Jaleel White Has No Clue Why So Many People Are Fans Of Stefan Urquelle

Steve Urkel is undoubtedly one of the most iconic TV characters of the entire 1990s. His antics on "Family Matters" helped launch the show into the vaunted "TGIF" lineup on ABC in the United States. Just look around during Halloween to this day, and you're basically assured to see one person rocking those massive glasses and suspenders.

As the years stretch on, more people revisit "Family Matters" on streaming services, and with that newfound viewership comes some striking opinions. (Jaleel White even turned down a reboot offer!) One modern take on the beloved show stumps even the series' leading star, Jaleel White.

In a recent interview on "You Made It Weird," the TV fan favorite explained why he's mystified that so many people are gravitating toward Stefan Urquelle these days. It's a hysterically common take now because modern audiences tend to shy away from anything resembling earnestness in fear of the dreaded label of "cringe."

With that in mind, maybe it's not so surprising that people are showing Stefan Urquelle love lately. But it still doesn't sit right with White, and he wanted people to know why he doesn't get it.

For the uninitiated, Stefan Urquelle is the alter ego of Jaleel White's character Steve Urkel in "Family Matters." Much of Urkel's arc in the beloved sitcom is about his efforts to win the affections of Laura Winslow (Kellie Shanygne as a classic girl next door.)

As the tension mounts over the seasons, Urkel creates a serum in Season 5, Episode 8, "Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool." This changes him into Stefan Urquelle in what he hopes will be a foolproof way to win Laura's heart. Viewers have seen countless examples of Urkel as a master inventor, and he transforms into his alter ego by drinking "Cool Juice."

The general effect is Urkel minus all the dorky bits that made his sitcom character so winning, but also without the caring and compassion Laura loves about him. Stefan might be as cool as the other side of the pillow, but he is also kind of a jerk. So, he turns back into Steve Urkel at the end of the episode.

Urkel later invented a transformation chamber that runs on "Boss Sauce" to refine the transformation. This leaves a version of Stefan that's all cool and with very little jerk to speak of. (This is the version of the character that lives rent-free in most fans' minds.) For what it's worth, Laura still ends up choosing Urkel at the end of the series.

Jaleel White sounds like someone who is completely at home in his skin these days. "You Made It Weird" host Pete Holmes was a big fan of the Urkel transformation. The interviewer asked if the actor had requested Stefan Urquelle as a way to assert himself as the real person beyond those big Urkel glasses. The "Family Matters" star voiced his opinion that the host's read is not the case.

"I was always comfortable in my skin, man," White clarified. "I actually found the character to be boring. I talk about that in my book 'Plenty.' ... I thought it was a one-note joke. So, I was really taken aback when everyone fell in love with him."

This comment shows how engrossing the entire premise was. For people on the show, it was a one-episode conceit that grew into something bigger. But for huge "Family Matters" fans, this was a capital M moment in their young TV lives.

Holmes explains how that dance of liking someone and having to choose between authenticity and presenting a "better" version of yourself spoke to him as a younger viewer. While White appreciates that, he's more concerned about Stefan as a storytelling block. The actor also has the perspective to joke about it now.

He joked, "Trust me, you know how many brothers come up to me in the street and be like, 'How come didn't you choose Myra, man? ... She was sitting right there in front of you the whole time!'"