "A lady
of great attitude."
Telma is quick to say what
a great experience Family Matters continues to be
for her. "All of us in Family Matters really
work hard to make it a family show that really is about a
family. There's something for everyone because we have
three generations under one roof. And we stick together."
Off the set, Telma enjoys
cooking, reading, and collecting antiques. When asked
what she'd like to do in the future, Telma replies,
"I want to do everything under the rainbow, from
singing and acting, to comedy and drama."
When Telma was growing up,
her grandmother used to tell her she'd better get serious
about her life because she'd never make a living being
silly. Fortunately for Family Matters' fans,
Grandma was wrong!
 Classic TV
Characters: Telma Hopkins (Isabelle
Hammond, "Bosom Buddies")
webpage classic-tv. com, 2000
Telma
Hopkins first entered the limelight as part of the
singing trio Tony Orlando and Dawn. Their single, "Tie
A Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree" was one of
the biggest sellers of the '70s. Variety shows were hot
in the middle of that decade, and "The Tony Orlando
and Dawn Show" debuted in 1974. It made a brief
resurgence in 1976 as "The Tony Orlando and Dawn
Rainbow Hour" before fading into the sunset.
 Hopkins remained a shining star,
and found herself in two more series ("Roots: The
Next Generation" and "A New Kind Of Family")
before accepting the part of the sassy Isabelle on
classic sit-com "Bosom Buddies" in 1980. When
that had run its course, she took the part of Nell's best
friend Addy on "Gimme A Break" while also
performing in TV movies and other one-off guest spots.
Five years
as Aunt Rachel on "Family Matters" would keep
her busy until 1993, when she exited to co-star with
Cindy Williams in "Getting By." "Getting
By" didn't....and Hopkins went back to guest spots
and TV movies.
Interview
with
Telma Hopkins, November 12, 2003
Telma
Hopkins's Unsolved Mysteries
by Rochell Thomas, TV Guide
You may know her as bitter
divorcée Phyllis Thorne on UPN's Half & Half,
or as Nell Carter's skinny sidekick on Gimme a
Break, but way back in the day, Telma Hopkins
was also one-third of the music group Tony Orlando
& Dawn ("Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole
Oak Tree"). Remember the "Shaft" theme
song? And the part where the girls go, "Shut yo'
mouth"? Yep, that's her, too. We took a walk down
memory lane with the actress who slipped into our pop
culture lexicon without us even knowing it.
 TV Guide Online: So, do you work
a sassy "shut yo' mouth" into casual
conversation?
Telma Hopkins: Uh, no. But it was one of the coolest
singing jobs ever. I sang it with two other girls. But
somehow or another I get all the credit.
TVGO: What about the
hit "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree"
— which came first, the song or the tying of the
ribbons?
Hopkins: The song came first. And the funny thing is,
I think it's about a guy in prison. He was being released
and he told his wife if she still wanted to have a
relationship with him, she should tie a yellow ribbon
around a tree. And when he saw it he would get off the
bus and if he didn't he would just keep going.
TVGO: Shut up!
Hopkins: Yeah. Now, if you get locked in the closet
they'll tie a yellow ribbon. But the song was not about
that. It was just timing. It came out in 1973 and then
with the hostages coming home [from Iran], it just became
an anthem.
TVGO: I looked you up
online: Bosom Buddies, Gimme
a Break and Family Matters.
You're a pop culture trivia nut's dream!
Hopkins: Yeah. [Laughs] I'm lucky to have been
on a lot of successful shows. Shows that had some legs. A
lot of times people ask me about stuff and I have to stop
and think about it: Did I really do that?
TVGO: Am I crazy, or
were you on the Circus of the Stars
doing...
Hopkins: A high-wire act. And I was the one who was
crazy. I don't know how I got talked into that. And I did
it on specially made roller skates.
TVGO: What did you do
on Battle of the Network Stars?
Hopkins: Everything, honey. I swam, did the tandem
bike, the obstacle course. Scott Baio was our team
captain and he was so hardcore. You would think nobody
had a job the way we were going at each other. In the tug
of war, we pulled the skin right off our hands.
TVGO: And you
voluntarily got rope burn because...
Hopkins: I was just a tomboy. I [also] did Celebrity
Daredevils so I could go to stunt driving school and
demolition derby... All that stuff. [On Battle of the
Network Stars], each winning team got a certain
amount of money. But it wasn't enough to make us kill
ourselves. It's funny because you would have thought it
was the only money we were going to make that year.
TVGO: Do you think you
could get your Half & Half
castmates to do something like that?
Hopkins: I think everybody but Rachel True would be
game. She's such a girl.
 Telma Hopkins "Half
and Half"
Telma Hopkins plays
Phyllis, Mona's mother who raised her as a single parent,
in UPN's comedy series HALF AND HALF.
Hopkins has enjoyed immeasurable success as an actress
and singer. She first came into prominence as a founding
member of Tony Orlando and Dawn. A string of hits,
including the classic "Tie a Yellow Ribbon,"
led to a successful variety show for the group and from
there her acting career was born.
Hopkins was a series regular on "Bosom Buddies,"
with Tom Hanks, "Gimme A Break," with Nell
Carter, "Family Matters" with Jaleel White, and
"Getting By," with comedy vet Cindy Williams.
More recently, she has guest starred on "Suddenly
Susan," "For Your Love," "ER"
and "Chicken Soup for the Soul," with Rod
Steiger. In addition, she co-starred in two feature
films, "The Wood," for Paramount Pictures, and
"Rain," a Showtime independent film. She has
also enjoyed recurring roles on UPN's "The Hughleys,"
as Pauline, and on "Any Day Now," as Judge
Wilma Evers.
Throughout her career, Hopkins has been actively involved
with many organizations. In addition to being the
spokesperson for both the National P.T.A. and Act On
Arthritis, she has also worked on behalf of McClaren
Hall, Rainbow Camp, Hollygrove Group Home and Caring for
Babies with AIDS. For the past six years she has been a
mentor, an endeavor that has brought as much good to her
life as it has to the now 13-year-old boy she has
mentored.
Hopkins lives in Los Angeles.
- Filmography -
Pulse Pounders (2002)
"Half and Half" (2002) TV Series
Rain (2001/II)
Wood, The (1999)
"Spider-Man" (1994) TV Series (voice)
"Getting By" (1993) TV Series
Trancers III (1992) (Video)
Trancers II (1991)
How to Murder a Millionaire (1990) (TV Movie)
Vital Signs (1990)
Circus of the Stars #14 (1989) (TV Movie)
"Family Matters" (1989) TV Series
Rock 'n' Roll Mom (1988) (TV Movie)
Trancers (1985)
Circus of the Stars #10 (1985) (TV Movie)
"Gimme a Break!" (1981) TV Series
Battle of the Network Stars XII (1982) (TV Movie)
Kid with the Broken Halo, The (1982) (TV Movie)
"Bosom Buddies" (1980) TV Series
"New Kind of Family, A" (1979) TV Series
"Roots: The Next Generations" (1979) (mini-series)
"Tony Orlando and Dawn" (1974) TV Series
- Notable Guest Appearances -
"The Hughleys" (1998) TV Series
"Love Boat, The" (1977) TV Series
Did You
Know:
- While
starring on the weekly series "Family
Matters," Telma Hopkins took time to appear
in the feature films "Trancers I, II &
III." (aka "Future Cop I, II & III).
Telma Hopkins sang on 14 Top 40
singles including the certified gold "Candida,"
"Knock Three Times," "Tie A Yellow
Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree," "Say
Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" and
"He Don't Love You (Like I Love You.)"
Listen to a
song performed by Telma Hopkins
This song is from the episode "The
Good, the Bad, and the Urkel" (No. 46/1991) rachel.mp2 (1,48 MB)
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