Haywood Nelson was (and for many, still is) the teenage crush of young Black girls when he starred as Dwayne Nelson in the 70s sitcom, What’s Happening!!. Who could forget the way the ladies screamed whenever he walked into Rob’s Place, or the Thomas household, uttering his famous catchphrase, ‘Hey,hey,hey?’ Prior to landing the part of the young teen hanging out with his best friends Raj and Rerun from 1976 to 1979, the Harlem native appeared in commercials, and performed on Broadway. He also appeared in films like, If You Give a Dance, You Gotta Pay the Band with Moses Gunn and Laurence Fishburne, and Mixed Company with Joseph Bologna and Tom Bosley.
Haywood guest starred on the Sanford & Son episode, The Family Man, playing Haywood Marshall, grandson of the series co-star Whitman Mayo, which launched the series Grady on NBC-TV during the 1975-1976 season. He appeared on the show for ten weeks alongside Mayo and Joe Morton prior to its cancellation. A chance conversation with his costar, Mayo, about another acting opportunity, led him to a cross-country trip from Los Angeles to New York City to audition for the television adaptation of the film classic Cooley High, that eventually became What’s Happening!!.
After the cancellation of What’s Happening!!, Haywood continued to act while pursuing other interests. Another chance emerged during the 80s for him to reprise the role of Dwayne Nelson in the show’s reboot, What’s Happening Now!! from 1985 to 1988.
50BOLD had the opportunity to sit down with Haywood to discuss his amazing 50-plus-year career in the entertainment industry in front of and behind the camera. And hey, hey, hey, Haywood had a lot to say, say, say and I was here for it all!
50BOLD: We love taking it back. Please tell us about your upbringing, family life. Were you born with a script in hand? Do you come from a family of performers?
Haywood: I come from a family of performers but that wasn’t my path, at least, I didn’t think so. I thought I’d be going into aviation. Most of the members of my family have been musicians and singers.
50BOLD: Okay.
Haywood: My dad was a jazz drummer. He was also a jazz pianist, but really played drums. He was really into it. I grew up in a jazz home. My dad was a deep, deep, jazz musician, and his siblings were: my aunt Lois, a singer and my uncle Clarence, also a musician.
Me, I’m just a kid who grew up in Harlem. It was during the time when you had to be walked to school because it was starting to get really bad in Harlem. Heroin was starting to take over and was really becoming a problem. Somewhere around fourth or fifth grade, we moved to Long Island. I got into motorcross racing and mini biking; this became my life.
I actually started acting at a very young age at around six. My godmother Edith Taylor, my grandfather’s sister, worked with a gentleman whose family member, Kathy Dowd, was a talent manager. She had all white clients. They wanted to expand their business to include a few Black children. So, my godmother called our home to inform us about the manager. My mom spoke with me and asked, ‘Do you want to do commercials?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. Maybe.’ She pointed to the television and I said, ‘Okay.’ I met with Kathy Dowd, who became my manager. She was a petite, Irish woman, and we hit it off. Kathy sent me out for photos and before you know it, I was on Madison Avenue going to three to four auditions a day, booking all these commercials: Kodak, Polaroid, Campbell’s soup, Libby’s, Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots, Hot Wheels. And doing commercials was what pushed me into acting.
50BOLD: In the early years before your breakout role as Dwayne on What’s Happening!!, you appeared in several commercials, performed on Broadway, and had a role in the film, Mixed Company. You also appeared on the Sanford & Son sitcom spinoff, Grady. Was securing the role of Dwayne a difficult process to go through? Were there many auditions?
Haywood: With each job, I segued into another. I ended up on Sanford & Son and then on Grady. After Grady got cancelled in ten weeks, Whitman Mayo said, ‘Look, there’s a role that you would be perfect for and I want you to go back to New York and read for it.’ My mom and I hopped on a plane, and flew back to New York. We went to a Broadway theater where they were also shooting The $100,000 Pyramid game show. The orchestra section of the theater was filled with people, maybe three hundred folks. I was amazed.
So, we sat in the theater for quite a while. I watched the actress, Mabel King onstage. Danielle Spencer then went up to try out for the role of Dee. I was then asked to try out for the Pooter role. I performed a little scene as Pooter walking into a diner. There were two young girls at a table and I was supposed to be interested in one of them. I walked up to the girl, rapped to her like Pooter would, and she basically said, ‘Why don’t you just get lost, Pooter!’
50BOLD: (laughs)
Haywood: And Pooter just plays it off and says, ‘Yeah, I think I’m gonna get lost right about now.’ He then backs away and leaves. The producers came up to me, the same ones from Grady. They tapped me on the shoulder, pulled my mom and I aside and said, ’Hey, that was perfect! You got it! We want you to fly back to LA tomorrow!’ My mom and I flew back to LA. We went to a United California Bank, entered a conference room with a very long table, and this is where I had my very first read for Cooley High, the TV series.
50BOLD: Many people don’t know that What’s Happening!! was originally supposed to be a TV series based on the film Cooley High.
Haywood: That’s right! It was changed though. Most of us have heard the stories, especially with regards to Eric Monte. What a talented brotha! Of course, I don’t know all the particulars because I was quite young at the time. I think it’s pretty clear, however, that he was the creative force behind so many TV shows.
50BOLD: We’ve all heard those horror stories about child actors being exploited and treated badly while on set. Did you enjoy being on What’s Happening!!?
Haywood: I loved it! It was awesome! The hardest parts for me were the things that were not culturally adhered to. If you’re going to write about Black culture, then you’re going to have to adhere to authenticity.
50BOLD: Hmmm and absolutely right!
Haywood: I felt that more creative input was needed for my role. I tried to infuse as much as I could of what made sense to me, while still maintaining the comedic aspect. There were certain scripts that I didn’t feel connected to at all. I was not happy about the time I was made to run around in pink slippers, a pink nightie, and a blonde wig! My path was that of a teenager with the ‘heartthrob image thing’ going on at the time. I was always being featured in Right On! and 16 Magazines. By playing a scene that emasculated me, it interfered with my path. I thought it would’ve been nice to have a bit more control creatively to curb some of this kind of stuff. I didn’t see where scenes like this were necessary to make the show funnier.
50BOLD: And speaking of being a teenage heartthrob, every Black girl in America was crushing on you back in the day! Did you let it go to your head?
Haywood: No! The bottom line is, to me, it was part of the job. I’ve talked to Marlon Jackson, Tito Jackson, Kevin Hooks, and Reginald Dorsey about this. We’ve all had our times and moments. You can’t feed into it. I think it’s wonderful. Let young girls enjoy it. Don’t let it go to your head, just keep it rolling. It’s business. It’s marketing.
50BOLD: Are there any outrageous stories you can share with us regarding a fan’s adoration for you?
Haywood: (laughs) Aww, man, there are so many. How about this one! On a celebrity basketball team that included Ernest Harden Jr. from The Jeffersons; Jackie, Tito, and Marlon Jackson from the Jackson family; Ralph Carter from Good Times; and I, were all playing ball, touring around to different malls, and signing autographs. We were in Orange County, Los Angeles, inside a mall, and seated at a long table inside a room. We were there autographing our own photos to give away. Outside of the closed doors were crowds of people waiting to come in.
We had a bus parked outside the other end of the mall. The people were getting anxious because security was taking too long to let them in. We’re like, ‘We’re ready. Y’all can open the doors. C’mon, let’s do this.’ We see people leaning up against a glass door, banging away at it. Well, the people in the rear were pushing so much, that the folks in the front were pressed up hard against the glass. Well, the glass broke, and those girls came charging toward us (laughs). I looked at Jackie and he looked at me. He got up. I got up. He took off and I was right on his tail!
50BOLD: (laughs)
Haywood: (laughs) I’m fast but Jackie was faster. He kept looking around and I said, ‘I’m right here, Jackie!’ We were gone. We ran to that bus and those girls chased us. Now, Jackie and I got on the bus, but we saw what happened to everyone else who was running slower. Those girls grabbed their clothes, ripped their shirts, scratched them. Jackie and I sat on that bus like, ‘Humph, I feel bad for y’all!’
50BOLD: (laughs). When did you realize that life as you knew it would never be the same, because you had achieved celebrity status?
Haywood: When I appeared in my very first commercial that the people in my school got to see it, I knew life would never be the same. It was normal up until that commercial. They doubted that I was even an actor. Then, they turned on the TV and saw one of my commercials. That next day in school, it was like ‘Ah, Hollywood!’ (laughs) All throughout school, kids would say, ‘Hi, Haywood!’ or ‘Hey, Haywood!’ I was like, ‘Hi!, hi, hi!’ Don’t know you but ‘Hi!’ And then I thought, ‘Yo, this is different.’ And it was never the same again.
Later in life as I matured, I became a writer, and technologist, with my interest in vocational development of underserved youth. I realized, I carried a much greater responsibility than I ever knew. My responsibility is very vital to the image I project when I’m out. The things I say, don’t say, or if I’m going to say anything at all. The things I do in my own career path that go beyond my self-interest. I have a huge responsibility not just to Black children, but also to the society at large with a focus on people of color.
50BOLD: That’s beautiful, Haywood.
Haywood: Yeah, it’s changed a lot of the things I do. I’ve spent a lot of time behind the camera both as a camera operator, and a foreign film distributor, but as a writer first and foremost over everything. I give a great deal of credence and credit to Ralph Carter. As my brother and as a historian, I credit him for bringing me the understanding of the importance of history and of being able to tell it. I happen to be a writer, so I’m blessed. I can transcribe actual stories of our heroes that no one knows about and make them commercially viable.
50BOLD: Getting back to What’s Happening!! Let’s talk about your castmates. We all loved the realness of your friendship dynamic on the show. Were you friends when the cameras stopped rolling?
Haywood: Oh, absolutely! We were family, more than friends! We became family the first day we met at that United California Bank conference room. Everybody walked in and we were looking around and thinking, ‘Who’s this?’ or ‘Who’s that?’ I already knew Mabel King. First of all, to me, she was a legend. I knew who she was from Broadway. I knew who Danielle Spencer was and I was like, ‘That’s the little girl. I would’ve picked her for sure!’ I didn’t know anyone else. I saw Ernie (Ernest Lee Thomas) and I thought, he’ll probably play the Preach role. He was kind of skinny with big glasses. I looked at Fred (Fred Berry) and wondered what role would he play? Well, I thought, he couldn’t play Cochise because the character died. I looked at Shirley (Shirley Hemphill) and didn’t know her. I wondered what role she’d play.
We all greeted one another and then began reading. So many funny things happened during that first read. After the read was over, everyone left the room except us cast members. We all just hung out and got to know each other. By the end of that first week when we finished that pilot, we were family. We were close and it never changed.
50BOLD: Can you share a behind-the-scenes funny story or memorable moment about each of them?
Fred Berry and I hung out all the time. He was married to Franchesska Berry. They were both dancers who lived in Northern California, the Bay Area. After we taped every Friday, he would fly back to San Francisco. So, I asked if I could accompany him. He said, ‘Yes.’ When arrived at the airport. I’m thinking, ‘Yo, he’s living large!’ When we exit the airport, Franchesska pulls up in this itty-bitty brown Honda Civic with these 14’’ tires. I was like ‘Yo, something ain’t right! I was expecting to be ballin’! What’s with this little circus car with the small tires?’ (laughs)
We get to Fred’s house and pull up to this cottage with a detached garage. I’m thinking Aww, they got me! Something’s definitely not right!’ We walked into that house and my life was changed forever.
50BOLD: How so?
Haywood: It was the most aesthetically beautiful interior I had ever been in! It was a beautiful, little, contemporary home with plants, furniture, and great artwork on the walls. They had this stereo with vinyl records. They played Joan Armatrading, Gil Scott-Heron, Noel Pointer, Phoebe Snow, Flora Purim, and Cat Stevens. They had all these jazz albums. I came from a jazz home. I immediately got on my hands and knees and began reading these album covers. They played great music and had no alcohol inside the house. They had all these different kinds of juices – pear and pineapple.
Later, they disappeared because they were a married couple. I was on the couch sleeping. They wake me up bright and early the next morning. We had a little breakfast and jumped into that itty-bitty car. We were going through the canyon, and they stopped to fill a bottle with water from the mountain and bought fruit. We ended up at Half Moon Bay at the beach. They opened the back of that car and pulled out saddles. They owned horses.
They saddled up their horses and had a horse ready for me. We went riding in the fog in San Francisco and on the beach all morning until the fog dissipated. We even rode in the water with the horses. Fred jumped off his horse and swam with his. We brushed and fed the horses apples. And then we went back home. That night, we showered and dressed. They then took me to Berkeley where we sat in a balcony on a rail. And that’s when I saw the same people on the vinyl records live: Gil Scott-Heron, Noel Pointer on violins, Flora Purim, Phoebe Snow, and Angela Bofill. We did this every weekend that I visited them.
50BOLD: Wow!
Haywood: I moved out of my parents’ home at 17 and into my own apartment. I also decorated it with plants, food, and great furniture. A little small one bedroom in Westwood by UCLA but I had my own little domain like the one they created, and I was happy doing it. Fred and I had a deep friendship.
50BOLD: Okay.
Haywood: Shirley and I also had a close friendship. I spent a lot of time with her even after What’s Happening!! and What’s Happening Now!! had been cancelled and when she was going through her illness.
Ernest and I spent a lot of time in New York together. When he moved there, I was there with my internet company. We would spend time running around with Savion Glover, having pizza on 8th Avenue, and doing the New York thespian thing. He’s such a brilliant actor. We spent a lot of acting time together which forged our friendship.
Both Danielle and I went to school together. We were the two kids on the show. She and I were brother and sister all the way through, and it was really great.
Mabel loved me very much and I loved her. We spent some special times together. She loved me because I would run to Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles and to get her some food (laughs).
50BOLD: (laughs)
Haywood: She’d be like, ‘Hey, baby! C’mon over here and talk to Mama for a minute. Why don’t you go over there and pick up Mama some wings?’ (laughs). And I’d get the food and we would eat lunch together.
50BOLD: The late Greg Morris of Mission Impossible played your father, Lawrence Nelson, on two episodes of What’s Happening!! Any memories of working with him?
Haywood: Oh yeah, I have vivid memories of Greg Morris! He’s a legend and I worked with the guy, the man! (laughs). He was my dad and would always squeeze and give me a hug too hard. He was a very cool man, cool dude. Being around Greg, made me get into fashion. I bought tailored clothing and made sure I always looked nice.
And Betty Bridges, Todd Bridges’ mother, played my mother. I was very close to Betty, love her so much. What a wonderful person and an incredible acting teacher.
50BOLD: You reprised the role of Dwayne again in the 80s reboot of What’s Happening Now!! What was it like to return to that role?
Haywood: It was a difficult choice. I was in school at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn studying electrical engineering. I was in my third year and I was like, ‘Aargh, I’m so close. I don’t know if I should leave school. It took quite a journey to get here. But at the same time, I don’t want to see anybody reprise my role other than me. That wouldn’t be right!’ So, I signed the contract and went back out to LA. I didn’t think someone else could jump into that role, nor did I think, Dwayne should be missing. I didn’t think the show would work without Dwayne. It needed the three guys.
I also thought, since I had become a technical guy, I wanted to see how technology had changed the game.
50BOLD: So, there was a dual purpose for your return?
Haywood: Absolutely! And I ended up doing some technical directing and observing in the booth with the director on What’s Happening Now!! This was important to me. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, when we fulfilled the contract for syndication. I was happy because I bounced right into film as a film loader, and from there, pulling focus and operating. I loved the camera and was doing that for quite a while. I left California, went back to New York and worked on music videos. During the 90s, I began writing and doing film distribution. As a writer for hire, I cleaned up scripts and worked on second drafts to ready them for foreign markets distribution.
50BOLD: Were there any differences between the original series and the reboot?
Haywood: In my opinion, the show’s differences were day and night! There were some funny things in What’s Happening Now!! but I’m a What’s Happening!! fan. What’s Happening!!, for me, was more authentic and enjoyable because it was more cohesive. What’s Happening Now!! departed so far away from the original concept that it was very difficult for me to play Dwayne. I was turned into some kind of geek sporting pastel blazers.
50BOLD: Yes, the 80s look. I remember a few episodes.
Haywood: It was the whole 80s look, but at the same time, what was blowing up in the 80s? Hip hop! So, how come Dwayne wasn’t flowing that way? Because ‘they’ didn’t know about all of the cultural goings-on. ‘They’ lacked knowledge as far as what was going on in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Compton, and Long Beach!
So, ‘they’ didn’t allow the character of Dwayne to keep up with all that was going on around him. He didn’t have to be a gangsta or roughneck, but perhaps, he could have been a digital music programmer, or even a spoken word cat. Dwayne could have also been into the music of the times. Originally, he wore double-knits and was a sneakerhead. What’s Happening Now!! should have picked up more on the times, and it ended early because it did not, in my opinion.
50BOLD: Yeah!
Haywood: ‘They’ should have allowed me to become a writer on the show. I tried! I asked to write scripts and direct episodes, and was denied at every point. And that’s why, when the show was over, I went straight into filmmaking.
50BOLD: Sorry to hear your experience on What’s Happening Now!! was not good.
Haywood: I enjoyed the show, but it could have been better.
50BOLD: The show was a steppingstone to what you’re doing now.
Haywood: Exactly! Believe me, I learned so much that helped me move into other areas. I’m grateful for the show, and I think it came about because of Ernest Thomas. I’m grateful to him for that. Blessings come in so many different ways.
50BOLD: Any memories of working with, and/or behind-the-scenes funny stories about Martin Lawrence, who appeared on season three of What’s Happening Now!!?
Haywood: Yeah, I wanted to choke him (laughs).
50BOLD: (laughs)
Haywood: (laughs) I’m being honest and Martin knows it. He and I were at a boxing match in downtown LA a few years back; we chuckled and laughed about it. I wanted to put my hands around his neck and ring it (laughs). Martin was a nut! He was funny but he was annoying! He was younger and took liberties with our time. I’ve already explained to you about my northern California thing. So, when I was taping, I wanted to get it done in a timely fashion. We got to do pickups (shots filmed during postproduction). I was all about jumping in my boat and going to Catalina. It was like 2:00 am and we were still doing pickups because Martin was telling jokes. I wanted to crown him (laughs).
50BOLD: (laughs)
Haywood: (laughs) Martin and I reconciled years later, his talent was apparent to me then. You couldn’t deny his high energy level. He was just a bit unbridled. In later years, I really enjoyed sitting with him and talking. He matured into a businessman. I respect Martin and his talent.
50BOLD: I know you must be tired of folks asking you if you are related to Prince. You have stated that you are not related to the performer, BUT did you ever cross paths, and if so, can you tell us about the meeting?
Haywood: Prince and I ran into each other at Right On! magazine quite often. We had a good rapport. He was NOT my half-brother. I don’t know why people keep putting this out. I’m going to choke them (laughs).
50BOLD: (laughs)
Haywood: There is, however, a family connection between Prince and I. We’re both Nelsons. I’m not going to speak about what it is. It’s a very close connection but he and I never got a chance to talk about it. Prince’s sister, Tyka, and I, are going to have a conversation about this. But, I will go on record to say, that Prince is NOT my half-brother.
50BOLD: Let’s bring it up to the current day. Are you still acting?
Haywood: I’m actually back to acting. All through the strike I had been auditioning for films. I have a lot more left to give and do. I have to admit that I do spend a great deal more time creating from a writing standpoint. Like a historian, I’m interested in making sure that the historical record is right. Things that need to be told, will be told. So, when you talk about Thomas Edison, you have to talk about Lewis Latimer. There are jockeys, scientists, inventors, activists, and all kinds of stories that make up America’s story that are being glossed over. I’m not going to let that happen in my lifetime. I’m making sure that not only will things be written accurately, but that they’re also financed well, and get the exposure they deserve.
Acting is something I owe my fans. I owe God for my commitment to the talent and blessings that He’s given me and will do more with it.
50BOLD: You are in great shape. Do you follow an exercise/nutrition regimen?
Haywood: It all starts with what’s inside, your feelings and thoughts. I try to think positively but realistically. Spiritually, I keep my head on right. I wish as much as I can for others, and grant them the right in my presence, to be who they want to be.
As for nutrition…. Everyone, especially Black folks, we’ve got to get on this nutrition kick and realize that what we’re eating is killing us. We’re killing ourselves with food. I won’t do this to myself. I eat very well and it doesn’t mean gluttony. I spend my time researching. I no longer live to eat; I eat to live, and this doesn’t mean food with no flavor.
I exercise. I work out a little bit here and there. I’m not a maniacal workout person. I’d rather do a good activity like bike riding, running, and diving.
My work also keeps me pretty active. I’m working behind the scenes in lighting. I’m busy up high with hands up on lights: determining electrical circuits, programming, configuring lighting boards, and LED walls. It all involves a lot of physicality.
50BOLD: Last year, you appeared on the Sherri show hosted by Sherri Shepherd, and she admitted to crushing on you. You are so recognizable, do women still gush over you?
Haywood: (laughs) Yeah, every day. My wife Paula and I were just talking about this. We were in Chicago trying to catch a 5:00 a.m. flight. She’s not a morning person. We were trying to get the bags onto the flight because we were not on time. The people who were supposed to be handling our stuff were freaking out over me. ‘Oh, can I take a picture? Let’s get this picture.’ My wife said, ‘Could we get our bags checked in first? Then, you can have him, but let’s get the bags in.’ They said, ‘Oh yes, ma’am.’ (laughs). I was just standing there looking at it all. We finally got the bags on, and they did not forget. They made sure and asked my wife to take the picture. They got all up and cozy (laughs).
50BOLD: Is there a memoir in the works?
Haywood: There is a memoir in the works but it’s not out yet. I have chapters written but I haven’t put it out there yet because I’m not even close to the latter chapters. There’s a lot more coming, trust me. I’ve been quiet (laughs). I’m the quiet storm and I will stay that way for a little bit. Eventually, it’ll be out there for others to benefit from the path.
50BOLD: We always like to end our interviews with the following…’When it is all said and done, what will God say to you?’
Haywood: God will say to me…‘It took you a while but you finally got it!’ (laughs)
