Twenty years after “Family Matters” came to an end, Jo Marie Payton, the actress who gave life to Harriette Winslow, is still sharing her talent with the world. She’s also happily married and has a gorgeous granddaughter that is already following her steps.
Jo Marie Payton has been in the entertainment industry since the early ‘70s, and her career is still up and running.
The 68-year-old actress, better known for her role as Harriette Winslow in the ‘80s sitcom “Family Matters,” has left her print on television by making appearances on series like “Moesha,” “Will & Grace,” “Judging Amy,” “Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns,” “Mann & Wife,” and also lent her voice to Suga Mama Proud on Disney’s animated series “The Proud Family.”
Payton has been married four times and divorced three, and she has one daughter, Chantale France, from her first marriage to Marc France.
Chantale is now a mom too, and her daughter, Kamryn, is already following Jo Marie’s steps into the arts.
The little girl is a dancer and enjoys being on stage, like her grandmother. She can also sing and act and is not shy when it comes to posing for the cameras.
Fans have pointed out that Kamryn is Jo Marie’s twin, as they share a striking family resemblance.
Payton has made sure to guide her granddaughter as she creates her path in the arts, and she also encourages the little girl to pursue her goals and follow her dreams. The actress recently shared a pic of Kamryn posing at a presidential podium, stating that the girl looks "wonderful" in that position, and adding:
"You never know, Any and Everything is Possible. If she Believes it, She Can Achieve it. You go for it Kam. Love You So Much. Grandma."
Aside from working on different series and TV movies, the veteran actress is also mentoring young kids and teenagers through a Cultural Connection Program at the Miramar Community Theatre, where she resides now.
She recently told Sunny.org about the program:
“I hope this program produces individuals that are productive no matter what field they go into. When you have a creative art expression, be it singing, dancing, painting, editing sound, whatever it is, whatever form it is…when you share it, that gift becomes a gift to somebody else, and you don’t know who’s life you’re going to change with it.”
When she’s not teaching or standing in front of the cameras, Payton goes back home to her husband, Leonard Downs, whom she married in 2007.
The lovely couple will soon celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary, and they more in love than ever.
Meanwhile, Payton will appear on two films this year, “Heart of a Champion,” and “Conundrum: Secrets Among Friends.”
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmpqa2hhbXqzscyepJudomK1or7RopytrJVis6K5yKWwZqWRqcGmvtJmqqGdXZy%2Fb7TTpqM%3D