Full House Cast Then and Now: Heartbreaking Tragedies and Where the Tanners Are Today

Every Friday night throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, millions of American families gathered around television sets to hear that familiar, sun-drenched opening theme song: "Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, there’s a heart, a hand to hold on to..."

Premiering on ABC on September 22, 1987, Full House became the undisputed crown jewel of the legendary TGIF programming lineup. The premise was pure warmth: after the sudden death of his wife Pam, grieving television host Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) enlists his rock-musician brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and eccentric stand-up comedian best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) to help raise his three spirited daughters—D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and baby Michelle (played interchangeably by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen).

Set inside that iconic Victorian townhouse near San Francisco's Painted Ladies, the sitcom delivered hugs, life lessons, and timeless catchphrases ("Have mercy!", "Cut it out!", "You got it, dude!") across eight seasons and 192 episodes.

Yet, decades after the final credits rolled in 1995, the real lives of the cast members have been marked by immense Hollywood triumphs, private personal battles, and devastating heartbreak. Where is the Full House cast today? Here is an intimate, untold look at television's most beloved family.

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1. Bob Saget (Danny Tanner: America's Dad)

While Danny Tanner was famous for his obsessively neat cleaning habits and heart-to-heart hug speeches, the man behind him was a comedic rebel. Off-screen, Bob Saget was one of the sharpest, filthiest stand-up comedians in America—a hilarious contrast to his wholesome TV persona.

Beyond Full House, Saget cemented his place in 90s television history as the original host of America's Funniest Home Videos from 1989 to 1997 and lent his warm, reflective voice as the narrator of CBS's How I Met Your Mother.

Tragically, on January 9, 2022, the entertainment world was shattered when Bob Saget was found dead in his Orlando hotel room at age 65 following an accidental blunt head trauma. The outpouring of global grief was staggering. His co-stars were inconsolable, with John Stamos stating: "I am broken. I am gutted. I am in complete and utter shock. I will never ever have another friend like him."

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2. John Stamos (Uncle Jesse Katsopolis)

With his pompadour hair, Elvis obsession, black leather motorcycle jackets, and electric guitar solos, Uncle Jesse was the ultimate 90s television heartthrob. Behind the scenes, Stamos was the emotional glue that bonded the cast together into a lifelong real-life family.

Following the sitcom's finale, Stamos enjoyed an exceptionally versatile career, starring as Dr. Tony Gates on NBC's medical titan ER, appearing in Broadway musical revivals, and performing as a regular touring drummer with The Beach Boys. In 2016, Stamos spearheaded the creation of Netflix’s massive sequel series Fuller House, serving as executive producer. In 2023, he released his bestselling, vulnerable memoir If You Would Have Told Me, reflecting deeply on fatherhood, recovery, and losing Saget.

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3. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (Michelle Tanner)

Casting six-month-old twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to share the role of Michelle was a stroke of genius that birthed a multibillion-dollar global empire. Michelle's pigtails and cheeky thumbs-up catchphrase ("You got it, dude!") made the twins the breakout pop-culture stars of the 1990s.

Throughout the late 90s and early 2000s, the sisters starred in a string of blockbuster direct-to-video adventure films (Passport to Paris, Our Lips Are Sealed), establishing the wildly successful Dualstar Entertainment Group.

However, in their early twenties, both sisters made the radical decision to walk away from Hollywood acting permanently. Pivoting into high luxury fashion, they founded the internationally acclaimed couture label The Row in 2006, followed by Elizabeth and James. Today, they are multi-CFDA Award-winning fashion titans living fiercely private lives in New York City, famously declining to reprise Michelle in Fuller House to protect their hard-won privacy.

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4. Dave Coulier (Joey Gladstone)

Uncle Joey, with his pastel cartoon character shirts, Mr. Woodchuck puppet, and uncanny cartoon voice impressions, provided the boundless, childlike slapstick humor of the household.

Coulier continued working extensively as a prolific voice actor in celebrated animated series (Robot Chicken, Muppet Babies). In recent years, he has championed sobriety and candidly hosted Full House Rewind, a beloved retrospective podcast celebrating the series. In 2024, Coulier publicly revealed his diagnosis of Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma with characteristic courage and optimism, supported closely by his lifelong brother John Stamos.

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5. Candace Cameron Bure (D.J. Tanner)

As the responsible, fashionable eldest sister navigating high school dating and sisterly squabbles, Candace Cameron was the relatable big sister of 90s television.

After stepping back briefly to raise three children with her husband, former NHL hockey star Valeri Bure, Candace returned as a dominant force in television. She co-hosted ABC's daytime powerhouse The View and became the undisputed "Queen of Christmas Movies," starring in and producing dozens of record-breaking holiday features for the Hallmark Channel and Great American Family network. In 2016, she triumphantly led the five-season run of Fuller House as widowed mother D.J. Tanner-Fuller.

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6. Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Tanner)

Stephanie Tanner—famous for her catchphrase "How rude!", her dance routines, and her middle-child vulnerability—was played with remarkable comedic charm by young prodigy Jodie Sweetin.

Behind the bright lights, Sweetin navigated severe personal struggles with addiction during her twenties. In an inspiring comeback that touched millions, Sweetin achieved long-term recovery, authored the raw 2009 memoir unSweetined, and dedicated herself to public addiction counseling and LGBTQ+ advocacy. She returned to the Tanner living room in Fuller House with renewed grace, continuing to star in television films and reality competition shows.

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7. Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler)

No Full House retrospective is complete without celebrating Kimmy Gibbler. With her bizarre bacon-themed outfits, smelly socks, and uninvited kitchen fridge raids, Andrea Barber turned D.J.'s eccentric best friend into one of the most iconic comedic neighbors in sitcom history.

After the original series concluded, Barber retired from acting entirely, earning a Master's degree in women's studies and working in university administration. When Stamos approached her for Fuller House twenty years later, Barber returned to screen acting, showcasing that her signature eccentric physical comedy hadn't aged a day.

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The House That Love Built

More than three decades after three men walked into a San Francisco townhouse with a baby stroller, Full House remains the gold standard of 1990s comfort television. It taught a generation of children that families don't have to look conventional to be filled with unconditional love.

Through triumphs, private battles, and the profound loss of their patriarch Bob Saget, the bond between the cast remains as unbroken today as it was when the cameras first rolled in 1987. Everywhere you look, their love remains.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: In what year did Full House air on television? A: Full House originally aired on ABC from September 22, 1987, to May 23, 1995, producing 192 episodes across 8 seasons.

Q: Why didn't Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen return for Fuller House? A: The Olsen twins retired from professional acting in their early twenties to focus full-time on their luxury fashion empire (The Row) and declined to return to protect their private lifestyle.

Q: How did Bob Saget pass away? A: Bob Saget passed away on January 9, 2022, from accidental blunt head trauma following an unwitnessed fall in his Orlando hotel room.