When Family Matters premiered, you weren’t a part of it. How did you wind up being brought on later?

The show had been on for 12 episodes; I came on for episode 13. It wasn’t doing well in the ratings. I got booked on the show and I remember thinking, Great, I can have fun for the week.

How was your relationship with Reginald VelJohnson? He was coming off two Die Hard movies, and when Family Matters premiered, it was supposed to be his show. Obviously it became Steve Urkel’s show.

Things were definitely strained in the early going. There’s no sense in hiding that. There was a division between myself and the rest of the cast, but over nine years and 215 episodes, obviously relationships get better. I still talk to certain cast members to this day.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2011/06/qa-jaleel-white-on-his-31-year-career.html

Interesting... I always thought the Carl & Steve getting trapped in the nowhere storylines got old and very predictable fast. For example, remember the Jury Duty ep. from Dec. 1996? I so knew when Carl announced that he was getting jury duty, that Steve was going to be involved as well, and he was. That's how predictable the storylines were becoming at that point in the show's run.

Wow, I had no idea, thank you for sharing this! TBH I never paid attention to the time frame of Die Hard and Family Matters either.

I feel sorry that White never did anything after Family Matters.

White did go on to star and produce his own sitcom on UPN entitled "Grownups" from 1999-2000. He recently did that "Judy Moody" movie. He did have a short cameo appearance in Dream Girls in 2006. He hasn't done too much but he's hanging in there.

First of all jaleel was too damm young not to be getting along with Reginald since he was a kid for most of the time he was on the show.

It was probably the cast that resented him and not him resenting them.

It was probably the cast that resented him and not him resenting them.


it was like the Good Times of the 90's, Reginald and jo-marie spinned off to their own show and then another character takes over much like how Jimmie did to Esther and John in the 70's

it was like the Good Times of the 90's, Reginald and jo-marie spinned off to their own show and then another character takes over much like how Jimmie did to Esther and John in the 70's

It doesn't matter to me. There was just too much Urkel for my taste. Season one is my favorite. It was more about the family. Jaleel White will always be my role model and hero but those later Urkel Sci Fi episodes were really annoying. The show was still entertaining but got a little too silly. I can understand why Jo Marie wanted to leave after while.

It doesn't matter to me. There was just too much Urkel for my taste. Season one is my favorite. It was more about the family. Jaleel White will always be my role model and hero but those later Urkel Sci Fi episodes were really annoying. The show was still entertaining but got a little too silly. I can understand why Jo Marie wanted to leave after while.
I find the first season rather boring, actually. It wasn't a bad show even then, but it was an unoriginal "family sitcom formula one" deal. Steve Urkel was needed to spice things up.