Telma Hopkins

Hopkins (left) with Tony Orlando and Dawn, 1974.

Hopkins started her career as a background singer in Detroit, Michigan, singing on many of the Golden World, Motown, Invictus Records, and Hot Wax Records hits. She appeared on such classics as Freda Payne's "Band of Gold" and Isaac Hayes' "Theme from Shaft" and working with legendary artists like the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye.

Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson were recruited by Tony Orlando to form the vocal group Dawn. As a recording act, Tony Orlando and Dawn would have much success throughout the second half of the 1970s, releasing 16 top-40 singles, three of which reached #1, and starring in a CBS variety show (titled Tony Orlando and Dawn) from 1974 to 1976. In 1977, Tony Orlando and Dawn announced their retirement.[2]

In 1979, Hopkins made her acting debut playing Daisy in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Later that year, she co-starred alongside Eileen Brennan on the short-lived ABC sitcom A New Kind of Family. The following year, she was cast opposite Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari in another ABC sitcom, Bosom Buddies. The series was cancelled in 1982 after two seasons.

In 1983, Hopkins joined the cast of NBC sitcom Gimme a Break! starring Nell Carter.[5] She played Adelaide "Addy" Wilson, Nell's childhood friend, until the series finale in 1987.

In 1989, Hopkins began starring as Rachel Baines-Crawford in the ABC sitcom Family Matters. She left the series after four seasons as a regular cast member, to star (with Cindy Williams) as the co-lead of the sitcom Getting By which aired for two seasons (one on ABC, the other on NBC) from 1993 to 1994.[6] She later returned to Family Matters, making recurring appearances in the sixth season and guest-starring in the Season 9 Christmas episode "Deck the Malls" in 1997.

In later years, she appeared as Richard T. Jones' mother in the romantic comedy The Wood (1999), and played Romany Malco's mother in the comedy film The Love Guru (2008). She appeared in JD Lawrence's stage play The Clean Up Woman in October 2008.[7]

From 2002 to 2006, she starred in the UPN sitcom Half & Half alongside Rachel True, Essence Atkins and Valarie Pettiford. She also had recurring roles on The Hughleys and Any Day Now. From 2010 to 2013, she co-starred alongside Terry Crews and Essence Atkins in the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?.[8]

In 2014, she played Martin Lawrence's mother on the FX sitcom Partners.[9][10] In 2016, she was cast as Jerrika Hinton's mother in the ABC comedy pilot Toast, produced by ShondaLand.[11]

In May 2021, it was announced Hopkins had been cast in the role of Denise Tolliver on The Young and the Restless, reuniting her with Family Matters co-star Bryton James.[12]