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Jaleel White
Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976) is an American actor. He first portrayed Robert Richmond on the short-lived sitcom Charlie & Co (1985-1986) before rising into prominence for his role as Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters (1989–1998), where he was originally intended to make one appearance. White eventually became the main protagonist of the show.
White was the first American actor to voice the Sega video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, doing so in the animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (also known as Sonic SatAM) and Sonic Underground. After Family Matters ended, White starred in the short-lived UPN comedy series Grown Ups (1999–2000) and even had the leading role as Michael in the 2006 comedy film Who Made the Potato Salad?; thus having a supporting role as Detective Hamer in the two films including The Wrong Woman (2013) and Mommy, I Didn't Do It (2016); and as well as James Black in the film The Preacher's Son (2017) and its 2018 sequel The Choir Director. White also reprised his role as Steve Urkel in the animated film Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie (2023).
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, and later graduating from UCLA in 2001. 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.
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. 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. Unlike The Cosby Show, Charlie and Company did not catch on with audiences and was canceled in May 1986. 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.
At the age of 12, White originated his most famous role, Steve Urkel, on Family Matters (1989–1998). The role was initially conceived as a one-time guest appearance, but the character proved to be popular, and after spending season 1 as a guest star, White joined the main cast in season 2. 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. 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. 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.
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.
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." White was so tightly defined by his Urkel character that he encountered difficulty finding other roles.
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Jaleel White
Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976) is an American actor. He first portrayed Robert Richmond on the short-lived sitcom Charlie & Co (1985-1986) before rising into prominence for his role as Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters (1989–1998), where he was originally intended to make one appearance. White eventually became the main protagonist of the show.
White was the first American actor to voice the Sega video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, doing so in the animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (also known as Sonic SatAM) and Sonic Underground. After Family Matters ended, White starred in the short-lived UPN comedy series Grown Ups (1999–2000) and even had the leading role as Michael in the 2006 comedy film Who Made the Potato Salad?; thus having a supporting role as Detective Hamer in the two films including The Wrong Woman (2013) and Mommy, I Didn't Do It (2016); and as well as James Black in the film The Preacher's Son (2017) and its 2018 sequel The Choir Director. White also reprised his role as Steve Urkel in the animated film Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie (2023).
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, and later graduating from UCLA in 2001. 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.
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. 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. Unlike The Cosby Show, Charlie and Company did not catch on with audiences and was canceled in May 1986. 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.
At the age of 12, White originated his most famous role, Steve Urkel, on Family Matters (1989–1998). The role was initially conceived as a one-time guest appearance, but the character proved to be popular, and after spending season 1 as a guest star, White joined the main cast in season 2. 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. 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. 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.
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.
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." White was so tightly defined by his Urkel character that he encountered difficulty finding other roles.