Celebrity Nooz: Jaleel Ahmad White

Jaleel White (Actor) as Steve Urkel - Family Matters

Updated: 10/15/2006

Name: Jaleel Ahmad White

Born: November 27, 1976 in Pasadena, California

Claim To Fame: EVERYONE knows Jaleel as Urkel. I can not think of him in anything else. There lies the problem he's had since the show ended. He will forever be associated as Steve Urkel.

Family Life: Single.

Info: Jaleel was a victim of one of those inaccurate urban legends that spread like wildfire around the Internet. There was a fabricated AP story announcing that former child star Jaleel White had shot himself in the head, leaving behind a suicide note which simply read, "Did I do that?" That saying was the trademark catch phrase which Jaleel would whine each week as the bespectacled, nasal nerd Steve Urkel his TV series "Family Matters."

Trivia: Regularly played basketball against George Clooney while each was on their respective TV series, "Family Matters" and "ER", which were on nearby sets.

Graduated from UCLA Film School in 2001.

Enjoys making homemade ice cream and even considered doing it professionally when he was a teenager.

Likes writing short stories and drawing cartoons.

Before auditioning for Steve Urkel, he was looking for the "classic" nerd glasses (black, think, with tape around the center) but had no luck. His father, a dentist, tossed him the glasses he used to keep particles out of his eyes.
Jaleel just figured he would find different glasses later. The crew loved the look so he kept them.

It was his idea to use the whiny voice, hike up the pants, and walk with bent elbows for his Urkel on "Family Matters".

Is anti-alcohol and drugs.

After shooting his first scene as Steve Urkel, fifty frat boys in the audience started chanting "Urkel! Urkel! Urkel!" It was then that the producers realized how gifted he was.

Ranked #37 in VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid Stars"

Was considered for a main character role during the casting of "Saved by the Bell".

After going through puberty during season 3, he admitted it was harder doing the nerd voice for his character Steve Urkel and because of that, the voice sounds more unnatural than before his voice change.

Played the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog on three animated series, including "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog," the ABC Saturday morning cartoon "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "Sonic Underground."

Where Are They Now: After the show ended, Jaleel White did the voice of one of the characters for the cartoon movie 'Quest For Camelot.' He also did a TV series which only lasted a year called 'Grown Ups.' In that sitcom he played a 24 year old post college graduate.

he graduated from UCLA Film School in 2001. He now lives in a condo in California and enjoys playing basketball, and is a professional writer. Credit's include Jaleel White's Blog on NBA.com

The fully-grown Jaleel is not only alive and well, but still guest starring on television sitcoms, writing scripts, and co-starring in a movie arriving soon on DVD called "Who Made the Potato Salad?"

Jaleel says he’s been busy making his paper as a screenwriter and just finished working on a pilot, not to mention two movies this year. One of which is the eagerly anticipated 'Dreamgirls.' He is with some pretty big co-stars, Beyonce and Jamie Foxx.

Write To Jaleel Ahmad White:
Jaleel White
8916 Ashcroft Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90048

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