Jaleel White

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Jaleel White
White at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2023
Born
Jaleel Ahmad White

(1976-11-27) November 27, 1976 (age 47)
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
OccupationActor
Years active1984–present
Children1
Websitewww.jaleelwhite.com Edit this at Wikidata

Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976)[1] is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters.[2] The character was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance on the show; however, he was an instant hit with audiences and White became a regular cast member. The series aired for a total of nine seasons, from 1989 to 1998. White then reprised his role as Urkel for the first time in 21 years in the 2019 series Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?.

White is also the first actor to voice the popular Sega video game character Sonic the Hedgehog in animated media, doing so in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (also known as Sonic SatAM) and Sonic Underground, all of which were produced by the now-defunct DIC Entertainment studio. He then reprised his role as Sonic in the 2013 Sonic fan film.

After Family Matters ended, White went on to star in the short-lived UPN comedy series Grown Ups (1999–2000). White then took a brief hiatus from acting to attend UCLA in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated in 2001, earning a degree in film and television. He returned to acting with supporting roles in Dreamgirls (2006), and cameo appearances on another ABC series, Boston Legal, Fox's House, ABC's Castle, and USA's Psych. In 2010, he portrayed Dr. McCormick in the sci-fi film Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus. In March 2012, White was a contestant in season 14 of Dancing with the Stars before he was voted off in May of that year, leaving him with a 7th-place finish overall. In April 2012, White hosted the Syfy game show Total Blackout. In January 2017, White appeared in Bones as Officer Adams. In 2020, White had a recurring role in the one season-long Netflix series The Big Show Show.

Early life[edit]

White was born in Culver City, California, the only child of Michael White, a dentist, and Gail White, who was a homemaker. His mother later became his manager. White attended John Marshall Fundamental High School in Pasadena, California, and South Pasadena High School before graduating from UCLA in 2001.[3] On the advice of his preschool teacher, White began acting as a child. He got his start on TV commercials at age three. One of White's notable commercial appearances was for Jell-O pudding pops alongside Bill Cosby.[1][4][5]

Career[edit]

After starting his career at the age of three, White's first television role was a guest stint on The Jeffersons, in 1984. He later auditioned for the role of Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show. According to White, he was cast in the role (the character was originally intended to be male) but was replaced by Keshia Knight Pulliam when Bill Cosby decided to mirror his television family after his real life family.[6] The following year, he was cast as the son of Flip Wilson and Gladys Knight on the CBS sitcom Charlie and Company. The series was intended to be CBS' answer to the highly rated Cosby Show which debuted on NBC in 1984.[7] Unlike The Cosby Show, Charlie and Company did not catch on with audiences and was canceled in May 1986.[8] In 1987, he appeared in the pilot episode for Good Morning, Miss Bliss, and had a guest role on Mr. Belvedere. In 1988, White had a supporting role in Cadets, a sitcom starring Soleil Moon Frye. The pilot episode aired during a preview special on September 25, 1988, on ABC. The series, however, was not picked up by the network. Also during the 1980s, he appeared in a few segments of NBC's One to Grow On.

White had a role in the NBC television film Camp Cucamonga. The film features an ensemble cast including Sherman Hemsley, Jennifer Aniston, and Brian Robbins. Several other child actors of the era including Chad Allen, Candace Cameron, Danica McKellar, Josh Saviano, and Breckin Meyer also appear.

Family Matters[edit]

At the age of 12, White originated his most famous role, Steve Urkel, on Family Matters. The role was initially conceived as a one-time guest appearance, but the character proved to be popular and White was given a full-time starring role. He also played several other members of the Urkel family, including his alter ego Stefan Urquelle and Myrtle Urkel. During the height of Family Matters' popularity, the character of Urkel was marketed with breakfast cereal (Urkel-Os) and an Urkel doll.[9] In addition to starring in the series, White also wrote several episodes, including one, at age 19, that was the series' highest rated for that year.[10] The series was a staple of ABC's TGIF lineup and became one of the longest-running sitcoms with a predominantly black cast in television history.[11]

In 1992, he was featured in The Jaleel White Special, in which he played a fictionalized version of himself making a film, while also playing Steve Urkel.[12]

By the time the series ended in 1998, White, who was then 21 years old, was disillusioned with the role, and had been shaken by the death of his close friend and co-star Michelle Thomas from an aggressive form of stomach cancer. Shortly after the series' cancellation, he stated in a 1999 interview, "If you ever see me do that character again, take me out and put a bullet in my head and put me out of my misery."[13] Due to the character's popularity, White was so tightly defined by his Urkel character that he encountered difficulty finding other roles.[13]

In later years, White came to terms with the character. In a 2011 interview with Vanity Fair, he addressed the 1999 "bullet" quote stating, "It's one of those things that it's very unfortunate how quotes are taken out of context. I remember that interview very vividly. I loved playing those characters ... But the fact is that I was maturing. ... To be honest, I was retarding my own growth as a man to maintain the authenticity to what I thought that character should be." When asked if he would ever reprise the Steve Urkel role, White said, "I'll always say never say never; I'm a pretty creative person. I can't envision how I could do it in a way that would be irreverent and fun for both me and the viewing audience".[6]

Other career highlights[edit]

White in December 2010

White was the original English voice of the popular video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, having been cast in 1993 (pre-dating Martin Burke and Ryan Drummond). He voiced the character in all of the DiC-produced animated series: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog,[14] Sonic SatAM, and Sonic Underground, as well as the Christmas special, Sonic Christmas Blast. In Underground, White also voiced Sonic's brother and sister, Manic and Sonia.[15] White did not return to voice Sonic when Sonic X was released in 2003.

In 1999, White returned to television in the UPN sitcom Grown Ups. The series was based around White as a young man striking out into adulthood. He also co-produced and wrote some episodes for the show, in which he starred as "J", a college graduate struggling to establish his role in life as an adult. The pilot episode featured another former child actor, Soleil Moon Frye, known for her role as Punky Brewster, as the girl whom he chose as a roommate.[16] The show received poor reviews from critics but debuted in second place in the ratings upon its premiere.[17] However, ratings soon dropped and UPN canceled the series after one season.[18]

White's acting roles have not been restricted to sitcoms. He has provided his voice to several animated projects including Warner Bros.' 1998 film Quest for Camelot.[14] In 1999, he provided the voice for a teenaged Martin Luther King Jr., in Our Friend, Martin.

In 2001, White graduated from UCLA with a degree in film and television.[19] He has continued acting and has had small parts in the films Big Fat Liar (in a cameo role) and Dreamgirls, and was featured as the lead role in the direct-to-DVD comedy Who Made the Potatoe Salad? in 2006.[20] In 2007, he guest-starred on the CW series The Game, followed by a role as a law school graduate interviewing for a job at Crane, Poole and Schmidt in the ABC legal drama Boston Legal.[20]

In June 2009, White began appearing in the web series Road to the Altar.[21] In the series, White stars as Simon, a 30-something black man marrying a young Jewish girl named Rochelle. In September 2009, White guest starred on the USA Network series Psych, as an estranged college singing buddy of the character Gus.

In June 2010, White starred in the web series Fake It Till You Make It. He also serves as writer and producer of the series. The series, which premiered on Hulu, follows the exploits of former child star Reggie Cullen (White) turned image consultant and his three protégés as they hustle to navigate Hollywood.[22] In March 2011, White guest starred on the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?, which reunited him with fellow Family Matters cast member Telma Hopkins. Later that same year, White appeared as the star in Cee-Lo Green's music video for his song "Cry Baby".[23]

In October 2011, White appeared in the season 8 premiere of House, titled "Twenty Vicodin", where he appears as a well-connected inmate, occasionally helping Hugh Laurie's character Gregory House to sneak contraband into the prison.[24] In April 2012, White began hosting the Syfy game show Total Blackout.[25]

In March 2012, White began competing on the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with two-time dance champion Kym Johnson.[26] In the opening night's performance, White and Johnson danced the Foxtrot to "The Way You Look Tonight". They earned a total of 26 points out of 30.[27] White was voted off the series in May 2012.[28]

In 2015, White appeared in a Scion commercial.[29]

In 2017, it was announced that CBS picked up his single camera comedy series Me, Myself & I with Bobby Moynihan, that premiered in September 2017. After six episodes, it was pulled from the fall schedule, leaving seven episodes unaired,[30][31] with the network airing the remaining episodes in the summer.[32]

Personal life[edit]

White dated actress Christine Lakin from fellow TGIF show Step by Step in the early 90s.

White has one daughter, Samaya (b. 2009), with ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy.[33][34]

In 2021, White announced the launch of his line of cannabis products featuring the Purple Urkle strain, set for debut on April 20 at California dispensaries.[35][36]

White has a memorial set up in his home for his Family Matters co-star Michelle Thomas, who died in 1998 of stomach cancer, shortly after the series had wrapped.[37] He has described Thomas as a 'big sister' who was, for a period of time in the early seasons of the show, his closest friend on set, and has stated that his childhood seemed to officially end with her death.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Quest for Camelot Bladebeak Voice
1999 Our Friend, Martin Young Martin Luther King Jr. Voice, direct-to-video
2002 Big Fat Liar Himself Uncredited
2006 Miracle Dogs Too Leo Direct-to-video
Puff, Puff, Pass Tenant No. 2
Who Made the Potatoe Salad? Michael
Dreamgirls Talent Booker Cameo
2008 Kissing Cousins Antwone
Green Flash Jason Bootie Direct-to-video
Alternative title: Beach Kings
2009 Call of the Wild Dr. Spencer
Road to the Altar Simon Fox
2010 Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus Dr. McCormick Direct-to-DVD
2011 Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Mr. Todd, girl’s teacher
2012 Rhymes with Banana J
2013 Sonic Sonic the Hedgehog Voice, fan film
The Wrong Woman Detective Hamer
Parking Lot Pimpin' Writer
2014 Dumbbells The Leader
Santa Con Paul Greenberg
2016 Mommy, I Didn't Do It Detective Hamer
2017 The Preacher's Son James Back
2018 The 15:17 to Paris Garrett Walden
2022 North of the 10 Lyle Silvers
The Greatest Inheritance Mr. Shepard
Hustle Blake
Dumbbells Special Edition Cult Leader
2023 Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie Steve Urkel, Urkel Bot, Stefan Urquelle Voice; Direct-to-Video; also Producer[38]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1984 The Jeffersons Van Van Morris Episode: "Ebony and Ivory" - 11x02
Silence of the Heart Hanry Television film, uncredited
1985 Kids Don't Tell Christofer Television film
1985–1986 Charlie & Co. Robert Richmond 18 episodes
1986 The Disney Sunday Movie Jake Episode: "The Leftovers"
1987 Mr. Belvedere Ernie Masters Episode: "Jobless"
Good Morning, Miss Bliss Bobby Wilson Episode: Pilot
Jay Leno's Comedy Hour Kid Eating Cake No. 5 Television special
The Little Clowns of Happytown Rodney Episode: "I'm Just Like You"; uncredited
1988 Cadets Cadet Nicholls Unsold pilot episode
1989–1998 Family Matters Steve Urkel, Stefan Urquelle, various Urkel family members 208 episodes
Writer - 2 episodes
1990 Camp Cucamonga Dennis Brooks Television film
1991 Full House Steve Urkel Episode: "Stephanie Gets Framed"
Step by Step Episode: "The Dance"
1992 The Jaleel White Special[39] Himself, Steve Urkel Television special
1993 Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog, Masonic the Mummified Hedgehog Voice, main role[40]
1993–1994 Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog Voice, main role[40]
1995 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Derek Episode: "Not with My Cousin You Don't"
1996 Sonic's Christmas Blast Sonic Voice, television special[40]
1997 Step by Step Crew Member, Steve Urkel Episode: "A Star is Born"; uncredited
Meego Repossessor, Guy blowing a whistle 2 episodes
Diagnosis: Murder Himself Episode: "Must Kill TV"
1999 Sonic Underground Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonia the Hedgehog, Manic the Hedgehog, Aman-Rapi Voice, main role[40]
1999–2000 Grown Ups J. Calvin Frazier 22 episodes
Producer
2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Boy Who Cried Wolf Voice, episode: "Aesop's Fables: A Whodunit Musical"
2002 Inspector Gadget's Last Case Gadgetmobile Television film
2003 111 Gramercy Park BJ Brown Unsold pilot episode
2005 Half & Half Hershel Episode: "The Big State of the Reunion Episode"
2007 The Game Chris Episode: "The Big Chill"
Boston Legal Kevin Givens Episode: "Guise 'n Dolls"
2009, 2012 Psych Tony 2 episodes
2010 Fake It Till You Make It Reggie Culkin 8 episodes; also executive producer and writer
2011 The Problem Solverz K-999 Voice, 2 episodes
Are We There Yet? Ray Savage Episode: "The Nick Gets Jealous Episode"
House Porter Episode: "Twenty Vicodin"
Love That Girl! Director Episode: "Director's Cut"
2012 NCIS Martin Thomas Episode: "A Desperate Man"
2012–2013 Total Blackout Host 24 episodes
2013 Regular Show Cool Shade, Darryl[41] Voice, episode: "TGI Tuesday"
Drop Dead Diva Bob, Game Show Host Episode: "Guess Who's Coming?"
2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Kenny, Passenger Episode: "Keep Calm & Carry On"
Celebrities Undercover Himself Episode: "Joey Fatone & Jaleel White"
2014–2018 Drunk History Various 3 episodes
2015 Hell's Kitchen Himself Episode: "11 Chefs Compete"
Hawaii Five-0 Nolan Fremont Episode: "Ho'amoano"
Castle Mickey Franks Episode: "Dead from New York"
2016 The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness Himself Episode: "The 90's"
Celebrity Family Feud Season 2, Episode 7
Atlanta Episode: "Nobody Beats the Biebs"
Survivor's Remorse Derek Episode: "The Photoshoot"
2017 Bones Officer Adams Episode: "The Tutor in the Tussle"
2017–2018 Me, Myself & I Darryl 13 episodes
2018 Trial & Error Atticus Ditto Jr. Recurring in season 2
2018, 2020 Fresh Off the Boat Calvin 2 episodes[42][43]
2019 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Steve Urkel, Urkel Bot Voice, episode: "When Urkel-Bots Go Bad!"
Historical Roasts Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali 2 episodes
Staging Christmas Mr. Lexington Television film
2019–2020 Raven's Home Chris Springlakes 3 episodes
2020 The Big Show Show Terence "Terry" Malick III 5 episodes
Teen Titans Go! Miner Voice, episode: "The Night Begins to Shine - Chapter One: Mission to Find the Lost Stems"
Ever After with Jaleel White Himself, Host Producer
2020–2021 DuckTales Gene the Genie Voice, 3 episodes
2021 Family Reunion Eric 1 episode
2023
American Dad! Edgar Queefinski Voice, episode: "Cow I Met Your Moo-ther"
The Eric Andre Show Himself Episode: "Jaleel Blanco"
The Afterparty Himself Episode: "Vivian and Zoë"
2024 Star Wars: Skeleton Crew TBA Post-production

Web[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2012 SuperF*ckers Percy, Omnizod Voice, 12 episodes

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Title of work Result
1985 Young Artist Award Best Young Actor – Guest in a Television Series The Jeffersons Nominated
1986 Best Young Supporting Actor in a New Television Series Charlie & Co. Nominated
1991 Outstanding Young Comedian in a Television Series Family Matters Won
1994 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress Won
1995 Won
1996 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Television Actor Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
1997 Won

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Laufenberg, Norbert B. (2005). Entertainment Celebrities. Trafford Publishing. p. 697. ISBN 1-4120-5335-8.
  2. ^ Braxton, Greg (June 18, 2010). "Jaleel White fondly recalls playing Urkel on 'Family Matters'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  3. ^ "Notable Alumni Actors". UCLA School of Theater, Film and television. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  4. ^ "Jaleel White: A Busy Young Man". The Prescott Courier. April 26, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  5. ^ Cutler, Jacqueline (August 21, 1999). "Jaleel White graduates to life among the 'Grown Ups'". The Rochester Sentinel. p. 5. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Ryan, Mike (June 14, 2011). "Q&A: Jaleel White on His 31-Year Career". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  7. ^ "Blacks on TV: Tuning in to the New Season". Ebony. 40 (12): 6869. October 1985. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  8. ^ "CBS Yanks 'Charlie & Co.', 'Trapper' In New Season". Jet. 70 (10): 61. May 26, 1986. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  9. ^ "Family Matters: 1989–1998". People. Vol. 53, no. 25. June 26, 2000. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  10. ^ Rhudy, Ben (November 12, 2006). "M&C Exclusive Interview: Jaleel White talks "Who Made the Potatoe Salad?"". monstersandcritics.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  11. ^ Gay, Verne (July 9, 1998). "Off Camera – Dissing 'Family' Goodbye/CBS Buries Finale of Show It Grabbed and Dropped". Newsday. p. B35.
  12. ^ Chris Willman, TV Reviews : Jaleel White and His Alter Ego in Special, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 1992.
  13. ^ a b Noxon, Christopher (August 22, 1999). "Jaleel White ('Don't Call Me Urkel') Grows Up". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  14. ^ a b "Celebrity Mailbag". The Toledo Blade. October 9, 1998. p. 4. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  15. ^ Erikson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: The shows, M-Z (2 ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 758. ISBN 0-7864-2256-4.
  16. ^ Tucker, Ken (September 10, 1999). "Mo' and More". Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
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  18. ^ Bianculli, David (September 11, 2000). "First and Cursed: 'Girlfriends' Ripe For Debut Jinx". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  19. ^ "Where Are the Child Stars of Yesterday?". Ebony. 59 (7): 98. May 2004. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  20. ^ a b "TV Q&A". The Post and Courier. June 29, 2007. p. 2-D. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  21. ^ "Access the Web: Jaleel White's 'Road To the Altar'". Access Hollywood. June 16, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  22. ^ Garcia, Catherine (June 8, 2010). "'Family Matters' star Jaleel White talks first season DVD and new web series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  23. ^ Schwartz, Alison (August 29, 2011). "Cee Lo Green's 'Cry Baby' Stunt Double: Jaleel White". People. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  24. ^ La Rosa, David (September 2, 2011). "House Goes to Jail with Steve Urkel". runninglip.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  25. ^ Shen, Maxine (April 25, 2012). "'Total Blackout' host Jaleel White on why you should be scared of the dark: A Q&A (also 'Psych' and 'DWTS')". New York Post. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  26. ^ Rizzo, Monica (February 28, 2012). "Dancing with the Stars Season 14 Cast Revealed". Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  27. ^ Parsley, Aaron (March 19, 2012). "Dancing with the Stars Returns with a Vengeance". People. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  28. ^ Shira, Dahvi (May 1, 2012). "Dancing with the Stars: Jaleel White Heads Home". People. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  29. ^ Owen, Rob (February 5, 2016). "TV Q&A: 'Madam Secretary,' 'Call the Midwife' and 'Nightly Sports Call'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 3, 2017.
  30. ^ Ausiello, Michael (November 1, 2017). "Me, Myself & I Essentially Cancelled at CBS; Man With a Plan Called Off Bench". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  31. ^ Porter, Rick (November 1, 2017). "'Me, Myself & I' yanked from CBS after 6 episodes, 'Man With a Plan' stepping in". TV by the Numbers by zap2it.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
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  33. ^ Schwartz, Alison; Triggs, Charlotte (April 6, 2012). "Jaleel White Didn't Know About His 'Jerkel' Nickname". People. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  34. ^ Fleeman, Mike (March 29, 2012). "Jaleel White Speaks Out About Ex-Girlfriend's Abuse Allegations". People. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  35. ^ Bartlett, Lindsey (April 12, 2021). "'Steve Urkel' Actor Jaleel White Launches Purple Urkle Cannabis Brand With 710 Labs". Forbes. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  36. ^ Williams, Amelia (April 13, 2021). "Actor Jaleel White and 710 Labs debut a new Purple Urkle". Leafly. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  37. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Jaleel White Breaks Down Over Costar's Death | Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry | E!". YouTube.
  38. ^ "Formerly Shelved Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie is Being Released for the Holidays". November 16, 2023.
  39. ^ Willman, Chris (February 22, 1992). "TV Reviews : Jaleel White and His Alter Ego in Special". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  40. ^ a b c d "Jaleel White (visual voices guide)". BTVA. Retrieved March 7, 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  41. ^ Regular Show Season 4 Episode 10 closing credits
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External links[edit]