Born: November 27, 1976
Birthplace: Culver City, CA
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Jaleel Ahmad White is an American actor. In 1989, he was cast in the role of Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters. The character, which was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance, was an instant hit with audiences and White became a regular cast member. The series aired for a total of nine seasons, from 1989 to 1997 on ABC, and from 1997 to 1998 on CBS. Aside from this character, White is also known as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog in the animated shows: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic SatAM and Sonic Underground, all of which were produced by the now-defunct DiC Entertainment. He reprised his role as Sonic in the 2013 Sonic fan film.
After Family Matters ended, White starred in the UPN series Grown Ups from 1999 to 2000. He later attended UCLA where he graduated with a degree in film and television in 2001. He has continued his acting career with roles in Dreamgirls (2006), and guest stints on Boston Legal, House, and Psych. In March 2012, White appeared as a contestant in season 14 of Dancing with the Stars and was voted off in May 2012, leaving him in 7th place overall. In April 2012, White hosted the game show Total Blackout, which aired on the Syfy channel.
White was born in Culver City, California, the only child of Michael White, a dentist, and Gail, a homemaker who later became his manager. White attended John Marshall Fundamental High School and South Pasadena High School before graduating from UCLA in 2001. On the advice of his preschool teacher, White began acting as a child. He got his start on TV commercials at age 3. One of White's notable commercial appearances was for Jell-O pudding pops alongside Bill Cosby.
White has one daughter, Samaya (born in 2009).