Steve Urkel

Steve Urkel (played by actor Jaleel White) is a character on the 1990s sitcom Family Matters. Highly intelligent, he was (like other television heroes, e.g. Tim Taylor from Home Improvement) also quite accident-prone. He was socially awkward, but in an endearing way, and his popularity with the fans made him one of America's favorite nerds. Among his catchphrases were "Did I do that?", which he would say after causing an accident. Originally intended as a one-time character, he was later made a regular on the show, because his appearances provided substantial boosts to ratings.

As the series progressed, White outgrew his childhood voice and his performance became more affected and strained. A female "cousin" character (Myrtle Urkel) was created, also played by White; as was a suave, sexy alter ego named Stefan Urquelle, who became a separate character once Steve cloned himself.

Steve Urkel's unrequited love interest was Laura Winslow, a popular girl at his high school. He also attracted the affection of Myra, a girl who, like Urkel, was physically attractive, smart, and socially awkward, but he did not love her back, since Laura was his true love interest.

Steve even had his own "dance" called "The Steve Urkel Dance", derived from an episode wherein he created the dance to make himself more popular at school. The dance was carried over through Urkel's guest spot on sister show Step by Step.