Tika Sumpter didn't just play Candace Young; she lived in that skin for eight seasons. If you watched OWN at any point between 2013 and 2021, you know the grip this show had on Tuesday nights. Tyler Perry’s The Have and the Have Nots was a chaotic, high-octane soap opera that basically kept the lights on at the network for years. It was a bridge. It bridged the gap between old-school daytime soaps and the new era of prestige "Black Hollywood" dramas.
People still talk about the finale. Honestly, they usually talk about how much they hated it—that abrupt, violent ending that left a dozen plot holes wide open. But the actors? They were the ones who sold the madness. You had veterans like John Schneider rubbing shoulders with newcomers who were just trying to find their footing in Atlanta’s booming film scene.
The Have and the Have Nots Cast Members: Breaking Down the Power Players
Let’s talk about Tika Sumpter first. She was the engine. Before she was Candace, she was on One Life to Live, so she knew the soap rhythm. Since the show wrapped, she hasn’t slowed down, though she shifted gears significantly. You’ve probably seen her in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise playing Maddie Wachowski. It's a total 180 from the manipulative, vengeful Candace. She also produced and starred in Mixed-ish. Sumpter is one of the few who successfully jumped from the "Tyler Perry soap" stigma into mainstream, big-budget studio films.
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Then there’s Angela Robinson.
If there was an award for "Best Villain You Love to Hate," Veronica Harrington wins. Hands down. Robinson brought a theatrical, almost Shakespearean level of menace to the role. Interestingly, she’s a massive theater nerd in real life. After the show, she went back to her roots, doing a lot of stage work and acting coaching. She’s very active on the convention circuit and often speaks about how playing such a "dark" character required a lot of mental decompressing. She didn't just walk off set and go to dinner; she had to shake Veronica off.
The Cryer Family and the Fall from Grace
John Schneider (Jim Cryer) was already a legend because of Dukes of Hazzard. He brought a certain "TV royalty" gravitas to the set. His life post-show has been... complicated. He’s been very vocal about his political views and has dealt with significant personal loss, including the passing of his wife, Alicia Allain, in 2023. Professionally, he stays busy with independent films and country music. He’s the kind of guy who never stops working.
Renee Lawless, who played the long-suffering Katheryn Cryer, is probably the most active on social media when it comes to engaging with the "Haves" fanbase. She’s become a bit of a lifestyle guru. She does a lot of theater and has been an advocate for various charitable causes. Her transition from the cold, regal Katheryn to her real-life bubbly persona is always a shock to fans who meet her at grocery stores.
Why We Still Care About These Characters
The show was a mess sometimes. Let’s be real. The pacing was erratic. The dialogue was repetitive. But the have and have nots cast members gave it a soul that transcended the scripts.
Think about Tyler Lepley. He played Benny Young.
Lepley was a breakout star. He had the "it" factor. Since the show ended, his career has arguably seen the most consistent upward trajectory in television. He landed a lead role in P-Valley as Diamond, which is a much more grounded, gritty performance compared to the soapiness of HAHN. He’s also a staple in the Harlem cast on Amazon Prime. Lepley managed to avoid being typecast as just "the handsome brother," proving he had the range to handle more "prestige" cable writing.
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- Gavin Houston (Jeffrey Harrington): He’s been working steadily in TV movies, specifically for Lifetime and Hallmark. He remains a fan favorite for his portrayal of Jeffrey's complex coming-out journey.
- Crystal Fox (Hanna Young): She is a powerhouse. After HAHN, she delivered a stunning performance in Big Little Lies Season 2 alongside Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. Let that sink in. She went from a Tyler Perry set to a scene with Meryl Streep and she held her own. That speaks volumes about the talent level Perry recruits.
The Controversy of the Ending
We can't talk about the cast without talking about that finale.
It was a bloodbath. It felt rushed. Many of the actors have hinted in interviews—though they stay professional because you don't want to bite the hand that feeds—that the ending was a surprise to them too. Peter Parros, who played David Harrington, has talked about the bond the cast shared despite the grueling shooting schedule. Perry is famous for shooting an entire season in like, two weeks. That creates a "trench warfare" bond among actors. They aren't just co-workers; they are survivors of a 14-hour-a-day filming marathon.
Aaron O'Connell, the man behind Wyatt Cryer, has mostly stepped back from the Hollywood grind to focus on his private pilot's license and his family. He still pops up in the occasional holiday movie, but he seems to have found a balance that doesn't involve the 24/7 drama of a hit series.
The Impact on the Industry
The show proved that there was a massive, underserved audience for "Black Dynasty." It paved the way for shows like Empire and Greenleaf. When you look at the have and have nots cast members, you're looking at a group of people who proved that niche cable dramas could pull numbers that rivaled network TV.
Realities of the "Perry" Pipeline
There is a specific career path for people who work with Tyler Perry. You either use it as a springboard to the "A-list" like Crystal Fox and Tika Sumpter, or you become a permanent fixture in the "Perry-verse," moving from one OWN or BET+ show to another. Neither path is bad. It’s a job.
But for the fans, the transition is hard. Seeing "Hanna Young" play a different character feels like a betrayal because Crystal Fox made us care so deeply about that woman’s faith and her struggles.
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Actionable Steps for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you're still mourning the end of the show or if you're looking to follow in these actors' footsteps, here's the "real talk" on what to do next:
- Watch the "Post-Haves" Catalog: To truly appreciate the range of these actors, watch Crystal Fox in A Fall from Grace or Tyler Lepley in P-Valley. It will completely change how you view their time on HAHN.
- Study the Shooting Style: If you're an actor, look into the "Tyler Perry Method." It's controversial because it’s so fast, but it’s a masterclass in being prepared. There are no "take 20s" on that set. You have to know your lines, your marks, and your emotional beats the moment you walk in.
- Follow the Projects, Not Just the People: Many of these cast members have moved into producing. Tika Sumpter is a great example. If you liked her work, support her production company, Sumpter Media.
- Engage with the Archive: OWN still cycles the reruns. If you're analyzing the performances, look at the middle seasons (3 through 5). That was the peak of the ensemble's chemistry, specifically the scenes between Angela Robinson and Peter Parros. The nuance in their "warring spouse" dynamic is actually quite sophisticated if you look past the melodrama.
The legacy of the show isn't the plot—it's the people. The have and have nots cast members took a script that was often over-the-top and grounded it in something human. That’s why, years later, the "Haves" family still feels like a group of people we actually know.