Family Matters Star Jaleel White Reveals He Was ‘Not Very Welcomed’ By Cast

Family Matters star Jaleel White reveals he was “not very well welcomed” by the cast. Created by William Bickley and Michael Warren, Family Matters debuted in 1989 as part of ABC’s popular TGIF lineup. Technically a spinoff from sitcom Perfect Strangers, which featured Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Payton), Family Matters centers on the Winslow family, a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, Illinois.
Considered a sitcom staple of the ‘90s, Family Matters introduced the character of Steve Urkel (White) as the Winslow family’s nerdy and clumsy neighbor halfway through season 1. Shortly after the introduction of Urkel and his famous catchphrase “Did I do that?” the network opted to make White a regular cast member due to his growing popularity with the audience. Featured in over 200 episodes, Urkel became a fan favorite and the protagonist of the series. Now, it appears the Winslow family’s annoyance with Urkel may not have required much acting.

In an episode of TVOne’s Uncensored (via EW), White reveals the adult cast members of Family Matters, Payton, Reginald VelJohnson, and Telma Hopkins, who played Harriette, Carl, and Rachel, were not very welcoming when he joined the cast. Explaining that the adults were intended to be the stars of the sitcom and felt overshadowed by Urkel’s popularity, White said, “I didn’t see how I was stepping on anybody’s toes, I was taking anybody’s shine. It’s very important that I say this: I was not very well welcomed to the cast at all, okay?” Furthermore, White revealed that the adults’ discontent with White trickled down to the younger cast members and shared that Kellie Shanygne Williams (Laura), Darius McCrary (Eddie), and Jaimee Foxworth (Judy) had problems with him “because of what they were hearing the adults say.”

Of course, White’s raw comedic talent, timing, and transformative skills at a young age made him an undeniable force in the sitcom world. However, White as Urkel was often tasked to carry out the more challenging storylines. According to White, Payton and VelJohnson “were very sensitive to putting Black men in dresses,” discussing the first time he played Steve’s cousin Myrtle Urkel. White shared, “ And they heaped on me, and they let me know that I was not doing our race a service by putting on that yellow dress.” However, it appears the rocky start with the actors who played the Winslows eventually smoothed over. White explained that by later on in the series, “We did become very much a family.”
Since his days of donning suspenders as Urkel, White has made incredible strides in his career. More importantly, he appears adamant about reflecting on the positives that arose from his nine-season run on Family Matters and protecting his legacy as Steve Urkel. It’s hard to hear White had such a hard time at the beginning of the show, but it’s sadly not too surprising considering how famously competitive the entertainment industry can be. Luckily, it sounds like the actor still looks back on parts of Family Matters fondly. Hopefully, viewers are able to do the same when rewatching the show today.