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Stars of 'Full House': Then and Now

full house - season 1
Bob D'Amico/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
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Stars of 'Full House': Then and Now

By Emily Krauser

12:02 PM PDT, May 22, 2020

Everywhere you look, Full House is! The family favorite sitcom debuted in 1987, and it's hard to believe that May 23 marks 25 years since the ABC sitcom left airwaves. Though we saw many of the original cast members come back on the Netflix revival series, Fuller House, we're taking a look back to see how all of the Tanner family and their friends have grown up in the years since the show ended.

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Bob Saget: Then

bob saget - season 1 of full house
Bob D'Amico/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Wake up with Danny Tanner, San Francisco! The stand-up comedian portrayed the father of the house, a morning talk show host and clean freak taking care of his three daughters as a single dad after his wife, Pam, died in a car accident. 


Bob Saget: Now

Bob Saget in 2019
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

After the sitcom wrapped, Saget continued his comedy career. His stand-up special That's What I'm Talkin' About was nominated for a GRAMMY, and in 2014, he wrote a memoir called Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian, which became a bestseller. The 64-year-old actor also hosted America's Funniest Home Videos, which actually started during Full House's original run. Saget returned as Danny Tanner for Fuller House, though he wasn't the star of the show. Still, Danny was an important presence as D.J. took on a full house of her own in the Netflix revival. Previously married to Sherri Kramer, with whom he shares three daughters, Saget wed Kelly Rizzo in 2018.


John Stamos: Then

john stamos full house s1
Bob D'Amico/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

The hunky actor and singer starred as Danny Tanner's brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis, who moved in with the Tanners to help raise his three nieces. A bad boy with a heart of gold, Jesse also memorably sang with the Beach Boys. Have mercy! Before landing his role on Full House, John starred on Dreams, You Again? and General Hospital.


John Stamos: Now

john stamos in 2019
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

Yep, his hair is still great! The 56-year-old actor continued to steal hearts on the small screen, appearing on Thieves, Jake in Progress, ER, Glee, The New Normal, Necessary Roughness and Grandfathered. He served as the self-appointed captain for Fuller House, signing on to produce the series and announcing many of the casting confirmations on his social media accounts. He wed Caitlin McHugh in 2018, and the pair welcomed son Billy that same year.


Dave Coulier: Then

dave coulier on full house in 1987
Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives

The Canadian actor eventually became just as famous for being called out in one of ex Alanis Morissette's songs, but first, he made us all laugh as actor Joey Gladstone. Uncle Joey was Danny Tanner's childhood best friend who also moves in to help raise the three girls.


Dave Coulier: Now

dave coulier in 2017
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

Cut it out! Much like Bob Saget, Coulier hosted shows as well, namely America's Most Talented Kid. He's also popped up on reality TV on The Surreal Life, Skating With Celebrities and Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition. As he did before starring on Full House, the 60-year-old comedian continued to voice characters for TV shows like Extreme Ghostbusters, China, IL and Robot Chicken, In 2014, he wed photographer Melissa Bring, and many of his Full House co-stars attended the nuptials. He has one son, Luc, from a previous marriage to Jayne Modean. Coulier returned for Fuller House and directed some episodes of the Netflix series, and he most recently appeared on an episode of Dollface as his himself.


Candace Cameron Bure: Then

candace cameron bure on season 1 of full house
Craig Sjodin/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

The bubbly blonde starred as the eldest Tanner sister, Donna Jo, better known as D.J. The younger sister of Kirk Cameron, the '90s teen heartthrob who starred in Growing Pains, Candace had acted in commercials, guest roles on Alice, St. Elsewhere and Who's the Boss? and 1987's Some Kind of Wonderful before scoring the role of D.J. at age 11.


Candace Cameron Bure: Now

Candace Cameron Bure in nyc on 1/21
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Now 44, Candace continued to act after Full House ended, taking on guest roles on sitcoms as well as parts in quite a few TV movies, especially on the Hallmark Channel, as well as a starring role on Make It or Break It. She also played the eponymous role in over a dozen Aurora Teagarden Mystery movies and competed in season 18 of Dancing With the Stars. She returned to the role of D.J. in the Full House revival on Netflix, Fuller House, which revolved around her character as an adult with three children of her own. In 1996, she wed NHL pro Valeri Bure, and the pair have three kids together.


Jodie Sweetin: Then

jodie sweetin on full house in 1987
Bob D'Amico/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

The Los Angeles native was five when she was cast as snarky middle sister Stephanie Tanner on Full House. She became nearly synonymous with her character's catchphrase, "How rude!"


Jodie Sweetin: Now

jodie sweetin in october 2019
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

After Full House, the actress graduated from Los Alamitos High School and went on to Chapman University, both in California. Sweetin, now 38, went through a notoriously tough time following child star fame and endured a 15-year substance abuse issue that started shortly after Full House ended, which she chronicled in her 2009 memoir, unSweetined. She got sober in December 2008 and went on to work as a clinical logistics coordinator at a drug rehab center in L.A. and became an advocate for addiction and recovery. She appeared on reality TV shows, hosting Fuse's Pants-Off Dance-Off competition and competing on Dancing With the Stars in 2016, and acted in indie films, the web show Can't Get Arrested and the 2017 docu-comedy Hollywood Darlings. In 2015, she reprised her role of Stephanie Tanner on Fuller House (the series will wrap in June 2020), and she began co-hosting a parenting podcast called Never Thought I'd Say This in 2019. In her personal life, she has two daughters -- Zoie, from her marriage to ex Cody Herpin, and Beatrix, from her marriage to ex Morty Coyle -- and ended a 14-month engagement to Justin Hodak in 2017. 


Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Then

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in season 1 of full house
Bob D'Amico/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

You got it, dudes! The adorable Olsen twins were just six months old when they were cast to play the rambunctious youngest Tanner daughter, Michelle. The role made them instant child stars and during their Full House run, they also starred in The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley shorts and TV movies like To Grandmother's House We Go, Double, Double Toil and Trouble and How the West Was Fun.


Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Now

Mary-kate and ashley olsen in 2018
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards

The twins continued to star in movies together, including a slew before turning 18 like It Takes Two, Our Lips Are Sealed, Holiday in Rome and New York Minute. They also starred in two short-lived series, Two of a Kind and So Little Time. Though Mary-Kate took on a recurring role on Weeds and has reportedly considered a return to acting, aside from small roles here and there, both women have largely opted to stay out of the Hollywood spotlight. After briefly attending NYU for college, the now 33-year-olds embarked on successful fashion careers, designing the lines Elizabeth and James and The Row. As for their personal lives, Ashley is dating artist Louis Eisner, while Mary-Kate and her husband, Olivier Sarkozy, split in May 2020 after five years of marriage.


Lori Loughlin: Then

lori loughlin on full house in 1989
Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives

You can't have Uncle Jesse without Aunt Becky! Loughlin starred as Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis, Danny Tanner's Wake Up, San Francisco co-host who would go on to marry Jesse and welcome twin boys on the show. 


Lori Loughlin: Now

lori loughlin in 2018
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

After Full House, the 55-year-old actress continued to have a very steady small-screen career. She played Jody Travis on The Edge of Night, Debbie Wilson on 90210 and co-created, produced and starred in Summerland. She also became a Hallmark Channel regular, playing Jennifer Shannon in the Garage Sale Mystery series and Abigail Stanton on When Calls the Heart and reprised her role as Aunt Becky on Fuller House. Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli wed in 1997 and have two daughters, Isabella and Olivia, with Olivia becoming famous on YouTube as an influencer. The husband-and-wife duo have since become notorious with the 2019 college admissions scandal, which has overshadowed Loughlin's career; she was dropped from both When Calls the Heart and Fuller House after the scandal came to light.


Andrea Barber: Then

andrea barber on full house in 1991
Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives

The California-born actress became everyone's (least) favorite neighbor, Kimmy Gibler, whom the Tanner family was stuck with because she also happened to be D.J.'s clueless BFF. Full House was not Barber's first acting role -- before landing the role of Kimmy, she appeared on Days of Our Lives, Fantasy Island, St. Elsewhere and The Twilight Zone, among other '80s shows.


Andrea Barber: Now

Andrea Barber in november 2019
Jim Spellman/Getty Images

Barber, 43, continued her education after Full House wrapped. She graduated from Whittier College in California and went on to earn her master's degree. She returned to acting to once again play Kimmy Gibler on Fuller House, helping her newly widowed best friend, D.J., cope with life as a single mom. Barber wed Jeremy Rytky in 2002 but they divorced in 2014; they share two children, a daughter named Felicity and a son named Tate.


tags:

  • Mary Kate Olsen
  • John Stamos
  • Bob Saget
  • Ashley Olsen
News

Cast of 'Home Improvement': Then and Now

Cast of 'Home Improvement': Then and Now
ABC
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Cast of 'Home Improvement': Then and Now

6:00 PM PDT, September 15, 2016

The beloved Tim Allen-starring sitcom debuted on Sept. 17, 1991, and went on for eight seasons on ABC. Check out what the cast looked like back then and where they are today!

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'Home Improvement'

ABC
Can you believe it's been 25 years since the ABC sitcom debuted? Home Improvement made its way into households for the first time on Sept. 17, 1991, and we couldn't be happier that Tim Allen brought the Taylor family into our lives! Click through to take a look at what the cast looked like in the early '90s and find out where they are today.

Tim Allen: Then

ABC
Allen as Tim Taylor

Home Improvement was based on the comedian's stand-up and went on to become one of the highest-rated sitcoms of the '90s. The show revolved around Tim Taylor and his family -- wife Jill, and sons Brad, Randy, and Mark -- their lives in suburban Detroit, Michigan, and Tim's show-within-a-show, Tool Time.

Tim Allen: Now

ABC
The 63-year-old actor still does stand-up but has stayed firmly in the sitcom world. His current show, Last Man Standing, is entering its sixth season on ABC. He's also starred in a ton of movies, most famously in The Santa Clause franchise, 2007's Wild Hogs, and 1998's Galaxy Quest. Allen is also the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies, the fourth of which is set to hit theaters in 2018.

Patricia Richardson: Then

ABC
Richardson as Jill Taylor, Tim's wife

Patricia Richardson: Now

Getty Images
The 65-year-old actress continued to find success on TV, starring as Dr. Andy Campbell on Strong Medicine from 2002 through 2005. She also had a guest arc on The West Wing and has popped up on Allen's current sitcom, Last Man Standing. Earlier this year, she performed in a stage version of Steel Magnolias, and she currently serves on the National and Local Los Angeles Boards of SAG-AFTRA. Richardson is also mom to three kids, son Henry and twins Roxanne and Joseph.

Zachery Ty Bryan: Then

ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images
Bryan as oldest son Brad

Zachery Ty Bryan: Now

Instagram
Though Bryan never had the same success as he did as a kid star on Home Improvement, you've seen him pop up plenty over the years. His last acting credit was in 2009, but he's had guest spots on Veronica Mars, Smallville, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, plus a part in 2003's The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift. So what is he up to now? These days, the 34-year-old is a doting family man, enjoying time with his wife, Carly Matros, and their three daughters, 2-year-old twins Gemma and Taylor and 3-month-old Jordana. While the 34-year-old actor doesn't make many red carpet appearances, he does post a ton of shirtless selfies on Instagram that you may be interested in...

Jonathan Taylor Thomas: Then

ABC
Thomas as middle son Randy (yes, he really did look that much like Tim Allen back in the day!)

Jonathan Taylor Thomas: Now

ABC
If you were a tween in the '90s, then the letters JTT mean a lot to you: Thomas was a bonafide tween hearthrob, gracing countless Tiger Beat and Teen Bop covers. Thomas, now 35, left the ABC sitcom in 1998 to focus on school, and he would go on to study at Harvard, St. Andrews, and Columbia. He didn't stop acting entirely, however, popping up in guest roles on Veronica Mars, 8 Simple Rules, and Last Man Standing.

Taran Noah Smith: Then

ABC
Smith as youngest son Mark

Taran Noah Smith: Now

Getty Images
Smith, 32, hasn't acted since Home Improvement ended in 1999, but he did stay in the public eye for a couple of years after due to a couple of controversies. He sued his parents for control of his $1.5 million trust fund in 2001, the same year he married vegan chef Heidi van Pelt. Smith was 17 at the time, while van Pelt was 33. The two filed for divorced in 2007. He now lives on a sailboat in Sausalito, California. 

Richard Karn: Then

ABC
Karn as Al Borland

Richard Karn: Now

Getty Images
From Tool Time sidekick to game show host! After retiring his Home Improvement catchphrase, "I don't think so, Tim," Karn went on to host Family Feud from 2002 to 2005 and Bingo America in 2008. He still acts, regularly appearing in TV movies and, like much of the Home cast, he's made a cameo on Last Man Standing. Karn, now 60, actually had his own short-lived DIY show last year on truTV, appropriately called You Karn Fix It Yourself, and will next appear in the flick F*&% the Prom in 2017. He and wife Tudi Roche have one son, Cooper.

Earl Hindman: Then

ABC
Hindman as Wilson Wilson, Jr.

Earl Hindman: Now

WireImage
Before playing the Taylor's beloved neighbor Wilson -- whose face we never saw -- the actor was known for villainous roles, thanks to parts in two 1974 movies, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and The Parallax View, and for part as Bob Reid on the soap Ryan's Hope between 1975 and 1989. Hindman died in 2003 of lung cancer.

Debbe Dunning: Then

Getty Images
Dunning as Tool Time girl Heidi Keppert

(Fun fact: Pamela Anderson played Tool Time girl Lisa for the first two seasons before leaving for Baywatch in 1992.)

Debbe Dunning: Now

Getty Images
Dunning's biggest acting role was on Home Improvement. After the show ended, she had a cameo on The Jamie Fox Show in 1999 and appeared in 2000's The Spiral Staircase, 2002's Now You Know, and 2006's Wicked Wicked Games. Following a 10-year hiatus, she returned to TV this year in the pilot for The Prophet. The 50-year-old actress and model has two kids with her husband, volleyball player Steve Timmons -- 9-year-old daughter Spencer and 6-year-old son Stony.

Pamela Anderson: Then

ABC
Pamela Anderson as Tool Time girl Lisa

Pamela Anderson: Now

Getty Images
Anderson doesn't exactly need any introductions. Arguably the most famous name to come out of Home Improvement, the Playboy model and animal rights activist left the sitcom after two seasons to star in Baywatch, the show that put her on the map. Today, the 49-year-old actress is the proud mom of two sons with ex Tommy Lee, 20-year-old Brandon and 18-year-old Dylan; recently put out a photo book, Raw; and most recently appeared in the Argentinian film The People Garden. She will also make an appearance in next year's big screen Baywatch movie.

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