Jaleel White recalls Bill Cosby's curse-filled rant over “Fat Albert” movie: No 'f---ing “Nutty Professor”, fat suit s---'

Cosby was kind to him when he was Urkel, White writes in his new book.

In his new book Growing Up Urkel, actor Jaleel White, best known for playing nerdy Family Matters character Steve Urkel, has fond memories of meeting Bill Cosby for the first time. It was on the set of The Cosby Show star's remake of the game show You Bet Your Life in the summer of 1992, and Urkel mania was in full effect.

"I was visiting a childhood friend; his mother was someone my mom had grown to trust," White said. "She took him, and Mr. C took an instant liking to me and invited me to join him for breakfast the very next morning."

Cosby, who White described as his childhood "idol," later helped him when he needed an agent and a letter of recommendation when for college. He even supported an unrealized idea White had for a spinoff of Cosby's long-running animated TV show, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

But in 2001, when White heard that Cosby was planning a movie version of the show, the younger actor called him to say he wanted to audition for the lead role. It didn't go over well.

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"We're not doing any f---ing Nutty Professor, fat suit s---," White remembered Cosby saying.

White commented that Cosby "always had a disdain for Eddie Murphy and his profanity, but behind the scenes he lobbed plenty of curse words like everyone else."

White explained that he hadn't meant to offend him by asking for an audition and was told that their conversation was over.

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"For the first time, Bill Cosby spoke to me like some dude trying to hand him a mix tape," White wrote.

He told Cosby, "Mr. C. I got the message. You don't have to curse...."

"Oh, so now you telling me how to talk? You think you can tell me what to say?" Cosby said, according to the book. "I told you we're not interested."

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White attempted to regroup.

"I'm going to be honest with you, son," Cosby told him. "I don't even really know what you do. What is it that you do?"

When White said he was an actor, he was told he wouldn't be acting in that project and hung up on.

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"That's the last time I ever spoke to him," White wrote.

A live-action version of Fat Albert did come out in 2004, starring Kenan Thompson, Kyla Pratt, Dania Ramirez, and Aaron Carter. White was not involved.

In the years since, Cosby faced allegations of sexual misconduct from dozens of women, which he denied. He was convicted of sexual assault in 2018, but he was released in 2021 on a technicality.

EW has reached out to Cosby's spokesman for comment.

Growing Up Urkel is available in bookstores now.