Author Jaleel While

How do you know this actor: Jaleel White played Steve Urkle and Stephan Urquell on the TV show Family Matters, and competed on Dancing With the Stars.

Actor Origin Story: When he was starting out White mostly got roles because he could read. These small gigs eventually led to a role in Family Matters.

Most Shocking Revelation: There was almost a Family Matters reboot. White met with producers to discuss creative concepts. The two options were a series continuation like Fuller House. Or, the making of Urkel in the vain of the TV series Young Sheldon. But no one could agree on the creative direction and the project ended up not moving forward.

Are there Pictures: Yes. Preschool graduation, Family Matters throwbacks, celebrity acquaintances, the college years and beyond. The book really comes through with photos from White’s life,

Is it Worth Your Time

Actors are not their characters, and this book makes that abundantly clear. White spends much of his memoir dwelling on missed opportunities and moments when life felt unfair. Rather than offering an insightful behind-the-scenes look at a long-running and still-beloved sitcom. The book feels like a squandered opportunity—more focused on grievances than storytelling. For instance, White details how he lost romantic opportunities to a prominent basketball player—as if that wouldn’t have happened to almost anyone.

Other times it seems as though White simply got in his own way, and bemoans the fact that he isn’t more famous or wealthier. There was one story where White had a small cameo in the movie Big Fat Liar, but he didn’t like his portion of the script, so he re-wrote it. Yet is somehow shocked when his scene is cut. He also describes not doing a routine as is Urkle character when he was on Dancing with the Stars and lost out on opportunities that befell Alfonso Ribiero who played into his Carelton persona. 

Though it grew frustratingly repetitive to hear about lost opportunities there were definitely highlights. White does go on to detail the role that Urkle played in a larger cultural context.

The characters of Urkel subverted traditional stereotypes, challenging expectations around masculinity and intelligence for Black men. The character connected with so many who never found themselves depicted in pop culture.

Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between. But ground the work in what would otherwise be a long airing of grievances.

For a book called Growing up Urkle one would have expected the memoir to focus on growing up as a child actor. And the veer to general pettiness seems misplaced. However, on further reflection, Growing up Urkel is appropriate. White may have set out to document being a child actor in Hollywood, but he makes it clear he has a lot of growing up to do. I can only hope in the future White takes a look at some of the larger themes around broadcast TV and representation that he writes about so well. Until that time if you want a better behind-the-scenes look at being a child actor on TGIF read Andrea Barber’s Full Circle.

Photo Credit: Simon and Schuster