Danielle Spencer's net worth in 2025: From child star to veterinarian
Born on June 24, 1965, in Trenton, New Jersey, Danielle Spencer began her acting career at a young age. She gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Dee Thomas on What's Happening!! , which aired from 1976 to 1979. The show's success led to a sequel series, What's Happening Now!! , where Spencer reprised her role from 1985 to 1988. Transition to Veterinary Medicine
After her acting career, Spencer pursued a degree in veterinary medicine, earning her license in 1996. She practiced as a veterinarian in California and later in Virginia, where she became known for her compassionate care and advocacy for animal rights. Authorship and Public Appearances
In addition to her veterinary work, Spencer authored a memoir titled Through the Fire: Journal of a Child Star , which provided insight into her experiences as a young actress and her journey into adulthood. The book led to renewed interest in her life and career, resulting in appearances on various television programs Financial Overview
Spencer's estimated net worth of $1 million encompasses her earnings from acting, veterinary practice, and writing. While she may not have achieved the financial status of some of her contemporaries, her legacy is marked by her versatility and dedication to both her craft and her community.
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Epoch Times
5 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Danielle Spencer, Who Played Little Sister Dee on ‘What's Happening!!,' Dies at 60
LOS ANGELES—Danielle Spencer, who played the wisecracking and tattling little sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom 'What's Happening!!' has died at 60. Spencer, who became a veterinarian later in life, died Monday at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, after a years-long battle with cancer, family spokesperson Sandra Jones said.
Boston Globe
19 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Danielle Spencer, child star on ‘What's Happening!!,' dies at 60
The show focused on Roger 'Raj' Thomas (Ernest Thomas), Freddie 'Rerun' Stubbs (Fred Berry), and Dwayne Nelson (Haywood Nelson) as they grew up in Los Angeles. Ms. Spencer played Dee, Raj's younger sister, on the original show for 65 episodes, and then again on the reboot, 'What's Happening Now!!,' for 16 episodes. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I had never seen any young Black girl in that type of spotlight, so I didn't have a reference point in the media as to how to deal with this opportunity,' Ms. Spencer told Jet Magazine in 2014. 'I was from the Bronx. What I did was use my own family as the reference on how to portray my character.' Advertisement She became best known for her line 'Ooh, I'm telling Mama,' which fans would regularly say to her for years after. Advertisement 'I chuckle because everyone thinks it's original, so I have to act like it's new every time,' she told Black America Web. Ms. Spencer did not originally get the part after auditioning, she said in an interview with a Richmond CBS affiliate television station in 2016. But a month after her audition, she got a call to head out to Los Angeles — a culture shock for someone who grew up in the Bronx. The character was written as someone who did not hold her tongue and could give as good as she received. Decades after the show went off the air, Ms. Spencer said that her portrayal wasn't inspired by her true personality — at least, not totally. 'I did not have an older brother,' Ms. Spencer told the CBS affiliate. 'However, I had a lot of pent up sassiness because I wanted to be like that. And I had an excuse, so why not?' Danielle Louise Spencer was born June 24, 1965, in the Bronx. Her father, James Spencer, was a civil servant in New York, while her mother, Cheryl (Smith) Spencer, was a schoolteacher. Her acting career began around age 8. 'I realized early on in my acting classes that it was fun memorizing lines, putting on makeup and pretending to be different characters,' she told Jet Magazine. 'Acting really is therapeutic because you're able to relate to your characters and figure out what makes them tick while also infusing your own personality.' After 'What's Happening Now!!' went off the air in 1988, Ms. Spencer studied veterinary medicine at Tuskegee University in Alabama, graduating with a doctorate in 1993. (She obtained an undergraduate degree in marine biology from UCLA.) Advertisement From her telling, her love of animals started as a young girl. 'Ever since I was 5 years old, I can recall bringing my first pet home to my mom,' she told an interviewer in 2012. 'She's like, 'What is this?' I'm saying, 'You have to keep the pet. I mean, you can't throw it out.' And I'm screaming and crying. And she let me.' Her veterinary career lasted several decades. While her acting career mostly stopped with the role of Dee Thomas, she did appear as a veterinarian in the 1997 film 'As Good as It Gets.' During the production of the second season of 'What's Happening!!,' Ms. Spencer and her stepfather, Tim Pelt, were involved in a car crash that ultimately killed Pelt. Ms. Spencer was in a coma for three weeks, with a broken pelvis and limbs. But she healed and returned in time for the show's final season. She later credited Pelt and her mother, Cheryl Pelt, with being huge influences on her acting career, including helping select auditions to attend. In addition to her mother, she is survived by her brother, Jeremy Pelt. Nearly 20 years after the crash, Ms. Spencer developed health problems related to it. In 2004, she began experiencing symptoms of spinal stenosis that left her close to paralysis, and that doctors attributed to the crash. In addition, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and underwent a double mastectomy. She said she leaned on her family to get through it. 'They didn't want me to think of suicide even though I had considered it,' Ms. Spencer recalled in a 2016 interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network. She required emergency brain surgery in 2018. Advertisement In 2016, she was inducted into the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. 'I still can't believe it,' she told Black America Web when she found out about the honor. 'That's something people can look at for years to come, long after I'm gone.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
'What's Happening!! 'Stars Remember Danielle Spencer as Family and Friends Mourn the Actress After Her Death at 60
The actress died on Monday, Aug. 11. surrounded by familyNEED TO KNOW Danielle Spencer starred as Dee Thomas on What's Happening!! from 1976 to 1979 Costar Haywood Nelson publicly announced that Thomas died of cancer at age 60 on Monday, Aug. 11 Other What's Happening!! cast members and guest stars are remembering Spencer for her bright spiritDanielle Spencer is being remembered for her bright spirit by her fellow What's Happening!! cast members. The actress, best known for her role as Dee Thomas in the 1976 sitcom, is being honored by her costars following news of her death at 60. News of her death was first shared publicly by Haywood Nelson, who played Dwayne Clemens Nelson on the show. The post indicates the actress died on Monday, Aug. 11. "Brilliance! It comes in a great many forms. We all have them and we all have this family's - Dr. Danielle Spencer," the post miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "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." Nelson continued, "We have lost a daughter, sister, family member, What's Happening cast member, veterinarian animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our Shero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embraced." Ernest Lee Thomas Thomas, who played Dee's big brother Raj, shared his own tribute, writing, " 'No more suffering' for my baby sister DR. DANIELLE SPENCER. She decided at 9 years old I was going to be her big brother for life." "A month ago, I had made arrangements for her to move to LA. A mutual friend, Darren Dill, was going to give her the master bedroom and a retired Christian couple, also great friends, Kirk and Lois Roberts, were going to be her caretakers. But she wanted to wait until her bed sores were healed," Thomas revealed. "I got news last night from Haywood Nelson that Danielle's mother said she had passed. My body tightened and stiffened like it was extremely heavy and waves of emotions came over me. I am happy she was with her mother and brother when she transitioned. I thank GOD for giving me 49 years of a supernatural friendship, millions of laughs, countless days worshiping our Savior CHRIST JESUS. Grateful but full of tears. 2 Corinthians 5:8 'ABSENT FROM THE BODY PRESENT WITH THE LORD.' " Jeremy Pelt Danielle's brother, Jeremy Pelt, shared a heartfelt message about how much his sister meant to him, alongside photos of their memories together throughout the years. "August 11, 2025 will forever be a reminder of the day that I lost a big part of myself. After many years, my big sister, Dr. Danielle Louise Spencer lost her battle with cancer," he began. "Many of you knew her as 'Dee,' but she was more than a child actress. She was a friend, an auntie to my three children who adored her, she was a daughter- and in many ways, my mother's best friend, she was a veterinarian, she was someone who always remained positive even during her darkest days fighting this disease. And she was MY sister and protector." Holly Robinson Peete Holly Robinson Peete recalled first meeting Danielle as teenagers and developing a special bond. "Oh, this is just gutting 💔💔💔 I'm so sad to hear about the loss of this beautiful woman who I met in 1977 when we were just 13. We hit it off immediately. We went to junior high school together when she wasn't taping What's Happening and I spent a lot of time on that set," she shared. "Danielle was such a brilliant as an actress-comedian. Her 'Dee' was HILARIOUS Her comedic timing was absolutely perfect!! She should've won all the Emmys! I mean she would just walk on set and the audience would be ready to laugh. Few actors on sitcoms had that super power…" Read the original article on People
