Oh my god, I had so much fun reading this. Although I never saw Family Matters, I know Jaleel White from his guest starring roles on Psych, so I knew he was funny and, most likely, down-to-earth. This memoir really cements that he straddled the line between child star and mature adult actor well, without losing his way in the spotlight the way the disney channel stars did in today's media heavy world. I didn't know much about Jaleel White before reading this, but afterwards, I found him to be a voice I needed to hear.

This started on such a nostalgic note. Family Matters was a staple for my family in my youth so finding out Jaleel White wrote a memoir? Amazing.

However, there were many times when the book shifted into self-important and petty humblebrags + passive-aggressiveness that was hard for me to digest. I also wished there was a more linear timeline (it was a little all over the place) and had more details on his personal life outside of Hollywood. I’d like to revisit this but with the audiobook in the future.

Growing Up Urkel by Jaleel White is an insightful, nostalgic, and entertaining read perfect for fans of the beloved character Steve Urkel—and anyone curious about the journey from child stardom to adulthood. White dives deep into his experience playing one of the most iconic characters on television, giving readers a rare look behind the scenes of Family Matters and his own evolution in Hollywood.

The book explores White’s journey as he navigated fame at a young age, the challenges and triumphs he faced both in front of and behind the camera and the ways playing Urkel impacted his career and personal life. White’s voice is candid, humorous, and reflective, making this not only a fun trip down memory lane but also an exploration of identity and resilience. His anecdotes are fascinating, funny, and sometimes bittersweet, showing the complex relationship between his off-screen self and the unforgettable character he portrayed.

Growing Up Urkel is an absolute treat for fans of classic TV, memoirs, or anyone who grew up watching Family Matters. Jaleel White gives us the best of both worlds—authentic storytelling and a charming, nostalgic journey.

Jaleel White’s memoir was a fun book to read that brought back memories of the show Family Matters and the Friday night lineup of TGIF shows that I watched while growing up. Steve Urkel was a favorite character on the show, and I thought the book did a nice job of going behind the scenes to share some stories about the show, and what it was like to be a child star. In particular, there was a lot of focus on being a child star that was playing a hugely recognizable character that he was typecast into, and how that impacted his future career.

There were some stories from behind the scenes in Hollywood, but a lot of the book shared his perspective on what life was like after that pivotal role in his career. It sounds like he was brought up by a good family who worked hard to keep his head screwed on straight and focused on some of the important things in life. The book was a fun walk down memory lane and it was enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

I was very excited to receive this book as a child of the 90s who grew up on Family Matters. I was hoping to learn a bit more about Jaleel outside of his time on the show. There were some things about cast dynamics that were new to me and I was excited to read about. Other than that I felt the Family Matters portion dragged on for a bit when I was really curious to know about what he's done since then. Jaleel seems like a wonderful guy and I would have preferred to read more about him rather than name dropping of A list celebrities he spent time with here or there. I did have a bit of a hard time getting through this one. Still a fan of Jaleel and would recommend fans of TGIF pick it up to find out more about where Jaleel came from and relive a bit of 90s culture.

If you liked Family Matters you'll like this book. Its about Jeleel White's life, how he became Urkel, and how his life has turned out since the show ended. Very enlightening.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

<b>*Note: I make very blunt observations about the writing structure, style, and general content. Read at your discretion.*</b>

I grew up watching Family Matters and of course laughed along when Steve Urkel was at his best. There are some episodes that have stuck with me, and some I was reminded of when reading this book and thought, <i>oh, yeah, I liked that episode</i>. Of course, I grew up and who knows why I stopped watching. Probably the stories became too corny and cringe worthy for my tastes. What is fun and funny as a kid is kind of stupid when seen from an older point of view. After reading this I found the last season on streaming and watched the last few episodes. They seemed fine to me, on par with the rest of the series. I never saw them when they originally aired.

I have to say, Family Matters probably ran for too many seasons and should have quit while it was ahead and given the actors room to break away from those characters and leave them with the ability to continue their career and not be only remembered for these roles.

As for Jaleel White, I liked when the character Stefan was introduced (when he was a nice guy); he was cool, suave, smooth. Very unlike Steve. Jaleel says Stefan more closely represented who he was in real life, though there are still differences. The other shows/movies Jaleel has been in, I've not heard of them nor seen them. I kind of assumed his career went nowhere. I did see him on Psych, love that show, and it was fun seeing him play a new character. It's too bad he couldn't have been in more episodes. Gus's friends were a great match for the show. But back to Jaleel, I never knew what happened to him after I stopped watching Family Matters, I never gave it a thought to how his life was impacted being on the show. This is why I picked up the book, because I wanted to learn more about the actor who played a character in a show that was a large part of my childhood screen time.

This book was not what I was expecting. First, my whole opinion of Jaleel was tainted before the story began because in the intro it says he "launched a successful cannabis line called itsPurpl." No. Just no; that's not okay. I don't agree with marijuana being legal and the fact that this is what he chose to do with his life, it soured me on him as a person. It's impossible not to overlay the upstanding person Steve Urkel is with the actor who plays him and believe, need to believe, the actor is equally as upstanding and responsible. I am very disappointed that Jaleel White decided to make a profit from drugs.

This is an ARC, and I can only hope it gets several more edits before it's published. This was not a well written or organized book. Very plainly, it jumps all over in time and doesn't connect the dots from the original point. He constantly would be discussing a time period when he was a kid on Family Matters to something that happened to him as an adult, and then jump to trying to date girls. It all went back and forth. This is not a unique problem; most non-fiction books do this, and they equally frustrate me when they jump around in time.

I felt the story focused way too much on Jaleel trying to date women, finding someone who would like the gentleman he was raised to be. He said his dating skills were basically non-existent. His mother raised him well, and I did really like that his parents were a large part of this story. Too often, and Jaleel points this out, parents take advantage of their children stars. According to Jaleel, his parents did him right and that is a success story right there.

Back to Jaleel's attempts to date. About 40% of the book focused on women, 40% on the business, and 20% on the show itself. With so much of the booked centered on women, it was very, VERY shocking when Jaleel said he had a daughter! Just, poof, out of nowhere, he's a father. Why didn't he include meeting this woman in the book? You can't focus a book on trying to date and then SKIP OVER getting a woman pregnant! How and when did that happen? Jaleel kept pointing out the women he didn't win, why not show him succeeding? The relationship didn't turn out well, so I get not wanting to discuss it. But a simple, "I did meet a woman and while the relationship did not last, we have a daughter together." There was nothing like that.

The rest of the story was about Jaleel not successfully navigating the Hollywood game. And it is a game, like Monopoly, fully of pieces on the board, roll the dice, and see where you land. You could end up in jail (metaphorical in Jaleel's case) with no career prospects, or you could pass Go and score big in a role. Don't forget those Chance cards! One wrong move and you could owe people big time. I never got the impression Jaleel actually succeeded in Hollywood. His talent in playing Steve Urkel really didn't help his career because he didn't get opportunities to play someone else and allow audiences to see he could be more than a clumsy nerd.

The style of writing also didn't work for me. He wrote as if he was speaking to his "fellas." Just say friends. The slang and word choices weren't right for this. The writing style wasn't professional; it pulled me out of the story because it wasn't the syntax I was expecting.

Did I learn anything, of course. I learned Jaleel was able to suggest and write some of the episodes, and that's pretty cool. Am I happy I read this? Not exactly because it kind of ruins the illusion about Family Matters.

I can't say I recommend this because I didn't care for the writing style, though it definitely had some good moments. This is really about Jaleel's experience and observations, and doesn't give a full history of Jaleel's life, which is what I was expecting.

2 stars.

I could not get into this book, I really tried but it was lacking. I was bored. I wish he would have dug deeper into his story.

I generally enjoy memoirs. This one was more like an ego trip down memory lane. The book constantly jumps around to different time periods. It also states several times how Mr White was NOT his character he portrayed on television; however, he made it a point to spend over half the book talking about that one character he played and all the perks he obtained from doing so. I feel like maybe he needs reminding that he isn't the one character he is best known for. It took everything I had to finish this book.

I loved seeing Jaleel White on Family Matters so I knew I had to jump on requesting this arc. I was so excited when I was approved. Loved the memoir and it’s always nice reading real life stories of these actors. I rated this a 4.5 and I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

My thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Shuster for allowing me to review this arc.

A quick, fun ,easy read of a beloved 90s icon if you were a fan of Family Matters like myself.

Growing up Urkel gave great insight to Jaleel White's life. I loved reading about hos family and how he grew up. I especially loved reading about his time on Family Matters. His stories were lovely.
Unfortunately, the format of the book was not great. It jumped around, felt choppy and I could never remember if he was talking about when he was 15 or 35. I felt it could have flowed a lot better.

Even though Jaleel White attempted to continue his acting career after the popular series ended, I can't help but believe that at least some of the inspiration behind his memoir "Growing Up Urkel" came from wanting to shed light on the character he played for nine years and that came to define him for the remainder of his adult life.
There is undoubtedly humour in "Growing Up Urkel," but it also has a strong emotional component from a man whose career never quite matched his early years as a character who was created for a single episode but swiftly won over fans with his nasal voice, ubiquitous suspenders, coke bottle glasses, and social awkwardness. You only need to say "Urkel" to make anyone who grew up in the 1990s smile, if we're being completely honest. "Jaleel White" would very well evoke a "Who?" response, much to Jaleel White's dismay. White took on the role of Steve Urkel when he was twelve years old. In "Growing Up Urkel," we learn what it's like to be thrown into the stratosphere of American pop culture and then to be brought back to earth nine years later as a young adult starting his undergraduate studies at UCLA and dealing with a society that still views him as that cutesy bitch.


At moments, "Growing Up Urkel" is enlightening and emotionally captivating, with White's conflicted feelings about his time as Urkel being clear throughout the narrative. The tonal changes in "Growing Up Urkel" and the fact that, generally speaking, I felt like I knew little more about Jaleel White by the end of the book than when I began it were where I found "Growing Up Urkel" most difficult.

In many respects, "Growing Up Urkel" brought to mind Chris Kattan's autobiography "Baby, Don't Hurt Me," which examined the comic's physically and emotionally turbulent years on "Saturday Night Live" and beyond.

Although "Growing Up Urkel" never truly descends into darkness, the story never fully embraces its underlying emotional edge. When "Growing Up Urkel" is at its best, it's a poignant examination of what happens when a former child celebrity is neither a child nor a real star. While it's almost indisputable that White's acting career peaked well before the age of 21, he would have one more claim to fame if he joined "Dancing with the Stars," according to some.

That's about it. According to "Growing Up Urkel," it clearly does.



In fairness, the 47-year-old actor has been performing continuously since then and has far more skill than just a flashy role that needed more Actually, I was hoping for more of Jaleel White in "Growing Up Urkel." Since White's "Family Matter" years and the emotional and practical fallout from playing a role that limited his career, like Urkel, take up the most of the book, I'm hesitant to even call it a memoir. While it is undeniable that Urkel has limited his career, it is also true that he has continued to act consistently and is, at least based on public records, recently married and financially prosperous. As is common for the majority of White's life, we learn very little about his parents, even though we get a sense of them and he largely attributes his ability to sidestep many of the "child star" troubles to them.

My memories of growing up watching Jaleel White turn from Steve Urkel to Stefan drove me to be excited to read this memoir. I expected Jaleel to regale us with interesting stories about growing up on television and the transition from childhood star to adult working actor. The struggles and the triumphs, with a bit of humor and humility for good measure.

Unfortunately this memoir falls a bit flat. What Jaleel White presents is more of a critique of the 90s television industry that cranked out TGIF shows while exploiting young, black actors. He briefly discusses his family life, mostly repeating how his family really looked out for him, but provides countless of examples of how he could’ve been much richer if only he’d had someone looking out for his best interests in the industry. It often comes across as bitter and lacking humility, and while he does provide occasional anecdotes of interactions with other major celebrities, it is often clouded by the acknowledgment of someone in his circle taking advantage of his fame for themselves. And the connection to Cosby, while he acknowledges is tainted by his criminal behavior, probably could’ve been handled with more tact and sensitivity.

I hope writing this book was cathartic for White, and while I completely understand an actor wanting to distance themselves from a character that caused typecasting in their career, I hope he is able to lean into the humor that made him so successful decades ago and continue to succeed in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jaleel White’s memoir “Growing Up Urkel” offers an honest look at his career as a child star and the years that followed as he pursued serious acting as an adult.

I liked that the author was very well-rounded in his assessments of where he succeeded but also where he could have done things differently. There were definitely moments of ego but also of humility. White didn’t shy away from name-dropping, which offered an interesting glimpse into 90s Hollywood and celebrity, but one has to wonder whether he thought about some of the bridges being burnt in doing so.

The book is well written and reflective, but it’s told in topical chapters versus in a straight timeline, which can sometimes distract or feel a bit disjointed. I’m several instances, he discusses later relationships with celebrities and moguls and then tells the story of initially meeting them in later chapters. His relationship with Will Smith is just one example of this. The storytelling can sometimes feel like hearing a friend tell his best stories, as it does jump back and forth, and other times, people will just spring into the book without much fanfare, like his daughter.

Overall, this is a pretty interesting read for fans of TGIF and 90s nostalgia. I had really kind of forgotten just how big Steve Urkel was in the zeitgeist, but it’s also interesting how he wasn’t treated as the star of the show that he definitely was in the internal workings and show politics. It sounds like White was blessed with a great family to support him and look after him. His story offers a hopeful look at how child actors can grow up to lead pretty well-adjusted lives and still pursue their interests with the right people looking after them.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced read.

Thank you so Netgalley much for the opportunity to read this book. Watching Jaleel on Family Matters and reading his book put a lot into perspective for me. Love how his parents did not allow him to have sugar due to his teeth would rot out. Never knew about the Toys R Us jingle and how he learn how to read at a young age.

The voice, the delivery, and physical emphasis resonated. Watching the show Steve's character did connect with a lot of fans and I loved how he correlated that with Revenge of the Nerds.

Some key pointers for me were.
Ball is Life
Visibility isn't Power
Milking the Laugh
Fame was not the end goal but rather a by product of their dedication to their craft

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Simon and Schuster provided an early galley for review.

The cover of his autobiography is done in the style of so many popular R&B album covers of the 1970's and 1980's, with the white suit itself evoking a direct comparison to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Not surprising that both young men found fame at a very young age.

By the time Family Matters became a huge part of ABC's TGIF line-up, I was married and settled into our first home - plans of starting a family of our own still a few years down the road. Still, the show and White often provided a good laugh after a long week of work.

Right from the introduction, I found this memoir to be very smartly written. Having grown up in the industry, White is very savvy to all its twists and turns, and he walks the reader through it in a very understandable way.

He does bounce around a bit narratively, focusing chapters more thematically rather than strictly chronologically. It is more conversational and personal, and that does work here. He is also more than willing to spill a little tea and name names.

In the end, the book definitely comes across as someone who is working out issues from the past to reposition himself for his future. His outlook and approach lead me to believe he is definitely on that road to a better place.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Perhaps if I were a millennial who grew up watching Family Matters, I would have enjoyed this book more. I was a teenager when the show premiered and was definitely uncool to even think about watching it, but anyone alive during that time would have been familiar with the pop culture icon Steve Urkel.

This book was all over the place, from a nonlinear timeline to the obsessive repetitiveness. I felt myself wishing White would get to the point of a story, and the end result was usually how people did him wrong. He's still clearly conflicted about his role as Urkel and hasn't fully embraced his legacy. Many breakout actors have this problem, and they usually have a bit more grace as they get older. White is not there yet.

What he never admits to in print is that his parents did him no favors other than saving a little more money than what was legally required. They acted as his agents in contract negotiations, and it's clear they left money on the table when it came to White's importance to the show and how they negotiated his raises.

There is more to Jaleel than Steve Urkel. He's an intelligent and hard-working man who doesn't always get the props he deserves. I'm happy he's setting the record straight and sharing his stories in this memoir.

Wow this book blew me away. I had really low expectations going into the book due to family matters not keeping my attention as a child and then my most recent attempt with trying to watch it doing the same. However this book is not that. I enjoyed every story he told, as well as all of his tribulations he overcame. The only thing I would have changed is the time jumps that happen throughout the book but outside of that I remained entertained the entire book. Def recommend.