According to TVLine, the beloved actress, Danielle Spencer, from the television shows What’s Happening! and What’s Happening Now!, passed away last Monday at the age of 60. Former cast member Haywood Nelson (Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, As The World Turns), who portrayed the character Dwayne on the show, posted on his Instagram profile about Spencer.
In the post, Nelson stated, “Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body. We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer. We have lost a daughter, sister, family member, What’s Happening cast member, veterinarian, animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our hero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in the form and forever embraced.”
According to TVLine, Spencer played the character Dee Thomas, Raj’s meddling little sister, for three seasons in 1976. Raj was portrayed by actor Earnest Thomas (The Truth, Tales of a Fifth Grade Robin Hood). What’s Happening! was a series that was based on the lives of three black youths who learned about life and growing up in an inner city. The series started out as a summer replacement and was loosely based on the 1975 film Cooley High. What’s Happening! ended its three-year run on ABC and was followed by the spinoff, What’s Happening Now!, which ran from 1985 to 1988. Spencer reprised her role for 16 episodes.
TVLine mentioned that in 1996, Spencer was considered semi-retired from acting when she became a veterinarian. She still appeared in some roles with credits in The Brady Bunch Hours, Days of Our Lives, and the 1997 James L. Brooks (The Simpsons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show) film, As Good as It Gets.