Family Matters Trivia: What happened to Randy Josselyn who portrayed Rodney Beckett?

Do you remember Rodney Beckett?

As I watch television series from the 1980s and 1990s, I often wonder about the young actors who entertained us and where they are now. One I thought of recently was Randy Josselyn, whose face was all over television screens. He was best known for portraying Rodney Beckett, a good friend of Eddie Winslow (Darius McCray) in seven episodes of Family Matters in seasons one and two from 1989 to 1990.

Fans might recall some of his sayings, like "I'm Rodney, but my friends call me Rod-meister."Rodney was one of the few White friends of Eddie, and he barely tolerated Steve Urkel (Jaleel White).

The character debuted in the episode Straight A's, on October 20, 1989. Rodney tricks Eddie by allowing him to believe he has all A's on his report card. In his second appearance, Rodney was instrumental in Eddie disobeying his parents in "The Party" when Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson) and Harriet Winslow ( Joy Marie Peyton) told him "No friends allowed" while they were out for the evening.

Where Rodney goes, trouble follows

The Rodmeister showed up with pizza, and eventually, many teens were in the house, and a party began. In his second appearance, Rodney helped Urkel during In A Jam, when he alerted Eddie that Steve was not exaggerating and a bully was after him.

In The Candidate, Rodney signs Eddie up for a debate when he decides to run for class president. Rodney was a member of Eddie's band in Rock Video and in Dog Day Halloween, Rodney dressed up like Don King.

I don't recall Eddie hanging out at Rodney's house. I don't remember seeing Beckett's parents or hearing that he had any siblings. He was a practical joker and was often at the Winslow home or the high school, interacting with Eddie, Laura Winslow (Kelly Shanygne Williams), and Steve. I am certain that someone reading is recalling the character based on the episodes he appeared in.

Josselyn's additional roles

Josselyn is a television and film actor who was born on February 1, 1974, but where is he now? There is no record online of what he is doing in later life, but he was active in his craft in the early years. His career began in 1984, when he appeared in 104 episodes of the TBS series Down to Earth as J.J. Preston

In addition to Family Matters, he appeared in four films: Too Good to Be True, Fever Lake, Sworn to Vengeance, and was the title character in Andy Colby's Incredible Adventure.

He also had roles in popular TV series, including 7th Heaven, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Picket Fences, Sister Sister, Blossom, Punky Brewster, and Full House.

The end for Rodney

The actor's final episode of Family Matters was Fast Eddie Winslow, which aired on November 30, 1990. Steve and Rodney accompany their friend to a pool hall where Eddie loses money to a hustler, and all three teens are threatened.

They are saved when Carl and Mother Estelle Winslow ( Rosetta LeNoire) arrive. The last credited role for Randy Josselyn was close to twenty-five years ago. He portrayed a dean in the MTV television series Undressed in 1999.

Randy Josselyn's character is fondly remembered

In Season 3 of Family Matters, Waldo Geraldo Faldo (Shawn Harrison), who had previously been a minor character, became Eddie's bestie. Rodney was not mentioned again.

No reason was given for why the character did not return, but looking back, it appears the producers wanted to focus on the dynamic between Waldo and Maxine Johnson ( Cherie Johnson), the best friend of Laura, and Steve and Laura's relationship. Wherever Randy Josselyn is today, Family Matters fans still enjoy his character on retro channels and streaming services.