“Emmanuel Lewis and the Popular Sitcom ‘Webster’: A Look Back”

Webster

Webster was a young black boy who is raised by the white couple George (played by Alex Karras) and Katherine Papadopolis (played by Susan Clark) after the death of his biological parents. Webster has a special stature, Webster was about 1 meter at the beginning of the series and actor Emmanuel Lewis eventually did not grow more than 1 meter 30.

Emmanuel Lewis

Born on March 9, 1971, Emmanuel Lewis is the youngest of four children. He has one sister and two brothers. Lewis was discovered as an actor at a young age. Through a casting agency for talented children, he gets roles in advertisements for Colgate and Burger King, among others, at a very young age.

Lewis then plays the biggest role of his career as ‘Webster’. He starts this role at the age of twelve. The series will run for a total of six seasons and 150 episodes. Lewis was very popular at the time and the world seemed to be at his feet.

Still, Lewis has after Webster never played a major role again. The image of Webster and his short stature are so firmly attached to him that it is very difficult for him to score a major role elsewhere. He does play small roles in, for example Family Matters in Malcolm & Eddie.

Dead?

Somewhere around the turn of the century, also because no one hears from him anymore, the persistent rumor emerges that he had died. This rumor turns out to be completely untrue. Lewis rarely appears in the media and now has a ‘normal’ life. He has started a number of businesses, including a transport company and a car wash.