What is Jaleel White’s Net Worth and Salary?
With a net worth of $8 million, Jaleel White, an American actor and screenwriter, is best known for portraying Steve Urkel on the beloved sitcom “Family Matters,” which aired from 1989 to 1998. Initially intended for just one episode, the character turned into a cultural icon and generated the famous catchphrase “Did I do that?”. He featured in 204 out of the show’s 215 episodes. At his highest earnings during the series, Jaleel made $180,000 per episode, translating to about $4 million a season. Adjusted for inflation, this would be equivalent to about $300,000 per episode today or roughly $7 million per season.
Prior to “Family Matters,” Jaleel was involved in commercials and took on minor roles in 1980s TV shows like “The Jeffersons,” “Mr. Belvedere,” and the precursor to “Saved by the Bell,” known as “Good Morning, Miss Bliss.” He also had a leading role in UPN’s “Grown Ups” (1999–2000) and hosted the Syfy game show “Total Blackout” (2012–2013). In 2005, he earned a spot at #37 on VH1’s list of the “100 Greatest Kid Stars.”
Early Life
Born Jaleel Ahmad White on November 27, 1976, in Culver City, California, Jaleel’s mother, Gail, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael, was a dentist. After Jaleel embarked on his acting journey, Gail took on the role of his manager. He attended John Marshall Fundamental High School and South Pasadena High School, eventually graduating from UCLA in 2001 with a degree in film and television.
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Early Career
Family Matters
In 1987, Jaleel secured the iconic role of Steve Urkel on “Family Matters,” which debuted in 1989. Audiences adored his depiction of the Winslow family’s geeky neighbor. Jaleel won the part by wearing a pair of his father’s oversized dental glasses during auditions.
He appeared in 203 out of the total 215 episodes, occasionally portraying Stefan Urquelle (the suave alter ego of Steve) and Myrtle Urkel (Steve’s cousin).
Steve Urkel emerged as a cultural icon of the 1990s, spawning a doll and the breakfast cereal Urkel-Os.
White also reprised his character in crossover appearances on “Full House” and “Step by Step” in 1991, as well as in the animated film “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?” released in 2019.
(Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images)
Other Work
In over 20 films, White has made appearances, which include titles such as “Dreamgirls” (2006), “Who Made the Potatoe Salad?” (2006), “Call of the Wild” (2009), and “The 15:17 to Paris” (2018).
Moreover, Jaleel was the writer for two episodes of the sitcom, specifically 1993’s “Grandmama” and 1996’s “Home Again.”
Additionally, he provided the voice for the iconic videogame character Sonic the Hedgehog in “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” (1993), “Sonic the Hedgehog” (1993–1994), “Sonic’s Christmas Blast” (1996), and “Sonic Underground” (1999). Jaleel took on the lead character role in the sitcom “The Grown Ups,” which had a run of 22 episodes, while also making guest appearances on various TV shows such as “Boston Legal” (2007), “Psych” (2009 and 2012), “House” (2011), and “Castle” (2015). In 2010, White was involved in the creation, production, and starring of the web series “Fake It Till You Make It,” and in 2012, he hosted the game show “Total Blackout” while competing on “Dancing with the Stars,” finishing in seventh place. By 2020, Jaleel started featuring in a recurring role on Netflix’s “The Big Show Show.”
Personal Life
Jaleel became a father in 2009 with the birth of his daughter, Samaya, from his then-girlfriend, Bridget Hardy. The following year, Hardy accused White of hitting and pushing her during a confrontation regarding her suspicions of his infidelity. However, he has refuted these claims, asserting they stemmed from the couple’s custody dispute.
Awards and Honors
In 1985, White received a nomination for a Young Artist Award for his guest role on “The Jeffersons,” followed by another nomination the next year for his supporting performance on “Charlie & Co.” He won the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Comedian in a Television Series for “Family Matters” in 1991. For his work on “Family Matters,” Jaleel has been nominated for four NAACP Image Awards, earning wins in 1994, 1995, and 1997. Additionally, he received a nomination in 1996 for Favorite Television Actor at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. In 2017, White was honored with the Global Humanitarian Medal of Honor in Memoriam of Theodor Seuss Geisel at the Disney Motif Awards.