Danielle Spencer

Danielle Spencer is an American actress and former child star best known for her role as Dee Thomas on the ABC sitcom What's Happening!!, which ran from 1976 until 1979. She would later reprise the role on the series' sequel, What's Happening Now!! Life and career Spencer was born in Trenton, New Jersey on June 24, 1965 to writer Cheryl Pelt, who separated from her husband when Spencer was very young. Spencer considered her mother's next husband, Tim Pelt, to be her father. The family relocated to the Bronx, New York. Spencer became an actress around the age of eight and began taking acting classes. In 1976, Spencer was cast as younger sister Dee Thomas on the show What's Happening!!, which was loosely based on the film Cooley High. The show was a summer mid-season replacement, but performed so well in its time slot that a full second season was ordered. On September 7, 1977, during the second season of the show, Spencer and her stepfather Tim Pelt were involved a severe car accident that left Spencer in a coma for three weeks and caused Pelt's death. Pelt's fatal injuries were caused by trying to protect Spencer during the crash. Spencer has no memories of the accident and spent six months recuperating in arm and leg casts. After the cancellation of the show in 1979, Spencer and her mother relocated to Africa for a time. Upon her return, she attended the University of California-Davis to earn a degree in veterinary medicine, a pursuit that was encouraged by her late stepfather. As syndicated reruns of the 65 What's Happening!! episodes had done well, in some markets eclipsing the show's ratings during its network run, in 1985 a sequel series was created called What's Happening Now!!. Spencer played Dee in various episodes over the sequel's three-season run while attending college. While in her sophomore year, she pledged and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. After What's Happening Now!! was canceled in 1988, Spencer attended Tuskegee University Veterinary School in Tuskegee, Alabama. She became a veterinarian in 1996. Spencer considers herself to be in semi-retirement from show business, but still acts occasionally. In 1997, she portrayed a veterinarian in the hit film As Good as It Gets and appeared in Peter Rabbit and the Crucifix in 2001. She continues to act in small roles in film and television when it does not conflict with her veterinary practice.