Posted in: ABC, NBC, TV | Tagged: ABC, bill cosby, Family Matters, Jaleel White, nbc, Steve Urkel, the cosby show

Family Matters Star Jaleel White Discusses Ex-Mentor Bill Cosby

While 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.

"I remember I just bawled my eyes out, bawled my eyes out," White recalled. "I fostered a relationship with Mr. Cosby, separate and apart. 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." The actor revealed the relationship soured with the comedic actor but didn't divulge why. White did, however, address Cosby's conviction in 2018 for sexual assault.

"I actually had a bit of a falling out with Mr. Cosby. I kept that to myself," White said. "Knocking off these monuments who are still human beings, it's tough. And you go back in time, and you realize how close you were to something, and you put yourself in rooms where you realize his wife wasn't there, that woman was probably there for that purpose. You know, it's a hell of a hindsight thing to look at, and you don't want anyone to feel like you're trying to use them for clout. You know what I'm saying? A revered man did terrible things, and he's paying the price. I think that's where we leave it: A revered man did a terrible thing, and he is paying the appropriate price." You can check out the rest below where he talks about his time on Family Matters including some more somber moments.

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