Career

Music

Hopkins started her career as a background singer in Detroit, Michigan, singing on many of the Golden World and Motown hits and working with legendary acts like The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye. She also sang back up for Isaac Hayes and can be heard famously exclaiming "Shut your mouth!" on Hayes' hit song "Theme From Shaft" as well as the hip hop track "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". In 1971, Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson were recruited by Tony Orlando to form the vocal group Dawn. (Orlando had released the singles "Candida" and "Knock Three Times", recorded with session vocalists Linda November and Toni Wine backing him, under the name Dawn; when the singles charted, Orlando found himself needing to assemble an actual backing group to tour and record with.) 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 (entitled Tony Orlando and Dawn) from 1974-1976. In 1977, Tony Orlando and Dawn announced their retirement.

Television and film

In 1979, Hopkins has 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. She also guest-starred on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and The New Odd Couple during early 1980s.

In 1983, Hopkins joined the cast of NBC sitcom Gimme a Break! starring Nell Carter. She played Adelaide "Addy" Wilson, Nell's childhood friend, to 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 season as regular cast member, making guest appearances in later years to its finale in 1997. She left Family Matters for starring as series' lead in ABC sitcom Getting By which aired from 1993 to 1994.

Hopkins also has had number of supporting film roles. She played Engineer Ruth "Ruthie" Raines in 1984 science fiction film Trancers starring Tim Thomerson and Helen Hunt, and its sequels Trancers II (1991) and Trancers III (1992). In later years, she appeared as Richard T. Jones' mother in 1999 romantic comedy film The Wood, and in 2008 played Romany Malco's mother in the comedy film The Love Guru. She starred in the play JD Lawrence's The Clean Up Woman in October 2008.

From 2002 to 2006, Hopkins starred in the UPN sitcom Half & Half alongside Rachel True, Essence Atkins and Valarie Pettiford. She had the 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?. In 2014, she played Martin Lawrence's mother on the FX sitcom Partners. In 2016, she was cast as Jerrika Hinton' mother in the ABC comedy pilot Toast produced by ShondaLand.

Personal life

Hopkins was born in Louisville, Kentucky. She raised in Highland Park, Michigan. She has one son from marriage.

Hopkins often volunteers her time for charitable causes. She has worked with Caring For Babies with AIDS, Act on Arthritis, and the PTA. She also mentors children. Hopkins remains a huge supporter of inspirational radio and granted permission for The Jazz Joy and Roy radio show to use her supportive remarks on the program's promos. Hopkins said to Jazz Joy and Roy, "I was raised by a grandmother who told me I could do whatever I wanted to do, as long as I was willing to work hard for it...."

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	The Kid with the Broken Halo	Gail Desautel	Television film
1984	Trancers	Ruth "Ruthie" Raines
1988	Pulse Pounders	Ruth "Ruthie" Raines	Cameo
1990	Vital Signs	Dr. Kennan
1990	How to Murder a Millionaire	Teresa
1991	Trancers II	Ruth "Ruthie" Raines
1992	Trancers III	Ruth "Ruthie" Raines
1999	The Wood	Slim's Mother
2001	Down to Earth	Woman in Audience	Cameo
2001	Rain		Short film
2008	The Love Guru	Lillian Roanoke
2013	Trancers: City of Lost Angels	Ruth "Ruthie" Raines	Short film
2015	Welcome to the Family	Deborah	Television film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974-1976	Tony Orlando and Dawn	Herself
1979	Roots: The Next Generations	Daisy	Miniseries
1979-1980	A New Kind of Family	Jess Ashton	Series regular, 5 episodes
1980-1982	Bosom Buddies	Isabelle Hammond	Series regular, 37 episodes
1982-1983	The New Odd Couple	Frances	Episodes: "Frances Moves In" and "Oscar Dates Felix's Frances"
1984	Fantasy Island	Doris Wilson	Episode: "Bojangles and the Dancer/Deuces Are Wild"
1979-1985	The Love Boat		4 episodes
1983-1987	Gimme a Break!	Addy Wilson	Series regular, 68 episodes
1988	Amen	Charlotte Holloway	Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues"
1989-1997	Family Matters	Rachel Crawford	Series regular, 93 episodes
1993-1994	Getting By	Dolores Dixon	Series regular, 31 episodes
1995	Women of the House	Officer Rhoda	Episode: "The Conjugal Cottage"
1997	The Nanny	Lila Baker	Episode: "Fran's Roots"
1998	ER	Carlene	Episode: "Think Warm Thoughts"
2000	Suddenly Susan	Denise	Episode: "The Reversal"
2001	For Your Love	Miss Hope	Episode: "The Next Best Thing"
1999-2001	The Hughleys	Paulette Williams	5 episodes
2000-2001	Any Day Now	Judge Wilma Evers	4 episodes
2002-2006	Half & Half	Phyllis Thorne	Series regular, 91 episodes
2008	Psych	Phylis Gaffney	Episode: "There's Something About Mira"
2010-2013	Are We There Yet?	Marilyn Persons	Series regular, 90 episodes
2013	Getting On	Beverly Raymes	Episode: "Born on the Fourth of July"
2014	Partners	Ruth Jackson	Series regular, 10 episodes
2012-2014	Lab Rats	Grandma Rose	3 episodes
2015	K.C. Undercover	Miss Holley	Episode: "Debutante Baller"

Charities

Telma Hopkins supports the following charitable causes: Breast Cancer, Cancer.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]