Telma Hopkins first became known as a singer and member of “Tony Orlando and Dawn”, a music group that produced numerous chart hits in the 1970s. The group also led their own television show “Tony Orlando and Dawn”, which ran on CBS for three seasons. After the group’s first breakup in 1977, Hopkins finally ventured into acting, and from the early 1980s onwards, she regularly played roles in many popular sitcoms, including Bosom Buddies, Gimme a Break!, Family Matters, and Getting By.
As for the opening credits, Hopkins is best known for her role as Ruth Raines in the sci-fi film series Trancers. Since the turn of the century, she has also had regular roles on television, appearing in sitcoms such as Half & Half, Are We There Yet? and Partners. She has also performed several times with her music group Tony Orlando and Dawn, and her career as a singer is still very active today.
Telma Hopkins – Biography
Telma Hopkins was born on October 28, 1948. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but grew up with her grandmother in Highland Park, Michigan. She started as a background singer and worked on some hit songs produced by the legendary Motown Records. She also sang as a background singer for extremely successful music groups such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, and The Four Tops.
In 1971 Telma Hopkins was recruited by Tony Orlando alongside Joyce Vincent Wilson to form a three-piece music group called “Dawn”. Orlando had previously released two chart-topping singles under the name “Dawn”, “Candida” and “Knock Three Times”, so he decided to form a real band with which he could tour and record more songs. The group was a mega success, releasing 16 top 40 singles, including 3 number one hits. The band also had their own self-titled TV show Tony Orlando and Dawn (1974-76) on ABC. Despite these successes, they disbanded in 1977.
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Movies And TV Shows
A woman of many talents, Hopkins quickly began acting in the late 1970s. She received her first regular role in the short-lived sitcom A New Kind of Family (1979-80). She received a larger role as Isabelle Hammond in the sitcom Bosom Buddies (1980-82). She was also in the main cast of several other hit sitcoms; as Addy Wilson in Gimme a Break! (1983-87), as Rachel Crawford in Family Matters (1989-97) and as Dolores Dixon in Getting By (1993-94).
At the turn of the century, Telma Hopkins continued her dominance on the small screen when she earned a place in the leading role of Half & Half (2002-06) in the regular series Phyllis Thorne. Her next major television role was in the ice cube sitcom Are We There Yet Yet? (2010-13), in which she played the role of Marilyn Persons. The talented actress also appeared in the one-season sitcom Partners (2014), along with several guest appearances on other television shows.
Hopkins has obviously had the biggest roles in her television career, but she also has some remarkable film appearances to her credit. She is best known to film lovers for her role as Ruth “Ruthie” Raines in the science fiction franchise Trancers, which includes Trancers (1984), Trancers II (1991), Trancers III (1992), and Trancers: City of the Lost Angels (2013). Her other film credits include The Wood (1999), Down to Earth (2001), and The Love Guru (2008).
Telma Hopkins Family Life
Telma Hopkins married Donald B. Alen in 1970. Their union lasted several years and they had a child together, a son named JD. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1977.
More Facts About the Actress and Singer
Her music exploits
At the peak of her musical career in the 1970s, Telma Hopkins recorded up to 13 albums with the music group Tony Orlando and Dawn. After their first separation in 1977, the group reunited several times to record new music and also perform together. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Award
This multi-talent has received several awards during her long acting career. For her performance in the series Half & Half, she received the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series at the BET Comedy Awards 2005.