TIME STAMPS:
4:39 -- Jaleel speaks on his entering the world of acting in 1980 after his preschool teacher recognized how funny he was, telling his mother he needs to be on TV. He goes on to talk about the early commercials he was in, they discuss our present times of a renaissance age in black cinema, and how Jaleel came from an era where black film couldn't thrive without powerful white producers. Jaleel also reflects on watching Family Matters' earliest episodes, thinking they weren't that funny, getting called in for his audition in the middle of the first season, and a problematic history of white writing for black shows.
14:33 -- Jaleel gets into his own interpretation of Steve Urkel being a bad Ed Grimley impression with a sprinkle of Pee Wee Herman and how his character entering the show gave some real synergy between the white writing staff and the all-black cast. They also talk about the producers of Family Matters adding Urkel to the teasers before he was on the show, the character of Harriette Winslow first appearing on the show Perfect Strangers, his issues with the ideas floating around for a reboot of Family Matters, and Jaleel not getting along with Jaimee Foxworth who played Judy on the show.
23:20 -- Jaleel talks about his parents doing everything they could to keep him grounded and normal during his years of being one of TV's biggest stars. They go on to discuss Jaleel's public statements about Bill Cosby being a revered man who did terrible things and payed the appropriate price for it, Jaleel's history of working with Bill, the backlash he received for believing Cosby was guilty, a conversation he had with Raven-Symoné about the situation, the impossibilities of leaving out Cosby's name when so many black actors tell their story and how not supporting Cosby now shouldn't diminish all the positive things he did in the past.
32:21 -- Jaleel is asked about being on the short-lived sitcom Charlie & Co. in 1985. They go on to discuss dishonest critics of past black shows for not being authentic, why Jaleel believes Marvel's Black Panther was such a huge success and how it's so closely related to why shows like Family Matters and others did so well across all demographics. Jaleel tells Talib to go to hell when he asks him if he remembers any of his rap from the 1990 made-for-tv movie Camp Cucamonga and he speaks on his not feeling welcomed by the cast of Family Matters for the first two seasons.
43:26 -- Jaleel speaks about fond memories of working with Kellie Shanygne Williams who played Laura Winslow. He digs into one of the most emotional episodes of the show when Jaleel realized the true heights of Kellie's acting ability and talks about some of the growing pains and struggles she endured, identifying as a role model. Jaleel also talks about his mother stepping in and demanding that he get a sufficient amount of study time during the days they were shooting the show as well as the time she hired a new teacher who could care less about his TV star status and would keep him on task.
53:03 -- Jaleel reflects on when he was asked to play Steve's female cousin Myrtle Urkle. They discuss the history of men-in-dress humor, his co-stars having issues with the idea of putting Jaleel in drag, Jaleel's concerns of being ridiculed at high-school being the fuel he needed to "play the hell out of the character" and his portrayal being so convincing that people were believing a new actress had joined the cast. They also revisit Jaleel's quote when the series ended and he was asked about playing Urkel again, him stating, "If you ever see me do that character again, take me out and put a bullet in my head."
1:02:01 -- Jaleel gets into his old side hustle, doing voice acting work for the 'Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' cartoon series that aired in the mid-nineties. They go on to discuss some of his other voice acting work and explore why his starring in the 2010 film Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus became a real blessing in disguise. Jaleel also speaks on how much he enjoyed hosting the game show 'Total Blackout'. He tells about never having a dull moment while working on the show and how much fun it was watching people scared out of their minds on a daily basis as well as some of the hilarity that would occur behind the scenes.
1:14:06 -- Jaleel digs into his cannabis line ItsPurpl, in a partnership with 710 Labs, creating variants of a strain called Purple Urkle. They discuss his avoiding marijuana use throughout most of his life and when he realized weed wasn't as bad as so many made it out to be. He lays out the time-line of how he decided to jump into the business, all beginning with Jaleel noticing dealers using the name and his likeness to sell strains and accessories. He also explains one of his hit signature products, 'Noodle Doinks'. Jaleel goes on to talk about the struggles of not being able to shake the Urkel image after leaving Family Matters and how it affected his social life in ways he never would have imagined.
