The Huxtables were almost a vastly different family. For those of you reading this on your iWatch right now, The Huxtables were Bill Cosby's fictional family on the television hit, “The Cosby Show” which aired from 1984 to 1992. The Cosby show details the canned laughter inducing shennagians produced by the father, Cliff Huxtable, (Cosby,) lawyer wife Clair, and their five children, Michael, Tito, Janet, Jermain and Latoya. But by Michael, Tito, Janet, Jermain, and Latoya, we mean Sondra, Denise, Theodore, Vanessa, and Rudy. Sondra Huxtable was almost played by Whitney Houston and her sister Rudy was actually originally written specifically for a boy, a young Mr. Steven Quincy Urkel.
Got any cheeeeeese?
Jaleel White is the American Actor most remembered for his snorts and rainbow-suspendered hijinks while playing the character of Steve Urkel on Family Matters, but before he could seal the show on Family Matters, the universe had a much different plan for young Jaleel. For Jaleel, it all started in Preschool, where he apparently killed, jokes-wise of course. His teacher recognized that lil Jaleel was a star, and encouraged his mother to get that kid into acting. It didn't take long for Jaleel White to score dozens of commercial jobs, and eventually his first television role on The Jeffersons. He even starred in Jello pudding pop commercials with Bill Cosby!
Who loves Jello Puddin?
Eventually Jaleel would audition for The Cosby show for a character named “Rudy.” To his surprise, a girl walked into the same casting. Jaleel got the part, but lost it only because Bill Cosby wanted his television family to be identical to his real-life family. So, really, it's Urkel's fault that poor Rudy had to have a boy's name.
Urklebot would have been a huge hit in the Huxtable household.
After losing the part of Rudy, Jaleel scored what was intended to be a one time role on “Family Matters.” A figment out of Laura Winslow's greatest nightmare, Urkel was originally cast to film one episode where he would whisk away Laura on a romantic night out. Only, the joke's on Laura; audiences adored that amiable nerd and he ultimately would end up stealing the show. Steven Quincy Urkel may not have won over Laura Winslow, but the hearts of American audiences of the 1990s in this long running syndication. In real life, it seems like the only singing that any of Cosby's daughters are doing are in the courtroom, but Cosby Show director Jay Sandrich revealed in an interview that the character of Cosby's daughter Sonda was intended for Newark New Jersey's Whitney Houston but she turned it down to go on tour.
Who told you you could sing?
Funny thing though, this young Jersey girl had no scheduled tours at the time, nor did she have a record contact, or any professional recordings. She was right though. Just one year later, Whitney got her first record deal. In early production stages of the Cosby show, Sandrich explains that all of the kids were together to sign their contracts, and Whitney said that she just couldn't do it. Her Cosby show contract wouldn't allow her the flexibility to tour and fill the world with song and often, laughter.
