You can search the face of Jaleel White, looking for some sign of his alter ego, the proto-nerd Steve Urkel of CBS’ “Family Matters.” No luck.
It’s not just the absence of super specs, bow tie and high-water pants either. Mostly, it’s the presence of a poised, intelligent and articulate young actor who loves to put on a baseball cap and disappear into Gotham’s anonymous crowds.
“I get recognized a lot,” he said, “but it’s usually in a place, a context, where they’re expecting me.”
Since his 1990 breakout in the second season of “Family Matters,” White’s context has been ABC’s dominant Friday-night comedy bloc. When ABC bobbled its contractual hold on the sitcom, CBS grabbed it, hoping to draw younger viewers from ABC in the 7 p.m. time slot. So far, in two outings, the gambit hasn’t paid off in winning ratings. White’s not worried though.
“Friday night has never been a battleground until now,” he said. “Everybody had their own demographic (targets) and whoever won, won. Now, everybody is going after everyone else.”
White believes the early-season ratings mislead.
“We’ve got a ways ’til the summer ends and it gets a little darker outside and we get some more, younger people inside,” he said. “Our true numbers, where we’re going to settle out for the season, will show up in November.”
White doesn’t feel that “Family Matters” is under the gun. “At the end of this season, we’ll be the 15th longest-running comedy ever,” he said. “Given that, I don’t feel any pressure about switching networks. I’m just curious to see if the Eye can do it.”
As an actor, White says his toughest task is finding something fresh to bring to Urkel week in and week out.
His producers let him create Urkel alter egos in the suave lady-killer Stefan and his feminine, nerd-turing counterpart, Myrtle Urkel.
“Truth be told, there’s a sitcom in `The Myrtle Urkel Show,’ ” White said. “She has the potential to be a ’90s Geraldine, but I’m asking myself, `Do you want to be in makeup, wigs and stockings all the time?’ “
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White sees a role for himself in series TV, even after Urkel has passed from prime time.
“After this, well, I will be disappointed with anything less than a Top 10 show,” he said. “If that means staying up until 4 o’clock in the morning to do it, I’ll do it.”