In his memoir Growing Up Urkel, Jaleel White discusses his past friendship with Will Smith and his Hollywood experiences, including a missed chance to work with Smith.
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During an interview with US Weekly, White explained that he fell out with the movie star due to a business mishap. After a cameo on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995, he pitched a show idea after Smith landed a production deal with Universal. However, the deal fell apart due to decisions made by outside influences after their meeting, and White admits he should’ve contacted Smith directly. “But I didn’t have the nerve months later to ask, ‘What happened?’” he explained.
Later that year, White accepted a role on UPN’s Grown Ups, which led to the end of his friendship with Smith. “There were no more invites to his house, and no calls to say, ‘What’s up?’ It sucks for me, but writing about it was therapeutic,” he shared. White also reflected on his time as Steve Urkel, discussing the physical and emotional experiences of portraying the character from 1989 to 1998.
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“By the time I was in college, I felt like I was peeling myself out of my pants like a banana.”
The constant nasal tone of Urkel’s voice put a strain on Jaleel White’s vocal cords, as he maintained the same pitch during puberty for long periods while working on the show. According to TOO FAB, he described the entire experience as “scary,” although he did eventually recover his voice.
His memoir shares the highs and lows of his career, as well as the challenges he faced as a Black child actor in Hollywood.
