Jaleel White: 'Summer' is no bummer

His reign as Steve Urkel ended in 1998, but family still matters to Jaleel White. The "Family Matters" star has shed the short pants, suspenders and nasal disposition of his famed '90s nerd for a variety of projects, none more important than fatherhood.

In fact, raising his 21-month-old daughter inspired White, 34, to sign on as the teacher Mr. Todd in "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer," the cinematic adaptation of the popular children's book series that opened Friday.

A movie for families with very young kids, "Judy Moody" might well be the first chance White's daughter gets to see what her daddy does for a living. In fact, we spoke with the former sitcom sensation and asked him if he is dreading the day his daughter discovers "Family Matters."

"As far as the 'Family Matters' stuff or what she discovers about me on YouTube or anything like that, I just need her to have a strong foundation of who I am as a person before any of that happens," White said. "And when that happens, it's just, 'Hey, that was a gig that Dad worked.' "

As for the future, White has ambitious plans. "I want to tap into every market," he says. "I don't care if it's sci-fi, I don't care if it's family. This was my chance, for my daughter's sake, to do something family-oriented, [But] I want to be that guy that can pop up in any demo."