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

> 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.”

He got paid. If he was worried about permanent damage, he should have quit. This falls into my Too bad, So sad category.