Early Life
He was born Jaleel Ahmad White in Culver City, California, on November 27, 1976. After Jaleel became an actor, his mother Gail became his manager; his father, Michael, was a dentist. White attended South Pasadena High School and John Marshall Fundamental High School before attending UCLA to pursue a degree in cinema and television in 2001.
Career
He began starring in advertisements at the age of three, including one with Bill Cosby, after his preschool instructor encouraged him to try acting. On The Jeffersons in 1984, he was cast as Rudy, but the role went to Keshia Knight Pulliam because the character should be female. “Kids Don’t Tell” and “Charlie & Co.” were two of White’s television appearances in 1985. The Disney Sunday Movie in 1986, Mr. Belvedere, the pilot for “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” “Jay Leno’s Comedy Hour” in 1987, and “Family Matters” in 1989 all saw him before earning the legendary part of Steve Urkel.
A fan favorite, Jaleel starred in 204 episodes as the Winslows’ geeky neighbor, Stefan Urquelle (Steve’s suave alter ego) and Myrtle Urkel (Steve’s cousin), respectively. Because of Urkel’s success, a doll and cereal named Urkel-Os were produced, and White reprised his role in “Full House,” “Step by Step,” and the 2019 animated film “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?” “Grandma” and “Home Again” were both written by Jaleel, as well.
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Throughout her career, White has starred in more than 20 films, including Dreamgirls (2006), and Who Made the Potatoe Salad? (2006), The Call of the Wild (2009), and the upcoming The 15:17 to Paris (2018). A well-known video game character, he provided the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog in several films and television series, including “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” (1993–1994). (1999).
It’s worth noting that Jaleel played the lead in the 22-episode sitcom “The Grown Ups” and has made appearances on several other shows, including Boston Legal 2007 and the 2012 reboots of Psych, as well as the 2011 episodes of House and the 2012 reboot of Castle (2015). ‘Fake It Till You Make It’, ‘Total Blackout’, and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ are just a few of the projects White has been involved with since 2010. In 2020, Netflix’s “The Big Show Show” cast Jaleel in a recurring role.
Personal Life
Jaleel and Bridget Hardy have a daughter, Samaya, in 2009. While White has denied the allegations, Hardy has claimed that he punched and shoved her when she confronted him about her fears that he was unfaithful in 2010.
Honors and Accolades
In 1985, for his guest performance on “The Jeffersons,” White was nominated for a Young Artist Award; the following year, he was nominated for his supporting part in “Charlie & Co.” The Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Comedian in a Television Series for “Family Matters” was presented to him in 1991.
In 1994, 1995, and 1997, Jaleel was nominated for four NAACP Image Awards for his role in “Family Matters.” The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 1996 recognized him as a favorite television actor. At the Disney Motif Awards in 2017, White received the Global Humanitarian Medal of Honor in Memory of Theodor Seuss Geisel.
Jaleel White Net Worth
Jaleel White net worth is $8 million. From 1989 through 1998, White played Steve Urkel in the successful comedy “Family Matters,” which made him a household name. When Steve Urkel made his first appearance, he had no idea he would become a cultural phenomenon, giving rise to the expression “Did I just do that?” The rest of the show’s 215 episodes featured him. To put that in perspective, Jaleel made $180,000 an episode at his peak, which works out to about $4 million each season. After adjusting for inflation, that’s around $300,000 each episode today, or $7 million per season today.
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