Jaleel White, famous for his role in Family Matters, isn’t interested in a reboot of the show because he feels like it doesn’t make sense.
Family Matters aired on ABC for eight seasons from 1989 to 1997. White mentioned that Netflix wanted to revive the show while they were working on the Full House spin-off, Fuller House. In a promotional clip for his new memoir, “Growing Up Urkel”, 47-year-old Jaleel White shared his reasons for turning down the chance to create a new Family Matters series.
Family Matters Star Jaleel White Reveals That Playing Steve Urkel Left His Voice Damaged For Years
“Somewhere around 2013, 2014, I was approached by one of our former producers that Netflix had interest in doing a reboot of Family Matters on the heels of Fuller House having done so well. And that didn’t make any sense to me,” he said in the video below.
“I didn’t feel that it was right for us to have to copy what Full House had done to fit inside someone’s business model to capture the magic that made our show make sense,” he continued.
“What I imagine for any reboot effort would be inspired by what really happened. How Family Matters came to pass is actually a greater story than
what was made up inside the show.”
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White explained that the show “was never intended” for him to be the star, which he achieved for nine years whilst “growing up on a studio lot and in public school at the same time.”
“That, to me, was the greater story that needed to be told for today,” he said.
However, one of White’s former executive producers expressed disapproval of the idea, telling him that there wasn’t much interest in his “memoirs.”
“But here we are 12 years later, and I think there’s some people that might be interested in those memoirs,” he concluded.
White has previously discussed the challenges of making another Family Matters, noting that his voice has changed as he has aged. He believes a plot featuring Steve Urkel married to Laura wouldn’t capture the same appeal as it once did.
“If Michelle had been here, I might have given it the old college try to create the triangle of Michelle and Kellie, but without that, I just don’t want to do it as a straight Fuller House reboot, it wouldn’t work,” White said during ’90s Con 2024 in September.
Additionally, White mentioned that using Urkel’s high-pitched, nasally voice for extended periods took a toll on his vocal cords.
“I spoke to a doctor,” he said. “What happened is during puberty I spoke at the same pitch for extended periods of time. 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.”