Remember Richie from Family Matters? Yeah, We Didn't Either Until Now

ABC's Family Matters was one of the most influential network comedies of its time, thanks to its focus on an African-American family instead of a white middle-class one like in most other famous shows.

However, the real reason Family Matters became such a huge hit had nothing to do with the subject matter: it was actually Jaleel White's performance as nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel that really kept fans tuning in to the show on a weekly basis.

And while the other actors did great work too, they all remained in White's shadow, and Bryton James was no exception. He first appeared on Family Matters when he was just three years old and continued to play the role of Richie Crawford for 144 consecutive episodes. However, it was only later that James became a real star.

By the time he finished his run on the hit sitcom, James was not really that famous, as his role on the show was rather small, so he was forced to choose another career path instead of comedy. And he was quite lucky, getting the role of the troubled Devon Hamilton Winter on The Young and the Restless, which made him a huge soap star, earning him a lot of money and recognition.

While he spent most of his career in soaps, Bryton James also got a small gig as the witch Luka Martin on The Vampire Diaries, a role that really took his acting skills to a whole new level.

Needless to say, fans of The CW's vampire show didn't even realize that the handsome young man who played Luka was once an actor on Family Matters, as Bryton has turned into a real stud since his time on the sitcom.

Today, James looks as good as ever, although he has found a new calling in voice acting and prefers not to show his face on camera. In recent years, he's voiced characters in hit shows like Tales of the Jedi, Pacific Rim: The Black, Star Wars Rebels, and Young Justice, while still starring on The Young and the Restless.

Talk about an interesting career!