Outraged ‘Family Matters’ Fans Discover Jaleel White and His Co-Star Were Nominated, But Never Invited to Emmy Awards

It’s Emmy Awards season, where dozens of actors receive awards and accolades for his or her performances on among the hottest shows on television.

Actor Jaleel White, 47, played the long-lasting character of Steve Urkel on Family Matters for nine seasons. The series was a rankings hit for ABC, however the sitcom never won a Primetime Emmy.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences nominated “Family Matters” for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Visual Visual Effects in 1996. The “Perfect Strangers” spin-off lost to NBC’s miniseries “Gulliver’s Travels” on the ceremony.

White spoke concerning the Emmy shutout in a rehashed 2021 interview with Yahoo Entertainment, comparing his show’s lack of ATAS recognition to the critical success of “The Wonder Years,” starring fellow child actor Fred Savage.

“You were made to feel like you were African-American,” White said of being missed by Emmy voters. He noted that individuals like “The Wonder Years” star Fred Savage, who “was always invited to the Emmys” and “always treated like a lover of his time.”

As for himself, “I was never invited to the Emmys, not even to present,” White said. “We were basically told I would be wasting my time even if I entered for nomination.”

Additionally, the Culver City, California native continued, “I’ve always been incredibly proud of how many different people from all walks of life have come up to me and recognized ‘Family Matters.’ I’ve always been really, really proud of that because it was the complete opposite of the way our TV elite treated me.”

The Wonder Years was a five-year run, and the coming-of-age comedy won 4 Emmy Awards and 28 nominations. Fred Savage earned two nominations, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, in 1989 and 1990.

Jaleel White’s Conversation with Yahoo Entertainment Resurfaces Stories of the Golden Age Instagram page on August 2, 2024. Social media users reacted to White’s comments regarding the Emmy Awards.

“Family Matters” star Cherie Johnson, who played Maxine “Max Johnson,” shared her experience of never being honored on the Emmy Awards. The 48-year-old actress stated, “I was nominated for Punky, but I wasn’t invited.”

According to the official Emmy Awards WebsiteCherie Johnson was not nominated for her role within the series “Punky Brewster”, which aired from September 1984 to March 1986. However, the show did bring three nominations between 1985 and 1986.

Another Instagram commenter asked Johnson if she had been invited to any awards shows, to which she replied, “(The) Daytime Emmys invited me to the Punky reboot a few years ago, but I decided not to go.”

Additionally, White’s supporters expressed their appreciation for his work as Steve Urkel. One person wrote, “My man was the gas pedal the ENTIRE TIME on the show!”

Another fan wrote, “Don’t worry. You still did your thing, bro. And you know what? Fred Savage never had a doll. We had an Urkel doll.” A 3rd sponsor added, “Jaleel is the GOAT. Urkel is perfect.”

An outraged fan said: “Wow!!! That’s a bright slap in the face.”

In a May 2024 interview, Tisha Campbell, the black actress who played Gina on the classic ’90s Fox sitcom “Martin,” spoke about why she was not honored on the Emmy Awards.

According to the actress, who starred within the “House Party” film franchise, a white spokesperson suggested that Campbell’s race prevented her from earning an Emmy nomination.

“Back then, we didn’t look at things to get accolades. We were just trying to feed our families and we had to take away from ourselves the fact that we would be appreciated for the things that we did,” she explained.

Family Matters debuted on ABC on September 22, 1989. After moving to CBS for its final season, the series concluded on July 17, 1998. The forged also included Reginald VelJohnson, Jo Marie Payton, Darius McCrary, Rosetta LeNoire, Telma Hopkins and Kellie Shanygne Williams.

With 215 episodes, “Family Matters” became one in every of the longest-running black sitcoms in television history. “The Jeffersons” reached 253 episodes between January 1975 and July 1985. “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” passed the 358-episode mark in August 2024.

The Wonder Years, starring Fred Savage, aired for six seasons from January 1988 to May 1993. A remake of the series, based on the story of a middle-class black family, debuted in September 2021 but was canceled after two seasons.

Punky Brewster starred Soleil Moon Frye. The show originally aired on NBC from September 1984 to March 1986. The series was revived on the Peacock streaming service in February 2021, but was canceled after one season.