Tyler Perry really did something when he moved to OWN. It changed everything. Before The Haves and the Have Nots premiered in 2013, nobody knew if a soap opera-style primetime drama could survive on a network that was still finding its footing. Then came Jim Cryer. Then came Hanna Young. Suddenly, Tuesday nights belonged to Savannah, Georgia.
The cast of Have or Have Nots didn't just play characters; they lived through eight seasons of some of the most chaotic, high-stakes television ever produced. People forget how massive those ratings were. We’re talking millions of viewers watching a show that was essentially a modern Greek tragedy wrapped in a political thriller. The chemistry between the "Haves" (the wealthy, corrupt Cryers and Harringtons) and the "Have Nots" (the struggling but resilient Young family) was electric. It wasn't just about money. It was about power, religion, and the skeletons that people bury in their backyards. Literally.
Honestly, the show felt like a fever dream sometimes. One minute Jim Cryer is running for Governor, the next his son Wyatt is causing a hit-and-run that changes the trajectory of every single character on the canvas. If you weren't there for the live tweets during the mid-season finales, you missed a specific era of internet culture.
The Power Players: Tika Sumpter and Crystal Fox
When you talk about the cast of Have or Have Nots, you have to start with Candace Young. Tika Sumpter was already a rising star, but Candace turned her into a household name. Candace wasn't a hero. She wasn't exactly a villain either. She was a survivor with a law degree and a chip on her shoulder the size of Georgia. Sumpter played her with this cool, calculated exterior that occasionally cracked to show a woman desperate for the love she never got from her mother. Since the show wrapped in 2021, Sumpter has pivoted hard into film. You’ve seen her as Maddie in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, which is a wild 180 from the dark halls of the Cryer mansion. She’s also been producing, focusing on stories that highlight the Black experience without the "struggle porn" tropes.
Then there’s Crystal Fox. If Tika was the fire, Fox was the earth. As Hanna Young, she had the hardest job on the show. She had to play a woman who was constantly being kicked by life but refused to let go of her faith. Fox’s performance was so grounded it felt like she was in a different show entirely sometimes. After the series ended, she didn't slow down. She had a major role in Big Little Lies alongside Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. Think about that jump. From a Tyler Perry soap to an Emmy-winning HBO prestige drama. It proves how much talent was actually in that cast.
John Schneider and the Cryer Legacy
John Schneider was a casting masterstroke. To a whole generation, he was Bo Duke. To another, he was Jonathan Kent on Smallville. But as Jim Cryer, he was a monster. A charming, silver-tongued monster. Schneider brought a level of gravitas to the show that made the political subplots actually believable. Watching him trade barbs with Angela Robinson, who played his icy wife Veronica Harrington, was the highlight of most episodes.
Veronica Harrington might be the most terrifying character in TV history. Angela Robinson played her like a shark in a Chanel suit. Fans loved to hate her. Whether she was burning down a house or manipulating her son Jeffery, Robinson never missed a beat. Since the show ended, she has remained active in theater—her true home—while appearing in various TV guest spots. She’s one of those actors who is so nice in real life that it makes her performance as the "Ice Queen" even more impressive.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Cast of Hold Your Breath 2024 Makes This Dust Bowl Horror Actually Work
What happened to the Harrington and Cryer children?
The younger cast of Have or Have Nots members had a rough ride. Gavin Houston, who played Jeffery Harrington, had to navigate a coming-out story that was both heartbreaking and frustratingly slow. Houston has since appeared in several TV movies, maintaining a steady career in the industry.
Aaron O'Connell, the man behind Wyatt Cryer, was the show’s resident "troubled soul." Wyatt was constantly in rehab, in jail, or in a hospital bed. O'Connell has stayed close to the Hallmark and Great American Family circles, which is a much more wholesome vibe than Wyatt’s drug-fueled downward spirals. It’s funny how that works out.
The Supporting Characters Who Stole the Show
You can't discuss the cast of Have or Have Nots without mentioning Peter Parros as David Harrington. He was the "moral center" who wasn't actually that moral. Parros brought a calmness to the chaos. Then there was Renee Lawless as Katheryn Cryer. Early on, Katheryn seemed like a pushover, but by the end, she was holding shotguns and taking no prisoners. Lawless has been very vocal on social media about her love for the fans, often sharing behind-the-scenes memories that keep the fandom alive years later.
Let’s talk about the villains for a second. Rodney Perry as Tommy? No, let's look at the "Malone" family and the various henchmen. The show thrived on secondary characters who would show up, ruin someone’s life, and disappear.
Why the show’s ending left fans divided
The finale of The Haves and the Have Nots was... polarizing. To put it mildly. After eight years of buildup, the way the stories wrapped up (or didn't) felt rushed to many. Some characters met violent ends that felt a bit gratuitous, even for a show known for its high body count. Tyler Perry has always been a "one-man writers' room," and while that allows for a singular vision, it also means some plot holes never got filled.
Despite the controversial ending, the impact on the careers of the cast of Have or Have Nots is undeniable. It was a training ground. They filmed at a breakneck pace—sometimes 80 to 100 pages a day. If you can survive a Tyler Perry set, you can survive anything in Hollywood.
🔗 Read more: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
The "Tyler Perry Effect" on the Actors' Careers
It's interesting to look at how the industry views actors from this show. For a long time, there was a stigma around "soap" acting. But the cast of Have or Have Nots broke that. Look at Tyler Lepley, who played Benny Young. He went from being "Hanna's son" to a lead in P-Valley and Harlem. He's a legitimate leading man now.
Lepley’s transition is probably the most successful of the younger cast. He managed to take the physical presence he used as a construction worker on OWN and refine it into something much more nuanced for Starz and Amazon. He’s proof that the show was a launchpad.
Where can you watch them now?
If you're looking to catch up with the cast of Have or Have Nots today, here is a quick breakdown:
- Tika Sumpter: Catch her in the Sonic movies or the musical film The Underdoggs.
- Tyler Lepley: He’s a series regular on P-Valley (as Diamond) and Harlem (as Ian).
- John Schneider: He stays busy with independent films and his own studio in Louisiana, though he’s been in the news more for his personal life and political commentary lately.
- Crystal Fox: Check out the movie A Fall from Grace on Netflix—another Tyler Perry project where she absolutely shines.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
People think it was just a "Black soap opera." That’s a lazy take. The show was one of the few on television that actively engaged with the class divide in the South. It showed how the legal system protects the wealthy (the Cryers) while punishing the poor (the Youngs) for the exact same crimes.
The cast of Have or Have Nots had to balance these heavy themes with sometimes over-the-top dialogue. It’s a specific skill. You have to play the melodrama with 100% sincerity, or the audience checks out. They never blinked. Even when the scripts got wild—like the whole storyline with the secret daughter in the basement—the actors stayed committed.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you’re a fan of the show or looking to follow in the footsteps of this cast, there are a few things you should actually do.
💡 You might also like: Is Heroes and Villains Legit? What You Need to Know Before Buying
1. Study the Pace
If you're an actor, watch an episode and then realize they likely filmed that entire episode in one or two days. The level of memorization and emotional availability required for the cast of Have or Have Nots was insane. Use it as a masterclass in "working fast."
2. Follow the "Alumni" on Social Media
Most of the cast, especially Renee Lawless and Gavin Houston, are very active on Instagram. They often share "Throwback Thursday" content that gives insight into the technical side of the production.
3. Binge the Right Way
The show is currently streaming on the Discovery+ and MAX platforms (depending on your region). If you haven't seen it in a while, re-watch the first two seasons. The tension between Candace and Jim in those early episodes is some of the best cat-and-mouse writing Perry has ever done.
The legacy of the show isn't just the drama on screen. It’s how it paved the way for other diverse dramas on cable. Before Empire, before Power, there was The Haves and the Have Nots proving that there was a massive, hungry audience for these stories. The cast members have moved on to bigger budgets and different roles, but for many of us, they will always be the residents of Savannah, fighting for a seat at a table that was never meant for them.
To truly appreciate the work of the cast of Have or Have Nots, you have to look past the "soap" label. You have to see the hustle. These actors didn't just show up; they carried a network on their backs for nearly a decade. That’s a legacy worth more than any plot twist.