Urkel

Urkel

Steven Quincy Urkel is a fictional character on the American ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters, portrayed by Jaleel White. Although originally slated to be a one-time-only character on the show, he broke out to be its most popular character and gradually became its protagonist. Due to the Urkel character's off-putting characteristics and the way he would stir up events and underscore the plot or even move it along, he is considered a nuisance by the original protagonist's family, the Winslows, though they come to accept him over time. The character epitomizes a geek or nerd of the era, with large, thick eyeglasses, flood pants held up by suspenders, multi-colored cardigan sweaters, saddle shoes, and a high-pitched voice. He professes love for his neighbor, Laura Winslow, who is a character in the main family of the series. This love often leads to mishap which triggers plot points and crises, and is unrequited until the series' end. Throughout the series, starting from Urkel's debut, he is central to many of its running gags, primarily property damage and/or personal injury resulting from of his inventions going awry or his outright clumsiness. He becomes known by viewers and characters alike for several catchphrases uttered after some humorous misfortune occurs, including "I've fallen and I can't get up!" "I don't have to take this. I'm going home." "Did I do that?" "Whoa, Mama!" and "Look what you did!" (on occasions when someone else caused the damage, though usually the accident was indirectly caused by Urkel).

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