Growing Up Urkel by Jaleel White | The Miramichi Reader

Yes, he certainly did do that and a whole lot more that many are not familiar with. Jaleel did it, though, not only Urkel, and thankfully he is still alive to tell readers about those things he did and is doing. Many of those things may surprise you, humble you and others may just bring you back to times when TGIF was a television programming gimmick, not a hashtag adults are accustomed to using in celebration of the end of a work week.

Jaleel White, who should be formerly known as Urkel but continues to be recognized as such, has a lot more depth than even one character or child star is often seen as having. His breakout role of Steve Urkel in Family Matters at the age of thirteen, after being signed onto an agency at the age of three, was somewhat by accident but quickly turned into a branding opportunity, multiple roles and some writing experience. His hard work didn’t stop after the nine seasons of the show, though, and it would be fair to say his harder work was just getting started.

White writes this book through shifts in time, lessons and with a lot of name-dropping as he celebrates who he has been and how he was raised. A testament to his parents for keeping him clean, dedicated and humble, White confesses to spats with his mother, disagreeing with their college focus all while keeping his income a secret, even to him, and paying him only $300 when asked.

This is a memoir about a young entrepreneur who understood the value of ingenuity, when to quit and when to pivot long before he had a college education. His father taught him the many layers of being a parent, while others taught him the value of footwork, on and off the dance floor, and through it all his circumstances constantly reminded him the importance of being kind no matter what obstacles you were facing.

This book, his story, is a blend of television history, education, and, unfortunately, a bit of what can be conceived as whining. While he professed to not wanting to live in hindsight and belabour what could have been possible, he soon goes into what things he should have done to extend his career and movie star financial worth. White’s ability to be honest and detailed allowed for a lot of life lessons to be taught through his experience. He was able to draw the silver lining around many frustrating moments to continue his journey of being true to himself. Yes, he explains, he could have lied to executives and enabled his career and place in Hollywood, but the cost would have been too great.

Jaleel White is one of the rare actors who has stayed genuine and humble while auditioning for parts he should have been the only call to (when a character is based on Jaleel White and named the same, shouldn’t he play the part?). His story confirms that yes, he is still alive despite TMZ reports, that he is talented, hard working and multi-faceted. A must read for anyone familiar with Family Matters or someone aspiring to be in the movie or television industry.

Jaleel White is an actor, producer, and screenwriter most known for his iconic role as Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters. White has also starred in Big Fat Liar, Sonic the Hedgehog, Grown Ups, and Scooby Doo. White’s top guest appearances include Boston Legal, Dreamgirls, House, and most recently starred in the Netflix’s Hustle, alongside Adam Sandler. In April of 2021, he launched a successful cannabis line called itsPurpl.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (November 19th, 2025)
Paperback: 9″ x 6″ | 336 pp
ISBN: 9781668068892

Sarah Butland

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I am a struggling artist, a challenging and challenged mother who always thinks she is failing, an emerging freelance writer and reporter, an author with my name on several books crossing genres and always hoping to find more readers who enjoy them.

I am also a successful artist, a wonderful and thriving mother of one, a reacher towards both people and dreams despite all of the turned backs and obstacles in my way. I am a thriving freelance writer and reporter, an author loved by enough readers to make it worthwhile and a discombobulated conundrum who loves to hear new music, tell new tales and meet new authors. And I’m doing something I always dreamed of doing – reviewing books to support others as well as myself and my family.