Telma Hopkins From “Family Matters” and Other Sitcoms is now 74 Years Old

Actress Telma Hopkins, born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, is 74 years old and still looking amazing. She started her career as a backup singer in Detroit, Michigan singing on classic songs such as Freda Payne's "Band of Gold" and Issac Hayes' "Theme from Shaft."

As a singer, she also worked with the likes of Marvin Gaye and even The Four Tops. She rose to stature as a member of the 1970s pop music group Tony Orlando and Dawn, which had several number-one songs.

In 1989, she began starring as Rachel Baines-Crawford in the ABC sitcom Family Matters and later left the series after four seasons as a regular cast member. The show wrote her character out of the script during the fourth season, but later she made recurring appearances in the sixth season and also made a guest appearance in an episode during season nine in 1997.

Telma left Family Matters to star as the co-lead (with actress Cindy Williams) on another sitcom called Getting By which aired for two seasons (one on ABC, the other on NBC) from 1993-1994. Later, she starred as Phyllis Thorne in Half & Half from 2002 to 2006 and she was also a regular on Are We There Yet? from 2010 to 2013.

In 2021, she began playing the role of Denise Tolliver on The Young and the Restless reuniting with actor Bryton James, who was just a child of whom she played his mother on Family Matters.

She has also starred in several films including The Next Generations, A New Kind of Family, Bosom Buddies, and more.

Telma was married to Donald B. Allen from 1970 until 1977 and together, and they have a son together.

Follow her on Instagram @Telma_Hopkins