Jaleel White, best known for his role of Steve Urkel on the hit ’90s sitcom Family Matters, stopped by the Tamron Hall Show yesterday to discuss his new memoir, Growing Up Urkel.
During the interview, the entertainer opened up about life with his 15-year-old daughter, Samaya, his recent marriage to Nicoletta Ruhl, and how fatherhood has changed him.
When asked about how Samaya views his legendary TV persona, White shared an endearing story about her early introduction to Urkel.
“My mother indoctrinated her with Urkel,” he said, smiling. “By the time she was four, she came home from a weekend with my mother just wagging the [Urkel] doll at me. My mom had just watched her through probably about 10 episodes.”
Jaleel went on to speak about how fatherhood transformed him.
“I love being a father,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance in this book to write enough about fatherhood. In the future, perhaps I’d like to write more about fatherhood.”
He added, “It changed me. It really did. You know how this business, it’ll jump on your mind, and it’ll really cause you to question your sense of purpose in life. When she got here, all of a sudden, the only thing I really cared about was… to take care of her at a high level.”
Earlier this year, White tied the knot with Nicoletta, and he spoke glowingly about her role in Samaya’s life.
“This wonderful Yale and Stanford grad walked into my life, and she couldn’t be a better role model for my daughter.”
As for Growing Up Urkel, White shared how the memoir came to be.
“When I started answering questions in written form, it started to become a book,” he said. “Simon & Schuster told me, ‘We want to do something with you.’ What they’ve done [is] made me a writer.”
Fans eager to dive into Jaleel White’s life story can find Growing Up Urkel available everywhere books are sold.