Ah, who can forget the 90’s most cringeworthy catchphrase?
That nasally, false-innocence should have been enough to drive anyone mad, but instead
it pushed Jaleel White to fame.
Jaleel who, you ask?
Best known as Family Matters’ resident nuisance, Steve Urkel, Jaleel skyrocketed to fame as
the Winslow’s neighbor, but is that where his career started?
And whatever happened to him anyway?
Let’s find out in this installment of Where Are They Now?
Before White stole the show on Family Matters, his youthful acting prowess was used in a
variety of TV movies and series'.
The longest running of his earlier exploits included a spot as Robert Richmond on Charlie
& Co, which he signed on for after having been dropped from The Cosby Show, allegedly
because Bill decided to change his character into a girl, which more closely resembled
his real-life family.
By 1989, White was ready for the big leagues and joined Family Matters in the 12th episode
of the first season.
For over 200 episodes, White kept up with his portrayal of the bothersome Urkel, occasionally
slipping into the suave alter ego Stefan Urquelle when the show’s plotlines started to get…
weird.
Though he appeared in other productions like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sonic the Hedgehog
animated TV series, and Step by Step, it was impossible for the actor to separate from
the Urkel persona, to the point where it started showing up in shows like Meego and Full House.
It was a career-defining role, one that White briefly expressed frustration over as it seemed
impossible to escape from.
In 1999, he attempted to shift his career with Grown Ups, a series about the trials
and tribulations of becoming an adult that he starred in, co-produced and wrote.
After one season, however, it was axed.
Though Grown Ups failed to capture an audience, White didn’t give up and, since the end
of the series, has remained consistently active in the television circuit.
From 2000 to 2016, the Family Matters’ star appeared in over 30 TV series and shorts,
including House, NCIS, Psych, Boston Legal, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Amidst his busy career, White found time to graduate from the UCLA, fittingly with a degree
in film and television.
To celebrate his graduation in 2001, he returned to acting with an appearance as himself in
the silver screen comedy Big Fat Liar.
His follow-up roles on the big screen continued but were far more infrequent and less notable
than his television spots as he took brief roles in Dreamgirls and Mega Shark Versus
Crocosaurus.
In 2006, the man behind Urkel fell victim to something many actors and actresses find
it hard to avoid.
Oh, no, we’re not talking about drugs, alcohol, or legal troubles - White became the subject
of an internet death rumor, one that seemed a little more tongue-in-cheek and gruesome
than many others.
It was reported that the body of Jaleel White was found in his home with a self-inflicted
gunshot wound to the head and a suicide note that simply read “Did I do that?”.
The elaborate story claimed that he had become obsessed with the character of Urkel and,
dissatisfied with his career, opted to take his life.
Suicide rumors far behind him, White’s later career integrated the staples of stars looking
to keep their career active.
In 2010, he starred in the Fake It Till You Make It web series, which premiered on Hulu
and follows the life of a former child star, whom he portrays.
Two years later, before White joined the game show circuit to host the two seasons of SyFy’s
Total Blackout, he joined the cast of Season 14 of Dancing with the Stars.
Partnered with Kym Johnson, White was the 6th contestant eliminated, but he still had
a job at SyFy to return to.
Total Blackout, which charged contestants with performing specific tasks in a pitch-black
room, was canceled after its second season.
While White may not have a steady place in the spotlight, he pops up time to time, such
as in April of 2017, when the actor reunited with Family Matters’ alumni Darius McCrary
for a photo.
In March of the same year, White was also confirmed to be joining former Saturday Night
Live actor, Bobby Moynihan’s CBS show, Me, Myself, and I. White is also slated to appear
in Guardians of Luna, The Choir Director, The Bobby Roberts Project, and 5th of July,
all for release in 2017.
And finally - for you social media fiends - you can follow the former Urkel on Twitter
and Instagram @JaleelWhite to see when he may be making random appearances, such as
in his guest spot on Hollywood Darlings.