Jaleel White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jaleel White
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White at GalaxyCon Richmond in 2024
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Jaleel Ahmad White
November 27, 1976 Culver City, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1984–present |
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| Children | 1 |
Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Steve Urkel on the TV show Family Matters from 1989 to 1998. Steve Urkel was only supposed to appear once, but he became so popular that Jaleel White became the main star of the show!
Jaleel White was also the first American actor to voice Sonic the Hedgehog in animated TV shows. He voiced Sonic in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (also called Sonic SatAM), and Sonic Underground. After Family Matters ended, White starred in the TV comedy Grown Ups (1999–2000). He also had roles in movies like Dreamgirls (2006) and on TV shows such as Boston Legal, House, Castle, Psych, and Bones.
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Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Jaleel White was born in Culver City, California. He was the only child of Michael White, a dentist, and Gail White, who was a homemaker. His mother later became his manager, helping him with his acting career.
Jaleel went to high school in Pasadena, California, and South Pasadena High School. He later graduated from UCLA in 2001. Jaleel started acting when he was very young, at the age of three. His preschool teacher suggested he try acting. He first appeared in TV commercials. One of his most famous commercials was for Jell-O pudding pops with Bill Cosby.
Jaleel White's Acting Journey
Jaleel White's first TV role was a guest appearance on The Jeffersons in 1984. He also tried out for the role of Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Jaleel was cast for the part, which was originally meant for a boy. However, the role went to Keshia Knight Pulliam instead when Bill Cosby decided to make his TV family more like his real family.
The next year, Jaleel was cast as the son of Flip Wilson and Gladys Knight in the CBS sitcom Charlie and Company. This show was meant to be CBS's answer to the popular Cosby Show. But Charlie and Company was not as popular and was canceled in 1986. In 1987, he appeared in the pilot episode for Good Morning, Miss Bliss and had a guest role on Mr. Belvedere. In 1988, Jaleel had a supporting role in Cadets, a comedy show that was not picked up by the network. He also appeared in some segments of NBC's One to Grow On during the 1980s.
White also had a role in the NBC TV movie Camp Cucamonga. This movie featured many young actors who were popular at the time, like Jennifer Aniston and Brian Robbins.
Becoming Steve Urkel in Family Matters
When Jaleel White was 12 years old, he got his most famous role as Steve Urkel on Family Matters. The show ran from 1989 to 1998. His character, Steve Urkel, was only supposed to be in one episode. But viewers loved him so much that Jaleel became a full-time star on the show!
Jaleel also played other members of the Urkel family, including Steve's cool alter ego, Stefan Urquelle, and his cousin, Myrtle Urkel. Steve Urkel became a huge hit. There was even a breakfast cereal called Urkel-Os and an Urkel doll! Jaleel White didn't just act in the show; he also wrote several episodes. One episode he wrote, when he was 19, was the most-watched episode that year. Family Matters was a very popular show on ABC's TGIF lineup and became one of the longest-running sitcoms with a mostly Black cast in TV history.
In 1992, Jaleel White starred in The Jaleel White Special. In this special, he played a fictional version of himself making a movie, while also playing Steve Urkel.
After Family Matters ended in 1998, Jaleel White was 21 years old. He felt that the Urkel character had become too much a part of his identity. He also felt sad because his friend and co-star Michelle Thomas passed away shortly after the show ended. For a while, it was hard for him to find other acting roles because everyone knew him as Urkel.
However, over time, Jaleel White has come to appreciate the character. In an interview in 2011, he explained that he loved playing the characters. He just needed to grow as a person and an actor. When asked if he would ever play Steve Urkel again, he said, "Never say never." He believes he could find a fun and creative way to bring the character back.
Other Acting Adventures
Jaleel White was the first English voice for the famous video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. He started voicing Sonic in 1993. He voiced Sonic in all the DiC animated series: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic SatAM, and Sonic Underground. He also voiced Sonic in the Christmas special, Sonic Christmas Blast. In Sonic Underground, he even voiced Sonic's brother, Manic, and sister, Sonia.
In 1999, White returned to TV in the UPN sitcom Grown Ups. The show was about a young man starting his adult life. Jaleel also helped produce and write some episodes. He played "J," a college graduate trying to figure out his place in the world. The show got mixed reviews and was canceled after one season.
Jaleel White has also done voice acting for animated movies. He voiced a character in Warner Bros.' 1998 film Quest for Camelot. In 1999, he voiced a teenage Martin Luther King Jr. in Our Friend, Martin.
After graduating from UCLA in 2001 with a degree in film and television, he continued acting. He had small parts in movies like Big Fat Liar and Dreamgirls. In 2006, he played the main role in the comedy Who Made the Potatoe Salad?. In 2007, he guest-starred on The Game and Boston Legal.
In 2009, Jaleel White appeared in the web series Road to the Altar. He also guest-starred on the USA Network series Psych. In 2010, he starred in, wrote, and produced the web series Fake It Till You Make It. In 2011, he reunited with his Family Matters co-star Telma Hopkins on the sitcom Are We There Yet?. He also appeared in Cee-Lo Green's music video for "Cry Baby".
In October 2011, White appeared in the season 8 premiere of House. In April 2012, he started hosting the Syfy game show Total Blackout. In March 2012, Jaleel White competed on the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Kym Johnson. They performed well but were voted off in May 2012.
In 2017, CBS picked up his comedy series Me, Myself & I, which premiered in September 2017. In 2024, Jaleel White began hosting the game show Flip Side, which was very successful and renewed for a second season in 2025.
Personal Life
Jaleel White is a Christian. He has one daughter with his ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy. On May 4, 2024, Jaleel White married Nicoletta Ruhl, a business executive, in Los Angeles.
Jaleel White is a big fan of basketball. He used to play pickup games with George Clooney. He also supports the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. In November 2024, Jaleel White released his autobiography, where he shared stories about his career and life after playing Steve Urkel. He also has a special memorial in his home for his Family Matters co-star Michelle Thomas, who passed away in 1998.
See also
In Spanish: Jaleel White para niños
