What Ever Happened To Joey From Blossom?
Remember Joey from Blossom? It's probably been a while since you thought about this early-nineties sitcom heartthrob who pushed the limits of what counts as a catchphrase with his monosyllabic declarations of "Whoa." But actor Joey Lawrence, who played Blossom's same-named older brother Joey on the show, has done a lot since the coming-of-age comedy ended in 1995. Here's what he's been up to.
He released a hit pop single
In 1993, right in the middle of Blossom mania, Lawrence released a pop single that was huge. His single, "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix," from the self-titled Joey Lawrence album, stayed on the Billboard charts for 18 weeks, peaking at #22. And the music video, which you can still watch on YouTube for some serious nineties nostalgia, features roller skates, sunny beaches, and some amazing semi-shirtless looks.
He starred in a sitcom with his brothers
From 1995-1997, Lawrence starred on the NBC (then later, WB) show Brotherly Love with his real-life brothers, Matthew and Andrew Lawrence. The show, while short-lived, made an impression on millennial viewers of that era, especially once the reruns played on the Disney Channel, and inspired many celeb crushes — your age, of course, could determine which Lawrence brother was for you.
In the series, Joey Lawrence played the eldest of, you guessed it, three brothers, who returns home after his father dies to take over the family garage and help care for his younger siblings. Diehard BL-ers are in for a major treat — Lawrence revealed to Entertainment Tonight in December 2017 that the brothers are working together on a new TV show.
Lawrence said, "We wanted to find a way not to redo Brotherly Love, but to bring us back together as grown men." He clarified that the show will feature different characters and be "edgy." And best of all, recent photos confirm that the three bros are all still crushable.
He appeared on Dancing with the Stars
In 2006, Lawrence partnered with professional ballroom dancer Edyta Śliwińska for season three of reality competition dance show Dancing with the Stars, and the pair came in third. He told People at the time that after the intense dance rehearsals, "I wake up and the balls of my feet are on fire." Lawrence later declined to appear on an all-star season of the show, telling People in 2012, "I did it. It was good for me."
He shaved his head
While nineties-era Lawrence had luscious, mullet-esque (but in a good way) locks, he has since updated his look. He shaved his head to play a police officer in the 2006 film Rest Stop, and then maintained the 'do. He told People that shortly after filming concluded, the Dancing with the Stars producers liked the look, and he does too, noting, "People either love it or hate it. But I like it, so who cares?"
He got married to a woman he'd been crushing on since they were teens
In 2005, Lawrence married Chandie Yawn-Nelson at Disney World. The location was meaningful for the couple, because, as he revealed to Us Weekly, "I met my wife at Disney World when I was 16 and on vacation. We went out, broke up, reunited years later, and got married there at Disney World in 2005!"
He elaborated in another interview with YourTango that at the time the couple got engaged, they had just reunited after not seeing each other for more than four years (during their time apart he married and divorced Michelle Vella). They decided to meet up to see if the old feelings were still there.
"When we were sitting in the car, literally, I didn't even plan it, so it's not some magical moment but to us it was," he explained. "We looked at each other in the car, and she started crying. I said, 'Let's just do this,' and she said, 'OK.' We set a date, and a year later we got married."
He has two daughters
Lawrence and wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson are parents to two young daughters. His oldest daughter, Charleston, was born in 2006. And his younger daughter, Liberty Grace, was born in 2010. Lawrence explained her name exclusively to People, noting that Grace was the name of his grandmother who passed away shortly before the baby was born, and Liberty is a name he has "always loved."
Lawrence told Us Weekly in 2013, "I'm a strict dad! I'm not trying to be my daughters' BFF. I'm more of a traditional dad."
He starred in a comedy show with Melissa Joan Hart
From 2010 to 2015, Lawrence and fellow nineties star Melissa Joan Hart teamed up for the ABC Family sitcom Melissa and Joey. The two actors had known each other for years before collaborating on the project (this was their second collab — the first was in the 2009 movie My Fake Fiancé).
Their show was about a manny (male nanny) who helps take care of the teenage siblings of a city councilwoman. And in another throwback, the pilot of the show was directed by Ted Wass, who played the dad on Blossom, and whom Lawrence considers one of his "dear friends."
He's in a band with his brothers
Lawrence and his fellow former-child-actor brothers, Matt and Andy, are all in a band together called Still Three. They released their first single "Lose Myself" in 2017, and it has a highly nineties boy band vibe. Lawrence told People, "We began this whole thing as three bros just fooling around, doing something we had never done together. But something special happened and it just felt right."
He has teased a Blossom reunion
In the current age of reboot mania, it feels plausible that any show could rise from the dead (and it's all too easy for celebs to tease a comeback and get fans excited). But Lawrence says there really, actually might be a Blossom reunion.
He said on Steve Harvey's radio show Steve that there has been "serious talk" about the sitcom returning to TV. Serious! He revealed to Harvey that he's talked about the idea with the show's star, Mayim Bialik, and creator, Don Reo, and that "If there's a way in, then I think we're all down for it."