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Writing a memoir presented Jaleel White with an opportunity to not only document the ups and downs he went through as a child star — but to highlight how far he has come after years of life in the public eye.
“It was incredibly therapeutic,” White, 47, exclusively told Us Weekly about working on Growing Up Urkel, which comes out on Tuesday, November 19. “What started off as a memoir about my childhood really evolved into a book about humility — and how being humble isn’t the same thing as being aware.”
After growing up in the spotlight, White is now reflecting on how that experience shaped him.
“Show business in general is not really a safe space for young people. Ironically, show business puts a high premium on staying young but you can’t let that get the best of you. Because everybody has to grow up,” he explained. “Everybody has to mature. Even my cover, there’s so much to unpack there with why this cover is this cover. It’s a nod to so many things.”
The cover of Growing Up Urkel pays tribute to White’s character on Family Matters. “I do wear [Steve] Urkel’s shoes on the cover on the back, if you notice,” he noted. “But that lean pose means something in Black culture — that these contents shall be fire. So I hope that I live up to it.”
White is best known for turning a one-episode appearance on Family Matters into a lead role with his performance as Steve Urkel (and later, Stefan Urquelle). After becoming the show’s most popular character, White used that success to pave the way for more opportunities — both in front and behind the camera. He was the first American actor to voice Sonic the Hedgehog, he wrote several episodes of TV and has maintained a consistent presence in the entertainment industry for four decades.
“When I finished Family Matters as an eager wide-eyed 21-year-old, I was so ecstatic to jump into my TV writing career. I just knew that was what was for me next. But I got sidetracked with family pressures to be in college. Every bit of me just wanted to return to a comedy writers’ room,” White told Us about passages in his memoir that discuss his screenwriting attempts — and successes. “But I didn’t understand that there were going to be a lot of obstacles in my path.”
White found his time as an actor didn’t immediately translate into the world of screenwriting, adding, “Because of the way I grew up participating in the filming of that show, I never really understood this clear division between showrunners, writers and performers on set. I was actually more inspired by the writers that were working on our show.”
After being credited on several scripts — including on Family Matters — White returned to the craft with his memoir.
“I would love to continue writing, but I’m also so respectful of the craft that I’m at a period right now where I just want to get people’s feedback on this,” he shared about the lessons he learned from writing non-fiction work. “As a writer, you get a first draft and most people who write hate their first draft. I hated mine and I just needed to decompress from that. Then in about two weeks there was some editing. That is when I was like, ‘OK wait, it might not be that bad.’”
White set out to share his story — and to show how things in the industry have shifted since he rose to stardom, telling Us, “I didn’t want to ever come off as a victim, first of all. Because I don’t feel like a victim. If anything, I feel like a product of ’90s values and those values have changed exponentially since then.”
Growing Up Urkel is an unfiltered look into the highs and lows of being in the entertainment business. It is also a candid look into White’s life offscreen, which featured star-studded friendships, surprising obstacles in his career and countless moments of self-reflection.
“There was a ton of stuff that didn’t make it. The editing process is real,” he teased. “I could have done an entirely separate book just about me and my parents. When you’re on a show that long and you don’t come from a legacy show business family, there was a lot of growing that took place with my dad, with my mom and their own private lives. I tried to capture the essence of that and the spirit of it at least.”
Now that the Growing Up Urkel is almost out, White can reflect on the challenges that came with trying to capture everything in just one book.
“There’s a lot of delivery requirements. It’s as involved a process as turning in a film. It really is. When I finally got the hardcover for the first time, I sat there and I held it. Some parts came out different or better than I imagined,” he recalled. “Any type of project — not just a book — takes a team to make something great. So shout out to Simon & Schuster for respecting my story to the degree that they did.”
White hopes his memoir provides answers to the “many questions” others may have, adding, “But [I also wanted to] prove that I had learned lessons from all the things that took place. The reflections [about my life] have been happening over time. I was writing little tidbits [over the years] and storing them away. It really took Simon & Schuster’s interest and timing because you can’t rush those things. You just feel it when it’s there.”
Growing Up Urkel‘s release is a major accomplishment but White isn’t stopping there. He continues to look forward and thinking about what comes next for him.
“I definitely want to write more. I always hold out the possibility that I will be called to write more for scripted television. I don’t hold my breath but I keep an eye out for that opportunity. I want to do it all,” he admitted. “But at the same time, media has changed now. I just hope that I continue to be a part of entertainment that is really hitting and really striking the cord with large groups of people. I want to provide laughter, joy and excitement.”
White concluded: “If I get a chance to be a part of conveying that, then I want to keep you in the story. I work hard in my craft to make sure I’m never that guy that pulls you out of the story.”
Growing Up Urkel hits bookshelves on Tuesday, November 19.
