Jaleel White Says ‘I Was Not Welcomed To The Cast At All’ While Speaking On His ‘Family Matters’ Debut

Jaleel White Says ‘I Was Not Welcomed To The Cast At All’ While Speaking On His ‘Family Matters’ Debut

Actor Jaleel White is opening up about his early days on the classic sitcom Family Matters.

He sat down in a candid interview with TVOne for the upcoming premiere episode of Uncensored: Jaleel White. In the interview, he discussed his iconic roles as Steve Urkel & Stefan on the nostalgic show.

In a sneak peek, Jaleel White discussed the original plan for him to appear on the show as a guest and revealed,

“I was not welcomed to the cast at all, they know what it was.”

He added:

“I didn’t think anything of it, being cast to be on Family Matters, because it was only supposed to be a guest spot, one and done.”

Jaleel White quickly stole the show as everyone’s favorite nerd on the classic sitcom Family Matters. He turned what was meant to be one guest appearance into an iconic starring role. An all-new episode of UNCENSORED airs Sunday at 10/9C. pic.twitter.com/QAp7sy8zNc

— TV One (@tvonetv) May 3, 2021

Jaleel White stole the hearts of viewers as one of the most notable characters on the show. He was originally slated to appear on the show as a one-time-only guest but soon broke out as the most popular character in the show’s history. As the resident nerd next door, Jaleel White’s role is forever etched in the minds of viewers who couldn’t wait to watch the TGIF primetime show.

Family Matters ran for nine seasons (215 episodes), becoming the second-longest-running live-action U.S. sitcom with a predominantly Black cast. It was the last live-action scripted primetime show that debuted in the 80s to leave the air.

The Steve Urkel name is synonymous with some of the best catchphrases on the show like “Did I do that?”

Jaleel White’s character was central to the show and its running gags for almost a decade [1989-1998]. In 1991, his notoriety even landed him brand deals that included a talking doll manufactured by Hasbro.

The full Uncensored interview airs Sunday (May 9th) on TVOne at 10/9c.

What are your thoughts on Jaleel White not being welcomed to the show by the cast? Comment below and let us know