Waldo Geraldo Faldo (Born March 6, 1970) was portrayed by actor Shawn Harrison and part of Family Matters from 1990 to 1996. In Season 2 and 3, he was a recurring character. From Season 4 to Season 7, he was a main character.
Character Background[]
For most of the time Waldo was featured on the show, he was friends with Eddie Winslow (the son of the show's main characters, Carl and Harriette Winslow) and the Winslows' quintessential nerdy and bothersome neighbor, Steve Urkel. He once started off as the sidekick to resident bully Willie Fuffner, but has grown out of it.
Like Urkel (the show's most famous character), Waldo was an outlandish, almost surrealistic character. While Urkel was the resident nerd, Waldo was the resident idiot. Waldo has reached the point where he even annoys Urkel. Waldo was discovered to be a great chef and a talented tap dancer after being tricked into taking tap dancing class. Waldo has also been afraid to walk, until he was ten.
Waldo's most famous trait was his dimwitted-ness and uncanny ability to misinterpret a simple question, comment, or directive. Waldo discovered, however, in Food, Lies, and Videotape that he is a culinary prodigy which led him to get an A in home economics which was a big thing for him to swallow. His catchphrases include: "Cool", "No prob, Bob!", and "Sup!". Despite his lack of intelligence, he has shown that he has a sense of morality in three key episodes. The first was in A Test of Friendship, when he told Eddie off that cheating is wrong and he should've known better. The second was in Talk's Cheap, when he called Laura, Eddie, Myra and Myrtle back to their senses with Stefan’s help. The third time was in Tips For a Better Life, when Waldo refused to let a recently kicked out Eddie move in with him. He tells him off, saying that if anyone drinks at a party and insults friends, they are no friends of his. He tells Eddie that the guy Eddie is when he drinks isn't a friend of Eddie or Waldo. The two are friends by the next episode.
Waldo would date around with other girls, including Laura — until meeting the girl of his dreams, Maxine.
Behind the Scenes[]
While originally cast in the first season episode The Party as a one-off character, Shawn Harrison made a huge impression on the producers, landing the role of Waldo Faldo in the second season.
While initially cast as the sidekick to the bullies on the show, the character was quickly repurposed as Eddie’s best friend. When not acting, Harrison became educated in many other talents, including cooking and dancing. Both of which were incorporated into his character throughout the course of the show.
Harrison’s comedic timing and wit made him a hit with fans and this led to far more screen time as the show wore on.
According to Harrison and co-star Jo Marie Peyton, she and the rest of the adult cast essentially adopted Harrison and looked after him. Harrison had unfortunately lost his mother early into his run on the show and had no real adult guidance other than his co-stars.
Upon the shows move to CBS, producer William Bickley elected to not renew Harrison’s contract as he felt the character of Waldo lacked the dramatic weight necessary to fit the story he wanted for the ninth season. Harrison would remain with ABC.
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