Jaleel White Almost Quit Acting Before Landing Urkel Role On ‘Family Matters’

Did you know that Jaleel White aka Steve Urkel from the popular ’90’s sitcom Family Matters almost quit acting right before he landed the iconic role on the show.

For the latest Entertainment Weekly Cast Reunions series, where the media outlet brings together some of the most beloved casts from shows of the past, mostly all of the cast members from Family Matters reunited for a special photo shoot and reminisced on making the show.

Jo Marie Payton (Harriette Winslow), Reginald VelJohnson (Carl Winslow), Kellie Shanygne Williams (Laura Winslow), Darius McCrary (Eddie Winslow), Jaleel White (Steve Urkel), Telma Hopkins (Rachel Crawford), Shawn Harrison (Waldo Geraldo Faldo), and Bryton James (Richie Crawford) got candid with EW about Family Matters with Jaleel sharing how the Urkel role kick started his career again.

“So I was actually on my way out of the business,” White said revealing he was “on ice” with his agent and wasn’t getting sent out to audition for any roles. He eventually got sent to the Family Matters audition and had no intention of the casting directors ever meeting Jaleel White, meaning he went in full Urkel. Of course the rest is pop culture history. That just goes to show you just when you’re thinking about giving up you get that opportunity that changes everything!

Also during the sit down the cast talked about the possibility of a reboot of the series!

Watch Jaleel White recall his inspiration for Urkel, auditioning for the now iconic Family Matters role, and the cast talking about a reboot in the clip below. Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Photo: Entertainment Weekly