Jaleel White Reveals That Playing Steve Urkel on “Family Matters ”Left His Voice Damaged for Years

The star appeared in a 90s Con 2024 panel moderated by actress Kimberly J. Brown, called "The Evolution of Jaleel White"

Jaleel White has a lot to say — and thankfully he still has the voice to do so.

Speaking at 90s Con 2024 in Daytona Beach, Fla,, on Sunday, Sept. 15 in a panel moderated by actress Kimberly J. Brown, White discussed his career at length, fielding several questions about his beloved Family Matters character, Steve Urkel. The character was known as much for his distinct personality and fashion choices as he was for his voice — although White, 47, admitted that speaking in that high, nasal tone actually "damaged my voice."

"I spoke to a doctor," he explained, "and 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."

Adding that "it's been in remission and I'm fine now," he said he went through a period around 15 or 16 years old when "I felt like I was really losing it. I would constantly get network notes like, 'We can't hear him. Please be more clear.' It was kind of a scary thing for me to go through."

Related: The Cast of 'Family Matters:' Where Are They Now?

White said he didn't work with a voice coach when picking Urkel's tone, leaving him without tools to protect his voice. Now, he has both vocal coaching and a doctor's help to "get it under control."

However, he added, "I wouldn't do anything differently. It was a great experience and it was a small sacrifice to make for one hell of a legacy."

White played Urkel on the series' nine-season run from 1989 to 1998.

Although his role was a staple on the show, White previously revealed that he was "not welcomed to the cast at all."

Related: Actor Jaleel White Marries Tech Exec Nicoletta Ruhl in L.A. Country Club Wedding! See the Photos (Exclusive)

"They know what it was … I didn't think anything of it being cast to be on Family Matters, because it was supposed to only be a guest spot, one and done," White said on TV One's Uncensored in 2021, adding that he was just as "caught off-guard" by the "phenomenon" his character went on to become.

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At 90s Con 2023, cast members Jo Marie Payton, Reginald VelJohnson and Kellie Shanygne Williams reunited and spoke fondly of their costar while acknowledging their past differences.

"He had a lot to deal with, because we were already established as a family but he had to get into the group and introduce himself," VelJohnson said. "We love him ... he’s a special person."

"Hate is not a part of anything you do," Payton added. "I will always love him."

White promised more stories from set and his lengthy career in his upcoming book, Growing Up Urkel, out this November.

90s Con Florida is occurring through Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.

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