Reginald VelJohnson Admits He 'Didn't Learn a Thing' from “Family Matters” Costar Jaleel White's “DWTS” Run (Exclusive)

'Family Matters' — a staple of ABC's Friday night 'TGIF' programming block — premiered 35 years ago this September

Thirty-five years ago, the world was introduced to the Winslow family and their one-of-a-kind neighbor Steve Urkel, and for Family Matters star Reginald VelJohnson, the milestone is a mind-blowing one.

Speaking to PEOPLE on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at an event celebrating the new cast of Dancing with the Stars, the 72-year-old actor admitted he's "surprised at how long it lasted."

"They said, 'We're going to do this show,' and we did it," he recalled of the ABC series, which ran for nine seasons and anchored the TGIF Friday night programming block. "I didn't realize it was going to go that long."

The Chicago-set show, a spinoff to Perfect Strangers, costarred Jo Marie Payton, Kellie Shanygne Williams and Darius McCrary, among others, plus Jaleel White, who became a breakout star with his nerdy neighbor character, Steve Urkel, who endlessly annoyed VelJohnson's Winslow family patriarch, Carl.

Related: 17 Dancing with the Stars Couples Who Fell in Love in the Ballroom

White appeared on season 14 of DWTS, coming in 8th place alongside partner Kym Johnson. VelJohnson admitted he "didn’t learn a thing" from his costar's run, however.

What he is learning are steps choreographed by his pro partner Emma Slater, who told PEOPLE the actor's "charisma is off the charts."

"He's very, very charming," she said. "It makes my job easy. I'm teaching him steps, we're going slow and going over it, and he'll put his charm and charisma in there and it's really all you need. It's really about that personality."

VelJohnson echoed her sentiments, calling Slater "so warm."

"Dancing with the Stars is a lot about trust," she added. "You have to have trust in your celebrity partner, and the celebrity partner has to have trust in the pro partner. We established that straight away."

"And I'm honestly a massive fan," she continued. "I wanted him to know, you can lean on me, I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to make this experience very enjoyable for you."

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Related: 'Family Matters' Star Jo Marie Payton Says, 'I'll Always Love' Jaleel White: 'I Forgive Everything'

As for whether or not the pair might toss in a nostalgic nod to VelJohnson's iconic Family Matters role (maybe a dance to that catchy theme song?!), Slater teased, "You'll have to wait and see!"

The full cast of Dancing with the Stars season 33 was announced on Wednesday, Sept. 4, on Good Morning America. Fellow competitors include Tori Spelling, Eric Roberts and Bachelorette Jenn Tran.

Dancing with the Stars is produced in front of a live audience by BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions. Season 33 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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