Celebrity Nooz: Danielle Spencer

Danielle Spencer (Actress) as Dee - What's Happening!

Updated: 1/28/2007

Name: Danielle Spencer

Born: June 24, 1965 in North Trenton, New Jersey

Claim To Fame: Danielle is without a doubt best known for her role as the sarcastic adolescent "Dee Thomas" on the 1970s sitcom 'What's Happening!' and then in the later 'What's Happening Now.'

Family Life: Garry Fields (1999 - present)

Info: Danielle was a virtual unknown when she was cast as Dee Thomas on What's Happening!! At only 9-years-old at the time of her casting, she made a huge impression on television audiences, critics and her co-stars with her first professional acting gig. She single-handedly made "I'm gonna tell mama" a household catchphrase. But after the runs of What's Happening!! and What's Happening Now!!

Trivia: Stepdaughter of Tim Pelt. The head-on 1977 auto accident
that proved fatal to Pelt occurred during the second season production of "What's Happening". Danielle was a passenger in the vehicle and suffered a broken left arm and facial injuries.

Fast forward almost 30 years later, she started having spinal problems (which rendered her immobile) as a result of that accident. For the past year and a half, she has been in therapy to start walking again.

Just two weeks before her appearance on the TV Land awards in (2006), she had an operation on her spine, which would account for why she was on crutches.

Pull up her name on the Inernet and you'll get a bit confused. Danielle Spencer is also the name of an Australian Pop Star who is better known as Mrs. Russell Crowe.

Where Are They Now: Danielle is a veterinarian. She became one in 1996.

She still acts occasionally, often playing a veterinarian as she did in the 1997 Jack Nicholson film 'As Good As It Gets.'

Her last film role to date was in the short feature 'Peter Rabbit and the Crucifix'.

She also appeared in one episode of the soap opera, 'Days of Our Lives' in 2001.

When asked about what she's been up to since the show, Danielle said: "I did a play, a few commercials and I stayed in school and became veterinarian. I have been practicing in California for 12 years now. I got married seven years ago, and just a few weeks ago I got an award at the TV Land Awards for the Brattiest Kid on TV, so that was really great. I also appeared in the films 'As Good As It Gets' and 'Peter Rabbit and the Crucifix', where I played the role of a veterinarian."

Even though three of the show's cast members have passed on (Fred Barry who played Rerun, Shirley Hemphill who played Shirley and Mabel King who played Mama) she does keep in touch with the surviving members. She says... "I speak to Ernest every couple of weeks. Haywood and I speak maybe every couple of months. "

When asked about any upcoming projects Danielle was happy to share this, "Well, interestingly enough, I have a deal pending with the cable channel Animal Planet. I am also working with the TVLand production Team. I even wrote a book [should come out later this year]. I also have a lot of show ideas as well.

Write To Danielle Spencer:
No info available.

Videos: Check out this video clip of the theme song from What's Happening. Click Here

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