Jaleel White | |
|---|---|
.jpg) White at GalaxyCon Richmond in 2024 | |
| Born | Jaleel Ahmad White November 27, 1976 Culver City, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse |
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| Children | 1 |
| Website | www |
Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976)[1] is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters.[2] The character was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance on the show; however, he was an instant hit with audiences and White became a regular cast member, and eventually the main protagonist. The series aired for a total of nine seasons, from 1989 to 1998. White then reprised his role as Urkel for the first time in 21 years in the 2019 series Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?.
White is also the first American actor to voice the popular Sega video game character Sonic the Hedgehog in animated media, doing so in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (also known as Sonic SatAM) and Sonic Underground (in which he also voiced Sonic’s siblings Sonia and Manic), all of which were produced by the now-defunct DIC Entertainment studio. He then reprised his role as Sonic in the 2013 Sonic fan film.
After Family Matters ended, White went on to star in the short-lived UPN comedy series Grown Ups (1999–2000). White then took a brief hiatus from acting to attend UCLA in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated in 2001, earning a degree in film and television. He returned to acting with supporting roles in Dreamgirls (2006), and cameo appearances on another ABC series, Boston Legal, Fox's House, ABC's Castle, and USA's Psych. In 2010, he portrayed Dr. McCormick in the sci-fi film Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus. In March 2012, White was a contestant in season 14 of Dancing with the Stars before he was voted off in May of that year, leaving him with a 7th-place finish overall. In April 2012, White hosted the Syfy game show Total Blackout. In January 2017, White appeared in Bones as Officer Adams. In 2020, White had a recurring role in the one season-long Netflix series The Big Show Show. In 2024, White began hosting the CBS game show Flip Side.[3]
- ^ Laufenberg, Norbert B. (2005). Entertainment Celebrities. Trafford Publishing. p. 697. ISBN 1-4120-5335-8.
- ^ Braxton, Greg (June 18, 2010). "Jaleel White fondly recalls playing Urkel on 'Family Matters'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ Berman, Marc (August 14, 2024). "Jaleel White Syndicated Game Show 'Flip Side' Launches On September 9". Forbes. Retrieved September 20, 2024.