Family Matters has remained one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time, and several characters on the show have gained their own fandom. Jaleel White, who played Steve Urkel on the show, recently opened up about people liking his alter ego, Stefan Urkel, a character that he did not like as much himself. White discussed this during a recent podcast appearance.
Jaleel White was ‘taken aback when everyone fell in love’ with Family Matters’ Stefan
Jaleel White’s Steve Urkel is widely regarded as one of the most memorable sitcom characters. With his signature glasses and constant inventions, Urkel remained a central part of the cast until the very end. A lot of Urkel’s efforts were also geared toward winning the love of Laura Winslow.
As part of his efforts, he created an alter ego, Stefan Urkel, which was accessed through a serum he invented. Stefan Urkel was essentially a version of Steve Urkel without the nerdy qualities. Stefan also lacked the caring, compassionate nature that made Steve such an adorable character. By the end of the episode, Stefan turned back into Steve.
In a later episode, White’s character refined the transformation and created a version of Stefan Urkel that fans loved. But the actor did not really get the appeal.
During his recent appearance on the You Made It Weird podcast, host Pete Holmes revealed that he was a big fan of the Urkel transformation. The host asked if the actor had requested Stefan Urkel as a way to reflect his real-life characteristics on the show.
White responded, saying that it was not the case. “I was always comfortable in my skin, man,” White said. He continued, “I actually found the character to be boring. I talk about that in my book ‘Plenty.’ … I thought it was a one-note joke. So, I was really taken aback when everyone fell in love with him.”
This suggests there is a difference of opinion between the actor and fans when it comes to Stefan Urkel. Steve Urkel remains one of the most recognizable sitcom characters.
All the seasons of Family Matters are streaming on Hulu.
