Jaleel White recently revealed why he passed on the idea of a “Family Matters” reboot despite Netflix’s interest following the success of “Fuller House.”
via: Vibe
Family Matters fans hoping for a reboot with Steve Urkel might want to forget about it. Jaleel White—who played the iconic character—recently shared why it would be impossible for him to “recreate” the magic that the ’90s sitcom had.
In a promotional video for his memoir Growing Up Urkel, the 47-year-old detailed why he turned down a Netflix reboot pitch back in 2013 or 2014, on the heels of Full House‘s reboot (Fuller House) having success.
“It didn’t make any sense to me,” he said, explaining that a Family Matters reboot modeled after Fuller House felt forced. “I didn’t feel that it was right for us to copy what Full House had done to fit inside someone’s business model to capture the magic that made our show make sense.”
For White, he would rather share a real story “inspired by what really happened,” behind the scenes. “How Family Matters came to pass is actually a greater story than what was made up inside the show,” he said. “Family Matters was never intended for me to be the star, and growing up on a studio lot while attending public school—that’s a story that would resonate today.”
White’s vision, however, wasn’t shared by one of the show’s former producers, who bluntly told him there was no interest in his “memoirs.” Begging to differ, White connected the latter moment to present day, adding, “Here we are, 12 years later. And I think there might be some people who would want to hear those stories.”
During ‘90s Con 2024, White revealed more reasons for his hesitation. For one, he mentioned that his voice deepened with age, and bringing back Steve Urkel’s nasally tone would be a struggle for him. He also shared that he suffered vocal strain from speaking in Urkel’s high pitch during his teen years, which also affected him in adulthood.
Additionally, White brought up his dynamic love triangle portrayed on the show between him, Myra and Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams)—and explained how the “magic” wouldn’t be possible to recreate.
“Without Michelle, I just don’t want to do it as a straight Fuller House reboot; it wouldn’t work,” he admitted. Michelle Thomas, who played Myra Monkhouse, passed away in 1998.
So, while Family Matters holds a special place in TV history—for White, the story doesn’t need anymore chapters and is complete as it is. Check out the promo clip for Growing Up Urkel below.
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