We all remember the kid. The one with the wide eyes and the perfectly round afro who somehow managed to be the only person in the Winslow household who actually liked Steve Urkel. For most of the '90s, Bryton McClure—now known professionally as Bryton James—was the heartbeat of the subplots on Family Matters. But if you’re looking for a tragic child star story here, you’re gonna be disappointed.
Honestly, Bryton's journey from the living room of 15 Chalet Court to becoming a soap opera titan is one of the weirdest, most successful transitions in Hollywood history.
Growing Up Winslow
Bryton didn't just stumble into the role of Richie Crawford. He started in commercials at age two, even filming a spot with Michael Jackson. By the time he was four, he joined the cast of Family Matters in 1990. He wasn't even a Winslow by blood; he was the son of Rachel Crawford (Telma Hopkins), Harriette's sister.
It's kinda wild to think about how much pressure was on those kids. While Jaleel White was carrying the show on his suspenders, Bryton was the "innocent" lens. He appeared in over 200 episodes. He literally grew up on that set. Most people don't realize that by the time the show moved to CBS for its final season, the "little" Richie we remembered was a full-on pre-teen.
The Real Family Matters: Life After the Sitcom
When the show finally folded in 1998, a lot of child actors would have just... vanished. Not Bryton. He actually took a hard pivot into music. His dad, Eric McClure, was a songwriter and producer, so the music was in his DNA. He actually became a massive pop star in Germany for a minute. No, seriously. His single "Ooh, the Way I Feel About You" blew up on German TV.
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But the "family" aspect of Family Matters never really left him. He’s still incredibly tight with his TV mom, Telma Hopkins. In 2020, they even had a "reunion" when she joined the cast of The Young and the Restless for a guest arc. He’s also the godfather to the children of several of his current co-stars.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Personal Life
There’s been a lot of chatter lately about Bryton McClure’s family matters in the real world. For a long time, he was the guy who "never grew up" in the eyes of fans. Then he married Ashley Leisinger in 2011. They divorced a few years later but stayed so close that people were genuinely confused about their status.
Fast forward to 2025/2026, and things got complicated. Bryton married dancer Jahaira James in March 2025. It seemed like the perfect "adult" chapter. But by October of that same year, he filed for divorce.
Here is the kicker: Bryton is very open about the fact that he doesn't want children.
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"It’s something I’ve always kind of known... it wasn't something that has been as concrete as it is now." — Bryton James on the State of Mind podcast.
He’s mentioned that his views on marriage as an "institution" have shifted significantly. He doesn't see himself doing the traditional family thing again. In a world where we expect child stars to recreate the "perfect" TV families they grew up in, Bryton is basically choosing his own path.
The Animated Future of the Winslows
If you’re craving a "Richie" comeback, you might actually get it, but not how you think. Bryton has been the driving force behind a Family Matters animated reboot. He’s already got most of the original cast on board, including Jaleel White. He’s been pitching it to Warner Bros., trying to take the old episodes and modernize them for a new generation.
Basically, he wants to preserve the legacy of the show that raised him while acknowledging that the world has changed since 1997.
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Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're following Bryton's career today, here’s how to stay in the loop:
- Watch the Pipeline: If you miss the Family Matters energy, watch The Young and the Restless. The "pipeline" is real—Darius McCrary (Eddie Winslow) and Telma Hopkins have both appeared alongside Bryton on the soap.
- Voice Over Work: If you don't watch soaps, you've probably heard him. He’s a prolific voice actor, voicing Virgil Hawkins (Static) in Young Justice and characters in Star Wars Rebels.
- Charity Legacy: He’s still involved with RADD (Recording Artists, Actors, and Athletes Against Drunk Driving), a charity he actually founded way back in 1996 when he was still on the sitcom.
Bryton McClure managed to survive the "child star curse" by being incredibly honest about who he is. He isn't Richie Crawford anymore, and he’s totally fine with that. He's a two-time Emmy winner who values his privacy and his unconventional "family" of co-stars over the traditional Hollywood narrative.
To keep up with the latest on the animated reboot, keep an eye on his production updates through Warner Bros. Discovery announcements. If that show gets the green light, it’ll be the first time the original "family" is back together in over twenty-five years.