Jaleel White.
Getty Images (2)Submitted a memo. Jaleel White With an opportunity to not only document the ups and downs he went through as a child star—but also to highlight how far he’s come in his years in the public eye.
“It was incredibly therapeutic,” White, 47, told Exclusively We weekly About working Growing upwhich comes out on Tuesday, November 19. “What started as a memoir about my childhood really evolved into a book about humility—and how being humble isn’t the only thing to be aware of.”
After growing up in the spotlight, White is now reflecting on how the experience shaped him.
“Show business in general is not really a safe place for young people. Ironically, show business puts a huge premium on being young but you can’t let that get the best of you. Because everybody has to grow up,” He explained. “Everybody has to be an adult. Even my cover, there’s a lot to unpack about why this cover is this cover. It’s a nod to a lot of things.”
Child stars have given their perspective on the fall of fame by participating in all sorts of documentaries making shocking revelations. Investigative Discovery made headlines in 2024 when directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz explored the toxic work environment of Nickelodeon’s past in Set on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV. The documentaries specifically highlighted the producer. […]
cover of Growing up Pay tribute to White’s role. Family matters. “I wear [Steve] On the back cover, if you notice, are Yurkel’s boots,” he noted. “But that lean pose means something in black culture — that the contents will be fire. So I hope I can live up to that.”
White is famous for turning on an episode. Family matters with his performance as Steve Arkell (and later, Stephen Arkell) in the title role. After becoming the show’s most popular character, White used that success to pave the way for more opportunities — in front of and behind the camera. He was the first American actor to voice Sonic the Hedgehog, wrote several TV episodes, and maintained a steady presence in the entertainment industry for four decades.
“When I finished. Family matters As a bleary-eyed 21-year-old, I was excited to jump into my TV writing career. I just knew what was ahead for me. But I backed out due to family pressure to enter college. Every bit of me wanted to go back to the comedy writers’ room,” White explained us About excerpts from his memoir that discuss his screenwriting efforts and achievements. “But I didn’t realize that there were going to be so many obstacles in my way.”
White found his time as an actor didn’t immediately translate into the world of screenwriting, adding, “The way I grew up to participate in the filming of this show was I never understood this clear division between the showrunners, the writers and the actors.
After being credited on several scripts—including On Family matters – White returns to the craft with his memory.
“I’d love to keep writing, but I also respect the craft so much that I’m at a point now where I just want to get people’s opinions on it,” he says of the lessons he’s learned from non-writing. I shared Works of Fiction “As a writer, you get a first draft and most people who write hate their first draft. I hated mine and I just needed to decompress from it. Then about two After weeks of editing, I was like, ‘Okay, wait, it can’t be that bad.’
White stepped out to share his story — and how things have changed in the industry since his rise to stardom, telling Us , “I didn’t want to come across as a victim at first. Because I don’t feel like a victim. If anything, I feel like a product of the 90s and those values have changed dramatically since then.
Growing up An unfiltered look at the highs and lows of being in the entertainment business. It’s also a candid look at White’s off-screen life, including star-studded friendships, surprising career setbacks and countless moments of self-reflection.
“There was a ton of stuff that didn’t make it. The editing process is real,” he teased. “I could do a whole separate book about me and my parents. When you’re on a show that long and you don’t come from a leggy show business family, with my dad, my mom and her own There was so much progress with Private Lives that I tried to capture at least its essence and its spirit.
Now that Growing up Almost finished, White can reflect on the challenges that came with trying to capture everything in just one book.
“There are so many requirements for delivery. It’s as much a process as converting to film. It really is. When I finally got the first hardcover, I sat there and I held it. Parts of me “Any kind of project — not just a book — takes a team to make something good,” he recalled. So shout out to Simon and Schuster for respecting my story so much.
White hopes her memoir will provide answers to “a lot of questions” for others, adding, “But [I also wanted to] Prove that I have learned from what happened. Manifestations [about my life] have been happening over time. I was writing small things. [over the years] and storing them. It really took Simon & Schuster’s interest and time because you can’t rush these things. You feel it when it’s there.
Growing upThe release is a huge success, but White isn’t stopping there. He keeps looking forward and wondering what is next for him.
“I definitely want to write more. I always hold out the possibility that I’ll be called on to write more for scripted television. I’m not holding my breath, but I’m keeping an eye out for that opportunity. I’m all for it. I want to,” he admitted. “But at the same time, the media has changed now. I just hope that I can continue to be a part of entertainment that really hits with large groups of people and really strikes a cord. I’m laughing, happy. And want to provide excitement.”
White concluded: “If I get a chance to be a part of delivering that, I want to put you in the story. I work hard at my craft to make sure I’m that guy. Not to take you out of the story.
Growing up Hits bookshelves on Tuesday, November 19.
