For his role as “Steve Urkel” in the American sitcom series “Family Matters,” actor Jaleel White is best known in his native country. It’s interesting to note that White’s character was originally intended to be a special one, but thanks to his outstanding performance, the producers decided to make it a regular. The actor is also well-known for his television voice-acting roles. He is well-known for providing the voice of the main character and hero of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” video game series. After his lengthy stint on “Family Matters,” he made appearances on a number of other well-known programs, including “Grown Ups” in the late 1990s. The television series “Charlie & Co.,” “Total Blackout,” and “Celebrity Family Feud” are among his other notable accomplishments. White also participated in the 14th season of “Dancing with the Stars,” an American dance competition television program, but she was eliminated and placed seventh. White has also tried his hand at the movie business, but he hasn’t yet achieved much success there. He has done some voice acting and worked on a few low-budget movies. The talented actor has previously won three NAACP Image Awards as well as one Young Artist Award.
Career of Jaleel White
Jaleel White developed an interest in acting at a very young age after receiving advice from one of his preschool teachers. He performed as a child actor in numerous high-profile brands’ commercials. At age three, he appeared with Bill Cosby in an advertisement for Jell-O pudding pops. In the American sitcom “The Jeffersons,” in which he played “Van Van Morris,” he made his television debut in 1984. He was cast as “Robert Richmond” in the CBS comedy “Charlie & Company” the following year. The Bill Cosby-starring NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show” was directly challenged by the series. After 18 episodes, White’s involvement with the show came to an end because it did not live up to expectations and was canceled in 1986.
The creators of the American sitcom series “Family Matters” chose White for just one special appearance in 1989. He was only supposed to play the part of “Steven Quincy Urkel” for one episode, but the popularity of the character forced the show’s producers to give him a regular role. He went on to portray a number of characters in the series, such as “Myrtle Urkel” and “Stefan Urquelle,” who was “Steve Urkel’s” alter ego. In addition to appearing in the show as an actor, White also wrote the scripts for several of its episodes, including one of its most well-liked ones. In 1994 and 1995, he twice took home the award for “Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress” from the NAACP Image Awards. Later that year, for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series,” he received the same honor.
In addition to his work on “Family Matters,” he performed voice acting roles in the animated television series “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Sonic (SatAM),” and “Sonic Underground.” He provided the voice of the series’ title character in all of these roles. Despite being a hugely popular cast member of “Family Matters,” he found it extremely difficult to land regular roles after the show was canceled. The American sitcom “Grown Ups” gave him another regular role, though, and he accepted it quickly. In addition to portraying “J. Calvin Frazier” or “J” in the program, White also co-wrote and produced a number of its episodes.
White also appeared in small roles in films like ‘Big Fat Liar’ and ‘Dreamgirls’ before making an appearance in a lead role in the comedy movie ‘Who Made the Potatoe Salad?’ in 2006. His recent television appearances include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Drunk History, Hell’s Kitchen, and the comedy-drama series Atlanta.
Individual Life of Jaleel White
On November 27, 1976, Jaleel Ahmad White was born in Culver City, California. He is the only child of dentist Michael White and Gail White, who serves as his manager at the moment. White attended South Pasadena High School and John Marshall Fundamental High School for his early education. Later on, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
In his spare time, he enjoys painting and writing short tales. He has consistently upheld a staunch opposition to drug and alcohol use. His daughter Samaya was born in 2009, and she is his only child. Bridget Hardy, an ex-girlfriend of his, is the mother of his child.
Jaleel White’s Net Worth