Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Jaleel White shares his journey growing up in the entertainment world and eventually trying to live a normal college life and the aftermath of being a child star. It was interesting to learn about the behind the scenes relationships and dynamics of a sitcom. I think he did his best trying to fit in at school while also recognizing his life was different, prime example: the night before a final flying out to a bulls game with Danzel Washington. So many highs and lows for Jaleel, but he has really come out of the child star world well, strongly due to the guidance along the way by his parents.

Jaleel White reflects on his iconic role as Steve Urkel, which transformed him from a twelve-year-old auditioning for a single episode into a cultural phenomenon. As he navigates life post-Family Matters, he shares the challenges and insights that come with fame and identity.

This was an interesting memoir. As someone who grew up with the TGIF lineup on TV, I was intrigued to see that Jaleel wrote a memoir. It is mostly about his time on Family Matters and how that shaped who he is and how he lives his life, but there are some real gems in here. The stories about some entertainers are what you’d expect, and others, not so much. It doesn’t paint the industry in a great light and shows how it really exploits people, especially children.

As a personal preference, I don’t like that it wasn’t told in linear style, but it kept me reading and wanting to know how the memoir ended. I liked that it was hopeful and thoughtful at the end.

*I received a digital copy of this book for review, all thoughts are my own.*

*Growing Up Urkel* by Jaleel White is a fascinating and heartfelt look into the life behind one of the most iconic characters of '90s TV. Jaleel's candid storytelling provides a fresh perspective on the challenges of growing up in the spotlight and being forever associated with Steve Urkel. His insights into the highs and lows of fame are both humorous and reflective, making this memoir an engaging read. While the pacing lags in a few sections, it’s full of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and personal growth moments that fans will love. A must-read for anyone who grew up with *Family Matters*!

“Oh, Jaleel, please…No one is interested in your memoir.”

Did I read thattttt? Yes, I did. Jaleel White’s memoir “Growing Up Urkel” was a fun read that brought back nostalgic memories of a time watching TGIF shows like Family Matters on Friday nights with my family. Steve Urkel was always a guarantee for a laugh and definitely the star of the show. Like many actors playing such recognizable characters, it is easy to be so typecast that it makes for a difficult career. Jaleel White’s memoir shows that it can be extremely difficult but also how to overcome those challenges in a dog-eat-dog world of show business.

If you are looking for a memoir full of drugs, sex, and rock n roll, then this memoir is definitely not for you. Despite the fame of his Urkel character as a young man, Jaleel’s childhood and adulthood are mostly drama free in large parts to how his family raised him. This was refreshing to see but also felt like he was forcing some stories to make it seem more interesting than they were. But what I did like was how he gave a glimpse into his (and his parents’) naïveté in dealing with show business and the lack of understanding to make even more money and fame than he should have. This is a main theme in the book and one that Jaleel makes sure to explain that he has no regrets and remains proud of staying true to himself.

I liked reading about some of the behind the scenes parts of Family Matters, though it did jump around a lot. I also liked learning about how creativity in coming up with his character as well as some of the storylines of the show as well as post-Family Matters. One thing that got old, though, was how it felt like he had to remind his reading audience like 173 times that he was black. Yes, Jaleel, we know.

All in all, it was a fun read and a nice trip down memory lane of a great time of family friendly shows.

* I received this book free from Netgalley and publisher Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review

It’s something I’ve said before but it bears repeating.
It is very difficult to review a memoir. It feels like you’re judging a person’s life, and determining how worthy or unworthy one’s life is. Sooooo, what I attempt to do in discussing the merits of a memoir is rate it, on the revelation of facts and inside information that may have escaped the media stories that surround celebrities. And there are some of those moments, but not enough to lift this memoir into the rarified area of “unforgettable”

The strength of Jaleel White’s story is conveying his passion and pain in the portrayal of Steve Urkel, which is how much of the world knows him. He offers some wisdom along the way, based on his experience learning the business of movie and TV production. Some of those lessons can be easily applied to life in general. The greatest takeaway is Mr. Jaleel White has hall of fame parents and is genuinely a nice guy, and was never overly concerned with the axiom that nice guys finish last. He has always maintained an integrity about him, that is hard to find in today’s world of clicks, follows and likes.

“Truth is, my entire career has been an absolute miracle, from the moment I signed on to Iris Burton’s agency as a three-year-old child and landed on Family Matters nine years later.” That sentence kind of summarizes how he has moved throughout his celebrity turn. He seems genuinely grateful for all he has experienced, both good and bad. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced DRC. Book arrives in stores November 19, 2024

I expected this book to be more of an autobiography of his personal life. Jaleel White mostly talks about his views and experiences with Hollywood and nothing about his personal life. It was an interesting read though.

I grew up as a big fan of Jaleel White mostly from watching “Family Matters” whenever it was on. So, I was thrilled when I was approved to read an early copy of this book.

This was well-written and interesting, especially if you’re a fan of the individual in the story. Still, it did seem more like a collection of anecdotes and essays about his thoughts on Hollywood in his era. This book gives some backstory of behind-the-scenes Hollywood for Jaleel but doesn’t get much into his personal life, which I would’ve preferred. I also wish it delved more into what he’s been doing since the completion of Family Matters. His character was so iconic, that it made him difficult to break away from that role and move on to other things.

It’s hard to rate an autobiography because it seems unfair to rate the entertainment value of someone’s life story. But I am giving it a rating because I was expecting more of the “life story” of Jaleel White and less of his view on Hollywood. It was still great, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is or was a fan of his.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this book early for an honest review.

Not sure what I was expecting with this one.

I marginally liked the character he played on TV, so was interested in reading this.

Right off the bat, the author goes into diescribing to us, how he got the job, which I found interesting.

But the rest of the book is more geared towards Hollywood and how he sees it.

Not horrible, but not as much of a memoir but rather several essays on one subject,

A really enjoyable read I loved watching him on tv he was a wonderful character ter.It was nice to catch up with him and meet the real person the real Jaleel White,#netgalley #s&s

Very little about his personal life. Still interesting.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I absolutely loved Family Matters growing up so I was really excited when I got an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley. I was a little disappointed because the book is written non linear. It kind of switches back and forth from him at 26, then 12, then 31. It does that most of the book. He also talks a lot about missed opportunities he had after Family Matters and how hard it’s been getting roles because he was typecast so hard. He has done well just rolling with the hand he has been dealt but he does seem like he thought he should have been a bigger star after the show ended.

Growing Up Urkel by Jaleel White offers a fun behind-the-scenes look at his experience playing one of TV’s most iconic characters. White’s anecdotes about his time on Family Matters are entertaining, especially for show fans. However, while the book has its moments, it only scratches the surface of his life and career beyond Urkel. I hoped for more personal insights and profound reflections on his journey. It’s a good read for nostalgic fans but left me wanting more substance. It's worth checking out if you’re curious about his Urkel days, but not quite as deep as I expected.

Jaleel White’s memoir is a heartfelt reflection on his journey from child star to finding his true self. Known for sparking joy as Urkel in countless households, included mine, White talks openly about the realities and pressures of fame. This is a nostalgic yet inspiring read about resilience, identity and growing beyond others' expectations.

I was obsessed with TGIF growing up—some of my favorite childhood memories are those cozy Friday nights, curled up with pizza, and watching my favorite shows with the family. They just don’t make TV like that anymore! This book brought all that nostalgia rushing back. I loved diving into Jaleel White’s journey, discovering the story behind the fame, and the iconic character we all adored. If you were a TGIF kid, this is a must-read!

If you're expecting "Growing Up Urkel" to evoke that unmistakable 90's feeling of its namesake "Family Matters" character Steve Urkel, you might want to change your expectations.

I can't help but think that at least part of the inspiration of Jaleel White's memoir "Growing Up Urkel" is to shake off the dust off the character he played for nine years and that came to define him for the rest of his adult life even as he tried to maintain an acting career once the hit series finally came to its close.

While there's definitely humor to be found in "Growing Up Urkel," there's little denying it contains an emotional edge from someone whose career never came close to equaling his childhood years playing a character initially intended for a one-off episode but who quickly became a fan favorite with his nasally voice, ever-present suspenders, coke bottle glasses, and social awkwardness.

The truth, if we're being honest, is that all you have to say is "Urkel" and anyone who was alive in the 90's will instantly smile.

Much to Jaleel White's dismay, saying "Jaleel White" may very well elicit a "Who?"

White was 12-years-old when he acquired the role of Steve Urkel. In "Growing Up Urkel," we get a sense of what it's like to be catapulted into the stratosphere of American pop culture and what it's like to be brought back down to earth nine-years-later as a young adult entering UCLA as an undergrad and facing a world that still sees him as that adorably nasally nerd.

There are times that "Growing Up Urkel" is insightful and emotionally engaging, White's obvious mixed emotions around his time as Urkel evident throughout the memoir. Where I struggled with "Growing Up Urkel," at times mightily, is in its tonal shifts and in the basic fact that for the most part I felt like I didn't know much more about Jaleel White by the end of "Growing Up Urkel" than when started it.

In some ways, "Growing Up Urkel" reminded me of Chris Kattan's memoir "Baby, Don't Hurt Me," a memoir that reflected on the comic's emotionally and physically chaotic years on "Saturday Night Live" and beyond. In my review of Kattan's book, I remarked similarly on the author's tonal shifts in the book and the surprisingly dark turn the book takes.

"Growing Up Urkel" never really turns dark, however, there's an underlying emotional edge to it that the narrative never fully leans into. At its best, "Growing Up Urkel" is an emotionally incisive exploration of what it's like when a former child star is no longer a child nor a true star. White would have, some might say, one more claim to fame when he would join "Dancing with the Stars," however, it's practically undeniable that his acting career peaked well before he was 21-years-old.

That has to it. In "Growing Up Urkel," it's obvious that it does.

To be fair, the now 47-year-old actor has consistently acted since those years and is, in fact, talented well beyond what was a gimmicky character that required more acting than one might think (Urkel and White were not synonymous).

The truth is that I wanted to experience more of Jaleel White in "Growing Up Urkel." I hesitate to even call it a memoir as the vast majority of the book deals with White's "Family Matter" years and then dealing with the emotional and practical baggage of having played a career-restricting character like Urkel. And while there's no denying Urkel has, in fact, restricted his career, it's equally true that he's continued to consistently act and is, at least according to public records, also successful financially and recently married. While we get a sense of White's parents, whom he largely credits for his ability to avoid many of the "child star" issues, we learn very little about them as is true most of White's life with the exception of those encounters he chooses to complain about here a lot. We briefly detour into the fact that during his "Dancing with the Stars" time he was struggling with the mother of his two-year-old daughter (who seems to be not much more than a narrative device here), however, at times it feels like "Growing Up Urkel" is more a child star tossing off his baggage than an actual memoir.

"Growing Up Urkel" is a decent enough exploration of the emotional life of a child star after childhood is over, though it never really lives into its full potential. For fans of "Family Matters," it's likely a must-read, however, I found myself reaching the end of "Growing Up Urkel" and asking myself "Who is Jaleel White?"

I love a good celebrity biography and White's story did not disappoint. I grew up watching White on TV, TGIF was a staple in our house hold. I love getting the chance to read about what was really going on behind the scenes and what the author really went through. A great read for any 90's kid!

I received a copy of the book "Growing Up Urkel" by Jaleel White, from NetGalley. Jaleel writes what is was like being a child actor who played a very famous role. He started out acting as a young child. When he turned 12 he got a role on tv. show called "Family Matters" the show had been on quite a few episodes when he was cast as Steve Urkel. It was only meant to be for an episode, but the viewers instantly liked this nerdy, clumsy boy who loved Laura. He was then cast for the whole nine seasons. He writes of the good and bad that came playing a loved character. From going through agents, to certain cast members who resented him. He also writes of his life after "Steve Urkel" Having to now audition for some roles. He writes an honest book about his life as a former child actor and his career over the years. I enjoyed reading his memoir.

This as enjoyable for the most part, of course, everyone wants to hear about the show, etc. but there were other items I would have liked to hear more about, i.e. the situation with his daughter because when he mentioned it while discussion DWTS, he said the situation with is ex negatively affected him and so I would have been interested to go back to how he handled it in the beginning and what happened after.. I'm not a hundred percent sure the stories about the two very controversial people needed to be included as I don't think it did anything for the story, maybe to show he was popular and knew them?

We grew up on TGIF shows, including Family Matters, and never would have guessed all the drama occurring behind the scenes of that show! White seems to be one of the few child stars who sidestepped some of the horror stories we hear about, whether self-inflicted or not. He talks of getting into show business, his climb, his personal failings, his family's attempt to navigate the fame that came along with his character's success, and his experiences after the show ended. There are racial issues integrated into the narrative, which are discussed both in a modern and historic (where we are now defining the 90s as historic...ugh) context. Fans of Family Matters will enjoy this glimpse into the shows "deleted scenes"...

I got a generic email from the Marketing Director saying, based on my previous reviews of celebrity memoirs from Simon & Schuster, I can get this one from Netgalley. I knew of Jaleel White, Urkel and his passion for basketball, but never paid attention to the show Family Matters.

Unlike other child actors, Jaleel never got in trouble and when he turned 18, he had money available. He told a lot of stories of celebrity encounters and celebrities he was trying to get to work with him on other projects.

It was pretty cool that he wrote two episodes of Family Matters, and both had very high ratings.

I had no clue that he was on DWTS, and during that time, he had a 2-year old daughter.

Even though I finished it, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I mean, if you are a fan of Family Matters, then this is a must read. But for me, it was more, hey, I am a child actor and my parents primary goal of me working was so I can afford to go to college. I was on a TV show for 9 years, and then I struggled to get work as Jaleel (most people wanted Urkel).

Just two warnings before you read…

One of his mentors when he was younger was Bill Cosby. They had a falling out over Fat Albert and their relationship ended, a several years later, Cosby got into trouble.

Jaleel had an idea for television show and R Kelly was thought of to be a part of it. It didn’t work out, and several years later, R Kelly got into trouble.