Writing a memoir presented Jaleel White with the opportunity to not only document the ups and downs he went through as a child star, but also to highlight how far he has come after years of living in the public eye.

“It was incredibly therapeutic,” White, 47, said exclusively We weekly about working through Growing up Urkelwhich will be released on Tuesday, November 19. “What started as a memoir about my childhood really evolved into a book about humility – and how being humble is not the same as being conscious.”

After growing up in the spotlight, White now reflects on how that experience shaped him.

“Show business in general is not really a safe place for young people. Ironically, show business places a high value on staying young, but you can’t let that overwhelm you. Because everyone has to grow up,” he explained. “Everyone has to grow up. Even my cover, there’s so much to unpack, why this cover is this cover. It’s a nod to so many things.”

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The cover of Growing up Urkel pays tribute to White’s character Family matters. “I’m wearing (Steve) Urkel’s shoes on the back cover, if you notice,” he noted. “But that lean attitude means something in black culture: that this content will be fire. So I hope I can make it happen.”

White is best known for turning in a one-episode appearance Family matters in a leading role with his performance as Steve Urkel (and later Stefan Urquelle). After becoming the show’s most popular character, White used that success to pave the way for more opportunities – both in front of and behind the camera. He was the first American actor to voice Sonic the Hedgehog, wrote several TV episodes and has been a consistent presence in the entertainment industry for four decades.

“When I was done Family matters As a wide-eyed 21-year-old, I was so ecstatic to be starting my career as a TV writer. I just knew this was next for me. But I got sidetracked by pressure from my family to go to college. I just wanted to get back into a comedy writer’s room,” White said Us about passages in his memoirs that discuss his screenwriting attempts – and successes. “But I didn’t understand that many obstacles would come my way.”

White noticed that his time as an actor didn’t immediately translate into the world of screenwriting, adding, “Because of the way I grew up filming that show, I never really got this clear separation between showrunners, writers and artists.” understood. set. I was actually more inspired by the writers who worked on our show.

After being credited for several scripts, including op Family matters —White returned to the vessel with his memoirs.

“I would love to continue writing, but I also have so much respect for the craft that I’m in a period now where all I want to do is get people’s feedback on it,” he said of the lessons he learned from writing of non-fiction work. “As a writer you get a first draft and most people who write hate their first draft. I hated mine and I just had to unpack from that. Then some editing took place within about two weeks. Then I thought, ‘Okay, wait, maybe it’s not that bad.’”

White wanted to share his story – and show how things have changed in the industry since he rose to fame. He told us: “First of all, I never wanted to come across as a victim. Because I don’t feel like a victim. If anything, I feel like a product of the values ​​of the 90s, and those values ​​have changed exponentially since then.”

Growing up Urkel is an unfiltered look at the highs and lows of life in the entertainment world. It’s also a candid look at White’s off-screen life, with star-studded friendships, surprising career obstacles and countless moments of self-reflection.

“There were a lot of things that didn’t make it. The editing process is real,” he teased. “I could have made a completely separate book, just about me and my parents. When you’re on a show for so long and you don’t come from an old show business family, there’s been a lot of growing with my father, with my mother and their own private lives. I tried to capture the essence of it, and at least the spirit of it.”

Now that the Growing up Urkel is almost finished, White can reflect on the challenges of trying to capture everything in just one book.

“There are many delivery requirements. It’s a process as complicated as submitting a film. Really and truly. When I finally got the hardcover for the first time, I sat there and held it. Some parts came out different or better than I expected,” he recalls. “Any type of project – not just a book – needs a team to create something great. So call out Simon & Schuster for respecting my story to the extent they did.

White hopes his memoir will provide answers to the “many questions” others may have, adding, “But (I also wanted) to prove that I had learned lessons from all the things that took place. The reflections (about my life) have taken place over time. I wrote little tidbits (over the years) and kept them. It really took Simon & Schuster’s interest and timing, because you can’t rush those things. You just feel it when it’s there.”

Growing up UrkelWhite’s release is a major achievement, but it doesn’t stop there. He continues to look ahead and think about what awaits him.

“I definitely want to write more. I always keep open the possibility that I will be called to write more for scripted television. I’m not holding my breath, but I’m keeping an eye on that opportunity. I want to do it all,” he admitted. “But at the same time, the media has changed now. I just hope that I continue to be part of entertainment that really appeals to large groups of people. I want to bring laughter, joy and excitement.”

White concluded: “If I have the opportunity to convey that, I want to keep you in the story. I work hard in my profession to ensure that I am never the guy who takes you out of the story.”

Growing up Urkel will be on the bookshelves on Tuesday, November 19.