TGIF Stars You May Not Know Passed Away

The following article contains references to eating disorders, suicide, and murder. 

In the '90s, Friday night belonged to ABC's TGIF. As Bob Iger, CEO of Disney and then-president of ABC, explained to Entertainment Weekly, "A lot of families weren't watching TV together as much as when I was growing up. But I thought, 'If we could program shows where parents and kids could watch together, we'd be better off from a ratings perspective.'" Thus came the two-hour block of programming that started at 8 p.m. on Friday nights and was the highlight of many a '90s kid's weekend. It was an era of beloved shows ranging from "Step by Step" to "Family Matters." 

In TGIF's golden run, from 1989 to 2000, some of TV's biggest shows — mostly family sitcoms — premiered, and plenty of Hollywood careers were launched. Who could forget the Olsen twins from "Full House"? Sadly, though, some of the actors behind our much-loved TGIF characters are no longer with us.

Take a stroll down memory lane and say goodbye to some of your Friday night family. 

"Home Free" ran for one season in 1993and originally started as a Wednesday night show. It didn't perform too well, however, and was taken off the air by May 1993. ABC decided to try out the rest of the episodes in a 9:30 p.m. TGIF spot, but it was pulled again — even before running for a full season.

Matthew Perry starred in the series Matt Bailey, a 20-something who moves back into his mother's house. All was well until his sister and her two kids also made the move back home. While "Home Free" may not have been a hit, it didn't slow down Perry's career. He would go on to star in the über-popular show "Friends" for 10 seasons as the sarcastic, witty Chandler Bing. After the show's run, it moved to syndication, and Perry reportedly earned around $20 million per year in residuals.

Sadly, Perry died at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023. A call was made for emergency medical care when the actor was found unresponsive in his hot tub. Following the star's death, the "Friends" cast shared their memories of Perry. In an Instagram post, Courtney Cox, who played Perry's friend-turned-wife on the show, wrote, "I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day."

Another actor from "Getting By," Merlin Santana played one of Telma Hopkins' sons, a character named Marcus Dixon. Santana appeared on a slew of '90s shows, including "Hangin with Mr. Cooper," "Sister, Sister," and "Major Dad." He also had a seven-episode arc on "The Cosby Show" and appeared in four episodes of "Moesha." However, he is best known for playing Romeo on "The Steve Harvey Show."

Devastatingly, Santana was murdered on November 9, 2002, in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, California. He had just left a friend's home and was sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle when he was fatally shot. "Merlin Santana was a very gifted actor and his murder was utterly senseless," Greg Dohi, the deputy district attorney at the time, said, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Three people were charged in connection to the killing, including a teenager named Monique King. As the Los Angeles Times reported in 2004, "Monique King lied to her two accomplices by saying the actor had made sexual advances toward her; she also helped them get away after they shot Santana, said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler."

If you happened to be alive between the years 1987 and 1995, you've probably seen at least one episode of "Full House." The Tanner family hit the ABC airwaves in 1987, and the rest is history, dude. "Full House" was a TGIF staple, but it also aired on Tuesday nights for some of its run. A sequel would also eventually reappear on Netflix titled "Fuller House."

Bob Saget played Danny Tanner, the widowed father of the three young girls, for nearly 200 episodes. Saget also spent nearly 10 years as the original host of "America's Funniest Home Videos" and narrated "How I Met Your Mother" from 2005 to 2014. Saget was also a stand-up comedian and even did a show in Florida the night he died.

Saget died on January 9, 2022, in a hotel room in Florida at the age of 65. According to the OCSO report, Saget died from blunt head trauma after falling in his hotel room. The report states that there was "no evidence of a struggle, any type of foul play, or that anyone else was in the room at any time during his stay" (via Global News).

Based on star Doug E. Doug's childhood, "Where I Live" centered around the lives of high-school student Douglas St. Martin and his two friends in New York City. The TGIF show premiered on ABC in 1993  and was met with critical acclaim; however, lasted little more than one season.

Sullivan Walker, a Trinidadian-American actor, played James St. Martin on the show's 21 episodes. Walker immigrated to the U.S. in 1969 and launched a career in the entertainment industry that lasted over three decades. He played many memorable characters, such as Dr. James Harmon on "The Cosby Show," and he performed on Broadway in "Two Trains Running."

Walker died on February 20, 2012, from a heart attack at the age of 65. He had plans to open a professional acting school in Trinidad, but unfortunately, his dream was not able to become a reality before he passed away.

In "Teen Angel," Marty DePolo, was assigned to be the guardian angel of his best friend after he died from eating a six-month-old cheeseburger. It premiered on ABC in 1997 and lasted for two seasons.

Conchata Ferrell played the unforgettable character of Aunt Pam. A character actor, Ferrell was most well-known for her role as Berta, a sassy housekeeper, on "Two and a Half Men," but her acting career started decades earlier at the New York's Circle Repertory Company. Her screen credits include "Edward Scissorhands," Grace and Frankie," and "True Romance."

Ferrell died on October 12, 2020, from complications of a heart attack. The 77-year-old actor had been ill for several months, spending weeks in the ICU before moving to a long-term care facility. Co-star Jon Cryer expressed his grief on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "I treasured every moment and will continue to until we meet again."

Who could forget "Family Matters"? The TGIF show ran for nine seasons starting in September 1989. Nevertheless, you may not have realize dthat the show was actually a spin-off of "Perfect Strangers," and was intended to center around Harriette Winslow's character. However, the Winslows' nerdy next-door neighbor, Steve Urkel, became a fan favorite, saving "Family Matters" from cancellation.

Rosetta LeNoire played Estelle Winslow, the grandmother to the Winslow children, and appeared in over 150 episodes. LeNoire had a long career as an actor on the small screen but also on the stage and in films. She started an interracial theatre in New York in the late 1960s and received a National Medal of the Arts in 1999, presented by then-President Bill Clinton. She also starred in an all-Black production of "Macbeth" helmed by Orson Welles.

She passed away at the age of 90 on March 17, 2002. Entertainment Weekly hosted a "Family Matters" reunion in 2017 in which cast members expressed their appreciation for LeNoire and discussed the many thing they learned from the pioneer entertainer. Jaleel White, who played Urkel, remembered her sense of etiquette: "In honor of Rosetta LeNoire, I will not step on a set to this day eating food because of her."