Jaleel White

Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976)[1] is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer.

Jaleel White
Jaleel White in December 2010
Born
Jaleel Ahmad White

(1976-11-27) November 27, 1976
Alma materUCLA
Occupation
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • producer
  • writer
Years active1984–present
Children1
Websitewww.jaleelwhite.com

In 1989, he was cast in the role of Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters.[2] The character, which was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance, was an instant hit with audiences and White became a regular cast member. The series aired for a total of nine seasons, from 1989 to 1997 on ABC, and from 1997 to 1998 on CBS. White reprised his role as Urkel for the first time since 1998 in the 2019 series Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?.

White is also the first actor to voice the character Sonic the Hedgehog, doing so in the animated shows: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic SatAM and Sonic Underground, all of which were produced by the now-defunct DiC Entertainment. He reprised his role as Sonic in the 2013 Sonic fan film.

After Family Matters ended, White starred in the UPN series Grown Ups from 1999 to 2000. He later attended UCLA where he graduated with a degree in film and television in 2001. He has continued his acting career with supporting roles in Dreamgirls (2006), and cameo appearances on Boston Legal, House, Castle, and Psych. In 2010, he portrayed Dr. McCormick in the sci-fi film Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus. In March 2012, White appeared as a contestant in season 14 of Dancing with the Stars and was voted off in May 2012, leaving him in 7th place overall. In April 2012, White hosted the game show Total Blackout, which aired on the Syfy channel. In January 2017, White appeared in Bones as Officer Adams. In 2020, White joined the cast of the Netflix series The Big Show Show in the recurring role of Terry.

Early life

White was born in Culver City, California, the only child of Michael White, a dentist, and Gail White, a homemaker who later became his manager. White attended John Marshall Fundamental High School and South Pasadena High School before graduating from UCLA in 2001.[3] On the advice of his preschool teacher, White began acting as a child. He got his start on TV commercials at age 3. One of White's notable commercial appearances was for Jell-O pudding pops alongside Bill Cosby.[1][4][5]

Career

After starting his career at the age of three, 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.[6] 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.[7] Unlike The Cosby Show, Charlie and Company did not catch on with audiences and was canceled in May 1986.[8] 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 movie 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.

Family Matters

At the age of 12, White originated his most famous role, Steve Urkel, on Family Matters. 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.[9] 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.[10] The series was a staple of ABC's TGIF lineup and became one of the longest-running sitcoms with a predominately black cast in television history.[11]

In 1992, he was featured in The Jaleel White Special, where he played a fictionalized version of himself making a movie, while also playing Steve Urkel.[12]

By the time the series ended in 1998, White, who was then 21 years old, was disillusioned with the role. 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."[13] Due to the character's popularity, White was so tightly defined by his Urkel character that he encountered difficulty finding other roles.[13]

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..."[6]

Other career highlights

White was famously known as the original English 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,[14] 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.[15] White did not return to voice Sonic when Sonic X was released in 2003.

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.[16] The show received poor reviews from critics but debuted in second place in the ratings upon its premiere.[17] However, ratings soon dropped and UPN canceled the series after one season.[18]

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.[14] 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.[19] 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.[20] 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.[20]

In June 2009, White began appearing in the web series Road to the Altar.[21] 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.[22] 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".[23]

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.[24] In April 2012, White began hosting the Syfy game show Total Blackout.[25]

In March 2012, White began competing on the season 14 of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with 2-time dance champion Kym Johnson.[26] 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.[27] White was voted off the series in May 2012.[28]

In 2015, White appeared in a Scion commercial.[29]

In 2017, it was announced that CBS has 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 with the network planning to release the remaining episodes in the future.[30][31]

Personal life

White has one daughter, Samaya (born in 2009), with ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy.[32][33]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1998Quest for CamelotBladebeak (voice)
1999Our Friend, Martin15-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. (voice)Direct-to-video release
2002Big Fat LiarHimselfUncredited
2006Miracle Dogs TooLeoDirect-to-video release
Puff, Puff, PassTenant No. 2
Who Made the Potatoe Salad?Michael
DreamgirlsTalent BookerCameo
2008Kissing CousinsAntwone
Green FlashJason BootieDirect-to-DVD release
Alternative title: Beach Kings
2009Call of the WildDr. Spencer
Road to the AltarSimon Fox
2010Mega Shark Versus CrocosaurusDr. McCormickDirect-to-DVD release
2011Judy Moody and the Not Bummer SummerMr. Todd
2012Rhymes with BananaJ
2013SonicSonic the Hedgehog (voice)Fan film
The Wrong WomanDetective Hamer
2014DumbbellsThe Leader
Santa ConPaul Greenberg
2016Mommy, I Didn't Do ItDetective Hamer
2017The Preachers SonJames Back
2018The 15:17 to ParisGarrett Walden
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1984The JeffersonsVan Van MorrisEpisode: "Ebony and Ivory"
Silence of the HeartHanryTelevision movie
Uncredited
1985Kids Don't TellChristoferTelevision movie
Charlie & Co.Robert Richmond18 episodes
1986The Disney Sunday MovieJakeEpisode: "The Leftovers"
1987Mr. BelvedereErnie MastersEpisode: "Jobless"
Good Morning, Miss BlissBobby WilsonEpisode: Pilot
Jay Leno's Comedy HourKid Eating Cake No. 5Television special
1988CadetsCadet NichollsUnsold pilot episode
1989–98Family MattersSteve Urkel, Stefan Urquelle, various Urkel family members204 episodes
1990Camp CucamongaDennis BrooksTelevision movie
1991Full HouseSteve UrkelEpisode: "Stephanie Gets Framed"
Step by StepEpisode: "The Dance"
1992The Jaleel White Special[34]Himself / Steve UrkelTelevision special
1993Adventures of Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (voice)Main role
Masonic the Mummified Hedgehog (voice)Episode: "Robotnik's Pyramid Scheme"
1993–94Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (voice)Main role
1995The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirDerekEpisode: "Not with My Cousin You Don't"
1996Sonic's Christmas BlastSonic (voice)Television special
1997Step by StepCrew Member/Steve UrkelEpisode: "A Star is Born"; uncredited
MeegoRepossessor, Guy blowing a whistle2 episodes
Diagnosis: MurderHimselfEpisode: "Must Kill TV"
1999Sonic UndergroundSonic, Sonia and Manic Hedgehog (voices)Main role
Aman-Rapi (voice)Episode: "Mummy Dearest"
1999–2000Grown UpsJ. Calvin Frazier22 episodes
2002Inspector Gadget's Last CaseGadgetmobileTelevision movie
2003111 Gramercy ParkBJ BrownUnsold pilot episode
2005Half & HalfHershelEpisode: "The Big State of the Reunion Episode"
2007The GameChrisEpisode: "The Big Chill"
Boston LegalKevin GivensEpisode: "Guise 'n Dolls"
2009, 2012PsychTony2 episodes
2010Fake It Till You Make ItReggie Culkin8 episodes; executive producer
2011The Problem SolverzK-999 (voice)2 episodes
Are We There Yet?Ray SavageEpisode: "The Nick Gets Jealous Episode"
HousePorterEpisode: "Twenty Vicodin"
Love That Girl!DirectorEpisode: "Director's Cut"
2012NCISMartin ThomasEpisode: "A Desperate Man"
SuperF*ckersPercy / Omnizod (voice)Web series
2012–13Total BlackoutHost24 episodes
2013Regular ShowCool Shade / Darryl (voice)[35]Episode: "TGI Tuesday"
Drop Dead DivaBob/Game Show HostEpisode: "Guess Who's Coming?"
2014CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationKenny / PassengerEpisode: "Keep Calm & Carry On"
Celebrities UndercoverHimselfEpisode: "Joey Fatone & Jaleel White"
2014–18Drunk HistoryVarious3 episodes
2015Hell's KitchenHimselfEpisode: "11 Chefs Compete"
Hawaii Five-0Nolan FremontEpisode: "Ho'amoano"
CastleMickey FranksEpisode: "Dead from New York"
2016The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of AwesomenessHimselfEpisode: "The 90's"
Celebrity Family FeudSeason 2, Episode 7
AtlantaEpisode: "Nobody Beats the Biebs"
Survivor's RemorseDerekEpisode: "The Photoshoot"
2017BonesOfficer AdamsEpisode: "The Tutor in the Tussle"
2017–18Me, Myself & IDarryl13 episodes
2018Trial & ErrorAtticus Ditto, Jr.Recurring in season 2
2018, 2020Fresh Off the BoatCalvinEpisodes: "Fresh Off the RV",[36] then "Family Van"[37]
2019Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?Steve Urkel (voice) / Urkel Bot (voice)Episode: "When Urkel-Bots Go Bad!"
Historical RoastsNelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali2 episodes
Staging ChristmasMr. LexingtonTelevision Movie
2019, 2020Raven's HomeChris Springlakes3 episodes
2020DuckTalesGene The Genie (voice)2 episodes
The Big Show Show Terence "Terry" Malick III
Teen Titans GoMiner (voice)Episode: "Two Drums"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryTitle of workResult
1985Young Artist AwardBest Young Actor – Guest in a Television SeriesThe JeffersonsNominated
1986Best Young Supporting Actor in a New Television SeriesCharlie & Co.
1991Outstanding Young Comedian in a Television SeriesFamily MattersWon
1994NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Youth Actor/Actress
1995
1996Nickelodeon Kids' Choice AwardsFavorite Television ActorNominated
NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
1997Won

References

  1. Laufenberg, Norbert B. (2005). Entertainment Celebrities. Trafford Publishing. p. 697. ISBN 1-4120-5335-8.
  2. Braxton, Greg (June 18, 2010). "Jaleel White fondly recalls playing Urkel on 'Family Matters'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  3. "NOTABLE ALUMNI ACTORS". UCLA School of Theater, Film and television. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  4. "Jaleel White: A Busy Young Man". The Prescott Courier. April 26, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  5. Cutler, Jacqueline (August 21, 1999). "Jaleel White graduates to life among the 'Grown Ups'". The Rochester Sentinel. p. 5. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  6. Ryan, Mike (June 14, 2011). "Q&A: Jaleel White on His 31-Year Career". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  7. "Blacks on TV: Tuning in to the New Season". Ebony. 40 (12): 6869. October 1985. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  8. "CBS Yanks 'Charlie & Co.', 'Trapper' In New Season". Jet. 70 (10): 61. May 26, 1986. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  9. "Family Matters: 1989–1998". People. 53 (25). June 26, 2000. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  10. Rhudy, Ben (November 12, 2006). "M&C Exclusive Interview: Jaleel White talks "Who Made the Potatoe Salad?"". monstersandcritics.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  11. Gay, Verne (July 9, 1998). "Off Camera – Dissing 'Family' Goodbye/CBS Buries Finale of Show It Grabbed and Dropped". Newsday. p. B35.
  12. Chris Willman, TV Reviews : Jaleel White and His Alter Ego in Special, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 1992.
  13. Noxon, Christopher (August 22, 1999). "Jaleel White ('Don't Call Me Urkel') Grows Up". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  14. "Celebrity Mailbag". The Toledo Blade. October 9, 1998. p. 4. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  15. Erikson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: The shows, M-Z (2 ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 758. ISBN 0-786-42256-4.
  16. Tucker, Ken (September 10, 1999). "Mo' and More". Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  17. "Jaleel's 'Grown Ups' Premiere Brings White-Hot Ratings For UPN". Daily News. New York. August 5, 1999. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  18. Bianculli, David (September 11, 2000). "First and Cursed: 'Girlfriends' Ripe For Debut Jinx". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  19. "Where Are the Child Stars of Yesterday?". Ebony. 59 (7): 98. May 2004. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  20. "TV Q&A". The Post and Courier. June 29, 2007. p. 2-D. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  21. "Access the Web: Jaleel White's 'Road To the Altar'". Access Hollywood. June 16, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  22. Garcia, Catherine (June 8, 2010). "'Family Matters' star Jaleel White talks first season DVD and new web series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  23. Schwartz, Alison (August 29, 2011). "Cee Lo Green's 'Cry Baby' Stunt Double: Jaleel White". People. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  24. La Rosa, David (September 2, 2011). "House Goes to Jail with Steve Urkel". runninglip.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  25. Shen, Maxine (April 25, 2012). "'Total Blackout' host Jaleel White on why you should be scared of the dark: A Q&A (also 'Psych' and 'DWTS')". New York Post. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  26. {{cite web|first=Monica|last=Rizzo|title=Dancing with the Stars Cast Announced|url=https://people.com/tv/dancing-with-the-stars-cast-announced/%7Cdate=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%7Carchive-date%3DFebruary 28, 2012}|url-status=live}
  27. Parsley, Aaron (March 19, 2012). "Dancing with the Stars Returns with a Vengeance". People. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  28. Shira, Dahvi (May 1, 2012). "Dancing with the Stars: Jaleel White Heads Home". People. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  29. Owen, Rob (February 5, 2016). "TV Q&A: 'Madam Secretary,' 'Call the Midwife' and 'Nightly Sports Call'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 3, 2017.
  30. Ausiello, Michael (November 1, 2017). "Me, Myself & I Essentially Cancelled at CBS; Man With a Plan Called Off Bench". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  31. Porter, Rick (November 1, 2017). "'Me, Myself & I' yanked from CBS after 6 episodes, 'Man With a Plan' stepping in". TV by the Numbers by zap2it.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  32. Schwartz, Alison; Triggs, Charlotte (April 6, 2012). "Jaleel White Didn't Know About His 'Jerkel' Nickname". People. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  33. Fleeman, Mike (March 29, 2012). "Jaleel White Speaks Out About Ex-Girlfriend's Abuse Allegations". People. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  34. Willman, Chris (February 22, 1992). "TV Reviews : Jaleel White and His Alter Ego in Special". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  35. Regular Show Season 4 Episode 10 closing credits
  36. Castro, Danilo (October 5, 2018). "How to Watch 'Fresh Off the Boat' Season 5 Premiere Online". Heavy.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  37. Jacobs, Meredith (February 20, 2020). "Car Troubles Bring Jaleel White Back in 'Fresh Off the Boat' Series Finale". TV Insider. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.