Celebrities | TV | Pop Culture | 90s

Jaleel White Reveals The 'Family Matters' Episode That Made Him Cry After Filming

We all remember watching Family Matters each and every week with our families, laughing at the outrageous nonsense that our good buddy Steve Urkel would get into. Each time he said that catch phrase "did I do that?" we'd laugh as if it were the first time we heard it.

ABC

However, behind the scenes it was a different story for the young star. Jaleel White played the suspenders-clad Urkel for years, appearing in 204 episodes total, but it wasn't always fun for him. He admitted that there were times where the work was hard on him, especially when it came to one of the most famous episodes.

Who else remembers Myrtle Urkel? Steve Urkle's cousin from down south visited the Winslows while Steve was out of town. He was hesitant about playing the female character, but felt like he could make it work. “I always believe that if I believe it, they’ll believe it. So, I had to be a girl,” White said.

ABC

Jo Marie Payton, who played Harriette Winslow, expressed how impressed she was with his performance by saying "You did a darn good job at it."

However, while he can look back now and laugh, at the time White had a very different reaction to the character...

Just like every other kid going through puberty, a lot of our concerns relate back to how we thought our classmates were going to react. These feelings extend even to those who are on television.

“At that age, I was concerned that my friends at school were gonna make fun of me. … At the end of that first episode [playing] Myrtle, I went in my dressing room and I cried," White shared years later. "And then the producers came to check on me, and my dad told them that I would never do that character again. I knew I had done it so well, I was like, ‘Damn, they definitely gonna make fun of me at school for this.’ … I had gone there.”

ABC

Although five years later he decided that it was time to give it another shot. “I was just kind of bored … and I [walked into] the writers’ room one day and I said, ‘If you guys want to do Myrtle again, I’ll do it.’ And I remember they just cheered," White remembered.

ABC

His classmates surprised him though. When he first played Myrtle, he assumed everyone would make fun of him. But that's not what happened. “When I did go to school after the first time I did it, no one made fun of me. Everybody just thought it was absolutely hysterical. … [A few years later] I was starting to get a good idea for what were going to be good sweeps week episodes and I just felt like we needed a [shot in the arm], and that’s how Myrtle came back.”

ABC

Even though Myrtle is a fan favorite, White's favorite transformation is a different character. “My favorite episode would have to be Stefan Urquelle’s first episode, and the only reason why is because it came as such a shock to me that people were so interested in seeing me as me. I thought it was boring,” White explained. “To this day, I’ve never seen such complete shock, and awe, and screaming from people in an audience.”

What was your favorite Steve Urkel moment? I am not going to lie, I think Stefan Urkel was my favorite too.

More Throwbacks

Celebrities

'Mighty Ducks' Star Shaun Weiss Arrested Again Only Months After Leaving Rehab

After Shaun Weiss' arrest in August left everyone worried about the former child star, the actor was forced to re-evaluate his choices. His mugshot showed a gaunt, sickly, and unrecognizable man, but Weiss believed this was his "rock bottom" and hoped to come back from it stronger than ever. In a statement released to his Facebook page after the arrest, Weiss revealed that he realized he was in "danger." Oroville Police Department"At this time, in an effort to break free from the self destructive patterns of behavior and drug abuse that have landed me at rock bottom, (to be

Celebrities

91-Year-Old 'Boy Meets World' Star Scared Off Burglars After They "Kicked In" His Door

Mr. Feeny will forever be a character that every 90s kid cherishes. He was the teacher. The one teacher we all wished we could have in real life, the one teacher who could have given us helpful advice, and above all else, he was the one teacher who would have been the best neighbor ever.William Daniels was a legend and an icon long before Boy Meets World, because he was the voice of KITT in Knight Rider. Not only that, but he won two Emmy awards for his role on St. Elsewhere. Daniels is a talented man, and his

70s

James Karen, Legendary Actor Known For 'Poltergeist' And So Much More, Dead At 94

You probably don't know his name, but you definitely know James Karen's face. The prolific character actor, best known for his role as the unscrupulous developer Mr. Teague in 1982's Poltergeist, passed away in his Los Angeles home on Tuesday at the age of 94.MGM/UA Entertainment Co.Over the course of his seven-decade career, Karen racked up over 200 acting credits across movies, television, and even video games. If you watch just about any of the most popular television shows from the 1970s, 80s, or 90s, you're guaranteed to see him pop up sooner or later. Born Jacob

TV

'Beverly Hills: 90210' Revival Looks Like It Will Feature A Lot Of Familiar Faces

Who else remembers planning their entire week based on when Beverly Hills: 90210 was going to be on TV? It wasn't like we could record it easily, blank VHS tapes were pricey, so we had to watch it when it was on or miss out. Watching Brenda, Kelly, Dylan, Brandon, Donna, and everyone else hand out and get into all kinds of mayhem was the highlight of our weeks. When it ended, we were all a bit sad, but then they brought it back with a new spin-off.  The new show tried to catch that same teen spirit, but

TV

'SpongeBob SquarePants' Creator Stephen Hillenburg Dies At 57

It's a sad day in the world of cartoons, as Nickelodeon has confirmed the passing of SpongeBob SquarePants creator Steven Hillenburg. The iconic TV show writer and producer with a long career and a hand in creating a lot of our favorite moments in animation. Hillenburg actually didn't go to school for television writing, instead studying "Natural Resource Planning and Interpretation with an emphasis on marine resources" according to Variety. Obviously, this would come into play later in his career. He started working in television after going back to school to study Experimental Animation, and eventually became a writer and

TV

Netflix Is Bringing All Of Your Favorite Roald Dahl Stories Back In A New Animated Series

There are a few iconic storytellers we can all agree influenced our childhoods, and Roald Dahl is basically guaranteed to make everyone's list. His classic stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and James and the Giant Peach have been loved by children for decades. It doesn't matter if you're reading the book or watching one of the many movies based on one of his novels, because Dahl's ability to create these magical little worlds manages to transcend format and remain enjoyable no matter what.Dahl's characters are nothing short of iconic. Whether it's the six-year-old Matilda who has