*Playing Steve Urkel came with a lot of highs for Jaleel White, but the iconic “Family Matters” role ultimately took a physical toll on the actor.
Appearing as a guest speaker for a panel during 90s Con 2024 on Sept. 15, White reminisced about his time on “Family Matters,” which found him playing Urkel, the annoying nerdy next-door neighbor of the Winslow family.
To bring the character to life with his own style, White took on a high nasal tone to give Urkel his instantly recognizable vocals. The entertainer’s creativity, he said, resulted in his voice being “damaged,” according to Complex
“I spoke to a doctor. What happened is during puberty I spoke at the same pitch for extended periods of time,” White explained, while assuring convention goers he is able to speak without any problems.
White added: “If the pitch had been going all over the place I wouldn’t have damaged it quite as much. It’s been in remission and I’m fine now.”
With White’s damaged voice came a period where he “felt like I was really losing it.”
“I would constantly get network notes like, ‘We can’t hear him. Please be more clear.’ It was kind of a scary thing for me to go through,” the 47-year-old actor shared.
Although he appreciated his breakout role, White confessed that he didn’t know how to protect his voice while portraying Urkel, adding that he didn’t work with a vocal coach at the time.
Fortunately, he is in a better place now, with a doctor who helps him in keeping his voice “under control.” White’s confession comes more than 30 years after he first brought Urkel to viewers in what was supposed to be a one-off guest appearance on “Family Matters.”
The character’s popularity triggered a change in plans for White, who ended up playing the character during the sitcom’s nine-season stint on the small screen, the majority of which as part of ABC’s “TGIF” lineup.
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