Steve Urkel was the quintessential icon of the television sitcom Family Matters (1989-98). By the time the show came to a close, Urkel’s character looked quite different. As Jaleel White, the actor who portrayed the character, explains in his new memoir, the production team had to make some changes to his wardrobe as he aged.
Family Matters
Family Matters premiered on September 22, 1989, as part of ABC’s popular “TGIF” programming block. The show, a spin-off of Perfect Strangers (1986-93), centered around the Winslow family, a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago. It explored family dynamics with humor and heart, and while it initially focused on the entire family, it quickly shifted to highlight Jaleel White’s character, Steve Urkel – their nerdy, clumsy and hilariously endearing neighbor.
Thanks to its mix of slapstick comedy and touching moments, Family Matters became a cultural phenomenon, running for an impressive nine seasons before wrapping up on July 17, 1998. White’s portrayal of Steve Urkel made him an instant fan favorite and cultural icon.
Originally intended as a one-time guest character, Urkel’s quirky personality, signature catchphrase (“Did I do that?”) and his elaborate inventions captured audiences’ hearts, prompting the show’s writers to expand his role. His performance not only boosted Family Matters‘ popularity, but also defined much of its identity, making it one of the most memorable sitcoms of the 1990s.
Making changes as Jaleel White grew up
In his memoir, Growing Up Urkel, Jaleel White, now 47, opens up about what it was like growing up in such a popular role. He explains that, while playing Steve, Urkel, he grew from a boy into a teenager, then from a teenager into a man, and this caused him to experience many physical and mental changes that he not only had to adjust to, but the show executives, as well.
White explains that, by Family Matters‘ eighth season, elements of Urkel’s character were adjusted to leave aspects things out. “Let’s get rid of the suspenders. Lower his pants, too. Oh, and… it’s getting a bit uncomfortable watching him in tight jeans,” he writes.
In particular, as he grew into a man, something became prominently visible in Urkel’s well-known outfit. “There’s a, uh… bulge,” he recalls the executives telling him. White had grown out of the costume – literally. He writes that, by the time they’d made the changes to his costume, it felt like he was “peeling” himself out of his pants “like a banana.”
Portraying Steve Urkel took a toll of Jaleel White’s voice
The role of Steve Urkel took other surprising tolls on Jaleel White, which he explained at ’90s Con 2024. In fact, it had to do with the nasally voice the character was known for.
“I spoke to a doctor and what happened is, during puberty, I spoke at the same pitch for extended periods of time,” he told those in attendance, saying this damaged to his vocal chords. “If the pitch had been going all over the place I wouldn’t have damaged it quite as much.”
White added that the problems he experienced with his voice are “in remission” and he’s “fine” now, but he remembers that, as teenager, he felt like he was “really losing” his voice after “constantly” getting comments from executives that they couldn’t hear him.
“It was kind of a scary thing for me to go through,” he admitted.
Shooting down a potential reboot of Family Matters
In an interview on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, Jaleel White explained that he’d been offered a shot at reprising the role of Steve Urkel in a potential reboot of Family Matters, but had turned down the show. “I embrace the TGIF legacy, but I’m also careful to acknowledge that TGIF was a sinking ship, and you cannot make shows like that right now,” he shared.
He continued, “I feel like [Fuller House] got away with it because they have a schmaltzy, kind of vanilla thing that they do that’s very Hallmarkish to be quite honest and it benefits Candace [Cameron Bure] and that’s wonderful, but I just didn’t feel like we could get away with that same brand of humor.”
White elaborated, saying he “was not offered a direct reboot,” but, instead, a “bling contract with no script and half the pay” he’d “made leaving the show.” It was something he wanted no part of.
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“If it’s just a cash grab […] I’m not interested in that,” he said. “If I touch anything that’s associated with Family Matters, I want to advance the legacy and I want to help the kids’ careers.”