Estelle Winslow is Carl's streetwise mother, played by the late Rosetta LeNoire from 1989 to 1995 and in 1997. She is one of the main characters.
Background[]
Estelle Thomas (nee Winslow) was born and raised in Chicago, IL on May 3, 1911. She grew up very poor and worked two, sometimes three jobs just to make ends meet.
In 1929, Estelle met her first husband Samuel Winslow. Together, they have 5 children; Carl, Frank, Calvin, Darryl and Walter.
After the death of her husband Sam, she moved in with her son Carl, his wife Harriette and their three children and Harriette's sister-in-law Rachel Crawford and Rachel's son Richie.
Estelle is Harriette's mother-in-law and the biological grandmother of Eddie, Laura and Judy Winslow. She is the adopted grandmother of Harriette and Carl's adopted son 3J. She is very wise and always defensive of her grandchildren. She (unlike all the other Winslows) was a friend of Steve Urkel's for the entire series and loved him like a grandson.
She loved when Steve came to the Winslow house and instead of trying to make him leave like everyone else does, she enjoyed his company. Always inviting him to church with them. Steve always called her "Estelle, my Belle," which she loved and she would reply with, "Hey sugar."
Estelle is street wise and keeps up-to-date with pop culture and trends, much to the surprise of her family. She is always telling her family members of her past history life; like how she met the Queen of England, going on trips around the world, meeting George and Barbara Bush, knowing famous singers.
In later seasons, she begins a relationship with Fletcher Thomas. They met when he was 83 and Estelle was 81. Carl, of course, disapproves of her relationship at first because around the time they started dating, Carl still thought it was too soon after the death of his father Sam. After it took a little while, Carl eventually accepts the relationship between the two.
A few years after they met, Estelle and Fletcher get married and they exchange vows in the Winslow's backyard. At the time of her wedding, Eddie was planning on throwing a party, but Waldo got the dates mixed up on the flyer and ended up making the party the same night as Estelle's wedding. So Estelle was married in the backyard surrounded by her family, friends, and a whole bunch of teenagers. After Estelle and Fletcher got married, they moved to a different city near Chicago only making minor appearances, some without Fletcher. Some of these appearances she did without Fletcher, suggested that he had passed away.
Appearance[]
Estelle is described as a short woman about 5'4". She has dark brown/black hair and wears glasses.
Personality[]
Estelle is vibrant, outspoken elderly woman. She has street smarts and stands up defensively when it comes to her grandchildren. She often criticizes Carl for his weight and how he raises his children.
Relationships[]
Unnamed woman - Mother
Unnamed man - Father
Samuel Winslow - First Husband/Widowed
Fletcher Thomas - Second Husband/Widowed
William Thomas - Father-in-law (deceased)
Carl Winslow - Son
Frank Winslow - Son
Darryl Winslow - Son
Calvin Winslow - Son
Walter Winslow - Son
Harriette Winslow- Daughter-in-law
Edward Winslow - Grandson
Laura Urkel (nee Winslow) - Granddaughter
Judith Winslow - Granddaughter
Jerry Jamal Jameson-Winslow - Adopted grandson
Greta Winslow (nee McClure) - Granddaughter-in-law
Steven Urkel - Grandson-in-law
Rachel Crawford - Harriette's sister
Richie Crawford - Rachel's son
Behind the Scenes[]
According to producer William Bickley, when casting the role of Estelle, it was essential for a veteran actress to assume the role, to add a credibility to the show right out of the gate.
With a career that already spanned fifty years by that point, Rosetta LeNoire was cast almost immediately after her audition, winning the producers over with her stern, yet sweet motherly charm that she brought the character. As the show wore on, the shows creators allowed LeNoire to make the character more fun and comedic.
Already in her late 70’s when cast, she would commit to the show full-time for only the first two seasons. At her request, she was reduced to a recurring character by the midway point of the third season as age and a variety of health issues kept her from being physically capable of handling a full-time schedule.
By the last season, her battle with diabetes had taken a turn for the worse and would only be physically able to appear in one episode of that season, despite initially being written for more.
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