Jaleel White

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.tft.ucla.edu/alumni/notable-alumni-actors/ |title=Notable Alumni Actors |publisher=UCLA School of Theater, Film and television |access-date=September 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006111604/http://www.tft.ucla.edu/alumni/notable-alumni-actors/ |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite news|title=Jaleel White: A Busy Young Man|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=886&dat=19910426&id=hxxTAAAAIBAJ&pg=4262,4360210|date=April 26, 1991|newspaper=The Prescott Courier|page=2|access-date=April 7, 2014}}{{cite news|last=Cutler|first=Jacqueline|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X6dWAAAAIBAJ&pg=5205,6850675&dq=jaleel+white+dentist&hl=en|title=Jaleel White graduates to life among the 'Grown Ups'|date=August 21, 1999|newspaper=The Rochester Sentinel|page=5|access-date=December 7, 2012}}

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.{{cite magazine|last=Ryan|first=Mike|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2011/06/qa-jaleel-white-on-his-31-year-career|title=Q&A: Jaleel White on His 31-Year Career|date=June 14, 2011|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=January 26, 2013|archive-date=April 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413012022/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2011/06/qa-jaleel-white-on-his-31-year-career|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite journal|date=October 1985|title=Blacks on TV: Tuning in to the New Season|journal=Ebony|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=09gDAAAAMBAJ&q=Jaleel+White&pg=PA68|access-date=March 30, 2020|volume=40|issue=12|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=09gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68 68]–[https://books.google.com/books?id=09gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA69 69]|issn=0012-9011}} Unlike The Cosby Show, Charlie and Company did not catch on with audiences and was canceled in May 1986.{{cite journal|date=May 26, 1986|title=CBS Yanks 'Charlie & Co.', 'Trapper' In New Season|journal=Jet|volume=70|issue=10|pages=61|issn=0021-5996|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n7ADAAAAMBAJ&q=%22CBS+Yanks+%27Charlie+%26+Co.%27%2C+%27Trapper%27+In+New+Season%22.+Jet.&pg=PA61|access-date=March 30, 2020}} 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 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.{{cite news|url=https://people.com/archive/family-matters-1989-1998-vol-53-no-25/|title=Family Matters: 1989–1998|date=June 26, 2000|work=People|access-date=October 11, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103233624/https://people.com/archive/family-matters-1989-1998-vol-53-no-25/|archive-date=January 3, 2019|url-status=live|volume=53|issue=25}} 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.{{cite web|last=Rhudy|first=Ben|url=http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/features/article_1221104.php/M&C_Exclusive_Interview_Jaleel_White_talks_%93Who_Made_the_Potatoe_Salad%94|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526101151/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/features/article_1221104.php/M&C_Exclusive_Interview_Jaleel_White_talks_%93Who_Made_the_Potatoe_Salad%94|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 26, 2012|title=M&C Exclusive Interview: Jaleel White talks "Who Made the Potatoe Salad?"|date=November 12, 2006|website=monstersandcritics.com|access-date=October 11, 2008}} 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.{{cite news|last=Gay|first=Verne|title=Off Camera – Dissing 'Family' Goodbye/CBS Buries Finale of Show It Grabbed and Dropped|date=July 9, 1998|newspaper=Newsday|page=B35}}

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.Chris Willman, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-22-ca-2096-story.html TV Reviews : Jaleel White and His Alter Ego in Special], Los Angeles Times, February 22, 1992.

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."{{cite web|last=Noxon|first=Christopher|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9901E3D61739F931A1575BC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Jaleel White ('Don't Call Me Urkel') Grows Up|date=August 22, 1999|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 11, 2008}} White was so tightly defined by his Urkel character that he encountered difficulty finding other roles.

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".

File:JaleelWhiteDec10.jpg

White was the original English-language 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, 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.{{cite book|title=Television Cartoon Shows: The shows, M-Z|last=Erikson|first=Hal|publisher=McFarland & Co.|year=2005|isbn=0-7864-2256-4|edition=2|page=758|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7eQLAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Jaleel+White%22}}

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.{{cite news|last=Tucker|first=Ken|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,270659,00.html|title=Mo' and More|date=September 10, 1999|access-date=October 11, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508173600/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,270659,00.html|archive-date=May 8, 2008}} The show received poor reviews from critics but debuted in second place in the ratings upon its premiere.{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/jaleel-grown-ups-premiere-brings-white-hot-ratings-upn-article-1.857158|title=Jaleel's 'Grown Ups' Premiere Brings White-Hot Ratings For UPN|work=Daily News|location=New York|date=August 5, 1999|access-date=December 7, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225746/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/jaleel-grown-ups-premiere-brings-white-hot-ratings-upn-article-1.857158|archive-date=March 3, 2016}} However, ratings soon dropped and UPN canceled the series after one season.{{cite web|last=Bianculli|first=David|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/cursed-girlfriends-ripe-debut-jinx-article-1.891264|title=First and Cursed: 'Girlfriends' Ripe For Debut Jinx|date=September 11, 2000|work=Daily News|location=New York|access-date=April 7, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924232446/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/cursed-girlfriends-ripe-debut-jinx-article-1.891264|archive-date=September 24, 2017}}

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.{{cite news|title=Celebrity Mailbag|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19981009&id=ZA8wAAAAIBAJ&pg=6905,3153904|date=October 9, 1998|newspaper=The Toledo Blade|page=4|access-date=April 7, 2014}} 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.{{cite journal|date=May 2004|title=Where Are the Child Stars of Yesterday?|journal=Ebony|volume=59|issue=7|page=98|issn=0012-9011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HNkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA98|access-date=March 31, 2020}} 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.{{cite news|title=TV Q&A|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=20070629&id=IVxSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3110,6120240|date=June 29, 2007|newspaper=The Post and Courier|page=2-D|access-date=April 7, 2014}} 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.

In June 2009, White began appearing in the web series Road to the Altar.{{cite web|url=https://www.accessonline.com/articles/access-the-web-jaleel-whites-road-to-the-altar-72480|title=Access the Web: Jaleel White's 'Road To the Altar'|date=June 16, 2009|work=Access Hollywood|access-date=April 7, 2014}} 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.{{cite magazine|last=Garcia|first=Catherine|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/06/08/jaleel-white-family-matters-dvd-interview/|title='Family Matters' star Jaleel White talks first season DVD and new web series|date=June 8, 2010|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=April 7, 2014}} 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".{{cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Alison|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20516745,00.html|title=Cee Lo Green's 'Cry Baby' Stunt Double: Jaleel White|date=August 29, 2011|work=People|access-date= December 7, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065217/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20516745,00.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}

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.{{cite web|last=La Rosa|first=David|title=House Goes to Jail with Steve Urkel|url=http://runninglip.com/tv/2011/09/dr-house-goes-to-jail-with-steve-urkel/|date=September 2, 2011|website=runninglip.com|access-date=September 3, 2011}} In April 2012, White began hosting the Syfy game show Total Blackout.{{cite news|last=Shen|first=Maxine|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/tvblog/total_blackout_host_jaleel_white_864GGvk9c4R9HMfvMIwuGJ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428172026/http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/tvblog/total_blackout_host_jaleel_white_864GGvk9c4R9HMfvMIwuGJ#ixzz2EK5y9kKT|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 28, 2012|title='Total Blackout' host Jaleel White on why you should be scared of the dark: A Q&A (also 'Psych' and 'DWTS')|date=April 25, 2012|website=New York Post|access-date=December 7, 2012}}

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.{{cite web|first=Monica |last=Rizzo |title=Dancing with the Stars Season 14 Cast Revealed |url=https://people.com/tv/dancing-with-the-stars-cast-announced/ |date=February 28, 2012 |access-date=February 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228200351/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20574087%2C00.html |archive-date=February 28, 2012 |url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/donald-driver-charms-on-dancing-with-the-stars-season-14/|last=Parsley|first=Aaron|title=Dancing with the Stars Returns with a Vengeance|date=March 19, 2012|work=People|access-date=June 8, 2020}} White was voted off the series in May 2012.{{cite web|last=Shira|first=Dahvi|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20592130,00.html|title=Dancing with the Stars: Jaleel White Heads Home|date=May 1, 2012|work=People|access-date=December 7, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627063004/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20592130,00.html|archive-date=June 27, 2012}}

In 2015, White appeared in a Scion commercial.{{cite news|url=http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/tuned-in/item/39880-tv-q-a-madam-secretary-call-the-midwife-and-nightly-sports-call|title=TV Q&A: 'Madam Secretary,' 'Call the Midwife' and 'Nightly Sports Call'|last=Owen|first=Rob|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=February 5, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403155036/http://people.com/tv/dancing-with-the-stars-cast-announced/|archive-date=April 3, 2017}}

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,{{Cite news|url=http://tvline.com/2017/11/01/me-myself-i-cancelled-cbs-season-1-bobby-moynihan/|author-link=Michael Ausiello|title=Me, Myself & I Essentially Cancelled at CBS; Man With a Plan Called Off Bench|last=Ausiello|first=Michael|date=November 1, 2017|work=TVLine|access-date=November 28, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101191724/http://tvline.com/2017/11/01/me-myself-i-cancelled-cbs-season-1-bobby-moynihan/|archive-date=November 1, 2017}}{{Cite news|first=Rick|last=Porter|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/me-myself-i-yanked-from-cbs-after-6-episodes-man-with-a-plan-stepping-in/|title='Me, Myself & I' yanked from CBS after 6 episodes, 'Man With a Plan' stepping in|date=November 1, 2017|work=TV by the Numbers by zap2it.com|access-date=November 28, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101230527/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/me-myself-i-yanked-from-cbs-after-6-episodes-man-with-a-plan-stepping-in/|archive-date=November 1, 2017}} with the network airing the remaining episodes in the summer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/me-myself-and-i/listings/|title=Shows A-Z – me, myself & i on cbs|date=June 7, 2018|work=TheFutonCritic.com|access-date=June 7, 2018}}

White began hosting the game show Flip Side in 2024. The program was a success, drawing over a million viewers in daytime syndication, and was renewed for a second season in 2025.{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=2025-03-24 |title=‘Flip Side’ Syndicated Game Show Renewed For Season 2 By CBS Media Ventures; ‘The Perfect Line’ Confirmed For Fall Launch |url=https://deadline.com/2025/03/flip-side-game-show-renewed-the-perfect-line-fall-launch-1236347979/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

White is a Christian.[https://m.facebook.com/officialjaleelwhitefanpage/photos/a.129199063787566/3844237992283636/?type=3 Jaleel White - Facebook] He dated actress Christine Lakin from fellow TGIF show Step by Step in the early 1990s.[https://www.distractify.com/p/jaleel-white-now Where Is Jaleel White Now? Fans Can Catch Him in a 'Star Wars' Show Soon] White has one daughter, with ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy.{{cite news|url=https://people.com/tv/dancing-with-the-stars-jaleel-white-responds-to-controversy/|title=Jaleel White Didn't Know About His 'Jerkel' Nickname|last1=Schwartz|first1=Alison|last2=Triggs|first2=Charlotte|date=April 6, 2012|work=People|access-date=June 8, 2020}}{{cite web|last=Fleeman|first=Mike|url=http://people.com/celebrity/dancing-with-the-stars-jaleel-white-responds-to-allegations/|title=Jaleel White Speaks Out About Ex-Girlfriend's Abuse Allegations|date=March 29, 2012|work=People|access-date=December 7, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101103137/http://people.com/celebrity/dancing-with-the-stars-jaleel-white-responds-to-allegations/|archive-date=November 1, 2016}} On May 4, 2024, White married Nicoletta Ruhl, a sports technology business executive, in a ceremony in Los Angeles.[https://people.com/family-matters-actor-jaleel-white-married-nicoletta-ruhl-wedding-exclusive-8644147 Actor Jaleel White Marries Tech Exec Nicoletta Ruhl in L.A. Country Club Wedding! See the Photos (Exclusive)][https://people.com/who-is-nicoletta-ruhl-jaleel-white-wife-8645643 Who Is Jaleel White's Wife? All About Nicoletta Ruhl]

White is a big fan of basketball and frequently played pickup games with George Clooney, who was taping ER in the studio next door.[https://www.tvguide.com/news/jaleel-white-george-clooney-crossover-basketball-game/]

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.{{cite news |last1=Bartlett |first1=Lindsey |title='Steve Urkel' Actor Jaleel White Launches Purple Urkle Cannabis Brand With 710 Labs |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lindseybartlett/2021/04/12/steve-urkel-actor-jaleel-white-launches-purple-urkle-cannabis-brand-with-710-labs/ |access-date=April 14, 2021 |work=Forbes |date=April 12, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Amelia |title=Actor Jaleel White and 710 Labs debut a new Purple Urkle |url=https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/actor-jaleel-white-and-710-labs-debut-a-new-purple-urkle |access-date=April 14, 2021 |work=Leafly |date=April 13, 2021}}

White released an autobiography in November 2024, where he reflects on his career and life after playing the Urkel character.{{cite news |last=Greene |first=Andy |date=November 19, 2024 |title=He Did That: Jaleel White Reflects on Life as Urkel |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/jaleel-white-growing-up-urkel-family-matters-reboot-1235169888/ |work= Rolling Stone|location= |access-date=November 24, 2024}}

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 up.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/F1EDS-KFoJw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170811202740/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1EDS-KFoJw Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1EDS-KFoJw| title = Jaleel White Breaks Down Over Costar's Death {{!}} Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry {{!}} E! | website=YouTube| date = August 7, 2017 }}{{cbignore}}

• List of celebrities who own cannabis businesses

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|http://jaleelwhite.com/}}
• {{IMDb name|0924918}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011041035/http://www.nba.com/blog/blog22.html Jaleel White's NBA blog]

{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Jaleel}}

Category:1976 births

Category:20th-century African-American male actors

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century African-American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:African-American Christians

Category:African-American game show hosts

Category:African-American male child actors

Category:American game show hosts

Category:American male child actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:American male voice actors

Category:Businesspeople in the cannabis industry

Category:Living people

Category:People from Culver City, California

Category:UCLA Film School alumni

Category:Slapstick comedians