‘Family Matters’ Didn’t Welcome Jaleel White, AKA Steve Urkel, To The Cast, He Claims

The cast of ’80s and ’90s sitcom Family Matters didn’t exactly make Jaleel White feel right at home when he joined.

Speaking in an episode of TV One’s Uncensored that will air Sunday at 10 PM ET, White remembers the cold shoulder he perceived.

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“I was not welcomed to the cast at all,” he said. “They know what it was…I didn’t think anything of it being cast to be on Family Matters, because it was supposed to be a guest spot, one and done.”

Of course, White’s character, Steve Urkel, proved to be more than a one-shot appearance, going on to become one of the most iconic sitcom characters of all-time.

White also remembered his late costar, Michelle THomas, who died in 1998 of stomach cancer at age 30. She played his girlfriend on the show.

“Michelle Thomas became a very special person…I literally cannot say her name or I’ll cry,” he said.

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