Hindsight has proven itself to be 20-20 for actor
Jaleel White as he reflects on the friendship he once shared with comedian
The once-beloved TV dad was convicted of drugging and raping women in 2018. White recalled as a rising star he found mentorship in Cosby, but with the comedian’s legacy forever tarnished, he has a new perspective on the time he spent under his tutelage.
(L-R) Jaleel White and Bill Cosby. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for BudX. Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images
“You go back in time and you realize how close you were to something,” the “Family Matters” star said. Moments that White experienced as a young star with Cosby are now recollected in a hazy and possibly more insidious filter than met his eye years ago.
Family Matters : Jaleel White Brought Back Steve Urkel After 20 Years in Scooby Doo Cameo cheatsheet.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cheatsheet.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The
Cosby Show in the role of Rudy (Cosby’s youngest son.) The role was initially set to be played by a boy but was ultimately portrayed by
Keshia Knight Pulliam.
When the series creators eventually went another way with the part, White revealed he was heartbroken, explaining, “I remember I just bawled my eyes out, bawled my eyes out.” While he didn’t get to play the role, he still maintained a relationship with the star comedian.
“I fostered a relationship with Mr. Cosby, separate and apart,” White explained. “Many dinners at his house, breakfasts, I even ran into a rough patch, and he’s directly responsible for why I ended up at William Morris Agency, which became an education unto itself.”
Family Matters Star Jaleel White Discusses Ex-Mentor Bill Cosby
Posted on
Jaleel White will forever be associated with his most iconic character Steve Urkel on the ABC sitcom
Family Matters, the actor was almost on another culture-defining sitcom in NBC s
The Cosby Show. White opened up about the audition he had on TV One s
Uncensored. He initially read for the role of Rudy, Cliff Huxtable s (
Bill Cosby) youngest son before the role went to
Keisha Knight-Pulliam and the character changed to a girl.
LOS ANGELES – FEB 5: Jaleel White at the The 15:17 To Paris World Premiere at the Warner Brothers Studio in February 2018 in Burbank, CA (Image: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com)
Jaleel White‘s iconic “Family Matters” character Steve Urkel helped make the ABC sitcom a hit, and carve its mark among great Black television shows past, but, according to the actor, he didn’t immediately feel the neighborly love after joining the cast.
The “Family Matters” star is stepping back into the spotlight for an episode of TV One’s “Unsung” and, judging from the trailer, he’s set to spill all of the behind-the-scenes tea from the series, which aired on the ABC from its 1989 debut through 1997 before moving to CBS for its final ninth season.
“Family Matters” stars Darius McCrary and Jaleel White bond over White’s Purple Urkle cannabis strain. (Photo: @jaleelwhite/Instagram)