(L-R) Jaleel White attends Cool Comedy Hot Cuisine Benefitting The Scleroderma Research Foundation at Fairmont Century Plaza on October 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
Jaleel Whiteis reflecting on howJonathan Brandis’ deathimpacted the trajectory of his career.
In his new book,Growing Up Urkel, White opened up about Brandis’ suicide in 2003 when he was just 27 years old. The two had recently learned that the show they shot a pilot for, called111 Gramercy Park,was not picked up.
The tragedy led White, 47, to question his own experiences in the acting world.
“I stared at my computer screen, tears rolling down my face,” he wrote, perEntertainment Weekly. “I could only speculate what Jonathan was going through at that time. Just like me, he had dedicated his entire life to achieving whatLeonardo DiCaprioand the rest of his peer group had seemingly accomplished with ease. In my own way, I was the more well-adjusted success story. I grew up in an industry that always told me I couldn’t match Leo’s orTobey Maguire’s level of success and still I’d made a tremendous living for myself.”
(L-R) Jaleel White; Jonathan Brandis.Bryan Steffy/Getty; Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Bryan Steffy/Getty; Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
At the time, White said his mom was staying with him, and she shared similar feelings about the negative impacts of the entertainment industry.
“She came into my office, saw my tears, and immediately sought to console me,” he recalled, saying the loss of Brandis felt like that of “a fallen soldier.”
“She’s always hated to see show business affect me in the various ways it has privately, and so she began to sob as well.”
It was then that White said he told her, “I can’t do this s— anymore, Mom. I want out. This business kills people from the inside.”
White noted that after making a name for himself as Steve UrkelonFamily Matters,he knew that breaking into different roles would be difficult. For Brandis, however,111 Gramercy Parkheld a lot of weight in determining what his future as an actor would look like.
“I imagine that Jonathan felt he needed that pilot to feed his soul,” White wrote. “I’ve never known an actor to ask me repeatedly about our pickup prospects the way he did when we shot111 Gramercy Park. He was as much a veteran performer as I, our prospects for pickup should have been as clear to him as they were to me. It seemed to me that Jonathan, much like myself, had come to another career crossroads and111 Gramercy Parkwould have offered him an honest chance at leading-man status.”
“In my case, I would be playing just another character role, and there would be many more down the road,” he added.
(L-R) Jaleel White as Steve Urkel on Family Matters; Jaleel White attends Cool Comedy Hot Cuisine Benefitting The Scleroderma Research Foundation at Fairmont Century Plaza on October 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
White also recounted how he met Brandis, saying that although they were “not close at all as kids,” their paths continually crossed.
“Our closest overlap until now was a mutual acquaintance, actressTatyana Ali,” he said. “He was Tatyana’s real-life boyfriend when I shot my one episode ofThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Tatyana was so smitten with Jonathan that when it came time for our on-screen kiss, she turned her head so far toward the camera, hiding the fact that our lips were barely touching.”
“Got it, Tatyana,” he joked. “No one is misconstruing our professional duty.”
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Growing Up Urkelis in bookstores now.
source: people.com