Jaleel White Reveals The 1 Thing That ‘Irked’ Him About Steve Urkel

Jaleel White, an actor known for his role as Steve Urkel on “Family Matters,” said most people couldn’t guess how he’d describe growing up playing an iconic TV character.

His “eclectic journey” to adulthood, as he called it, is at the core of his upcoming memoir, which arrives over 40 years since his beginnings in Hollywood.

White emphasized that he wants his new book — “Growing Up Urkel” — to both inspire and appeal to “thinkers.”

“Because the thing that’s always kind of irked me about Urkel is the idea that show and that character were somehow created with less thought,” White told HuffPost.

“When you’re making TV, it’s the greatest team effort in entertainment there is. There’s people that you won’t meet, participating in the imagery of your show, and I play my part in it. I’m the one that lives with the imagery. So I wanted to let people know how aware I was of certain moments.”

White, whose memoir is set for release Nov. 19, understands that he’s a familiar face, and he looks to use this to his advantage while adding another chapter to his decades-long career as he hosts a new game show, “Flip Side.”

The show sees two teams battling head-to-head to guess how different groups of people responded to the same question, with a final round that offers players a chance to take home $10,000.

White revealed that he’s inspired by “legacy” late night personalities, such as former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno, who used their on-screen familiarity to calm guests’ preshow jitters.

“He’d always come visit his guests when he was tying his tie. That was always his routine,” said White, adding that he “respected” the move as a kid.

“It settled you down, it ingratiated you with his everyman before you sat out on the couch. I extend that same courtesy, and can see some of the anxiety go away. And, for the most part, it’s a really cool nostalgic rapport that I’m afforded with them.”

As White prepares to catch TV viewers on the “Flip Side,” he’s also preparing to detail some “pretty intimate moments” in his forthcoming memoir.

White said he is nervous about the book’s release and hated the first draft but, after various rounds of editing, he’s ready to open up about his “emotional” journey from his years as an iconic child actor to being an adult.

He noted that his parents, Michael and Gail White, “never really got the credit they deserve.”

“They got lucky in a lot of regards but always operated with the best of intentions for me, which sets them apart from a lot of other parents who don’t necessarily put their kids in the business with the best of intentions for them,” said White, adding that his mother wanted to save money to put him in college.

“For the mistakes she did make, I have to give her credit. She manifested every single thing she could possibly imagine for me.”

Today, White said he’s immersed in the “joy” at the center of his new show and sees his career as an aid to help people feel better about themselves.

“I get to give away money, I get to give away laughs and relatable moments to people of all walks of life,” White said of “Flip Side.”

“And I think we kind of need that now more than ever.”

“Flip Side” premieres in national syndication Monday, with bonus airings starting Sept. 16 on the Game Show Network.