Fans of the beloved sitcom "Full House" learned this week that Bob Saget was not the original actor cast as Danny Tanner, often referred to as "America's Dad." Jodie Sweetin, who portrayed Tanner's daughter Stephanie, shared in a recent podcast interview that John Posey, known for his role in "Teen Wolf," played the part in the show's initial unaired pilot episode.
Saget, who passed away in January 2022 at the age of 65, starred as the widowed father of three from 1987 to 1995 and reprised the role for the 2016-2020 reboot "Fuller House." Sweetin recounted on the "Taboo’s Comics & Kicks" podcast that the pilot was shot with Posey, describing him as "a lovely human being and very sweet and wonderful."
However, Saget remained the "first choice" for the role. At the time of the initial pilot filming, Saget was hosting CBS' "The Morning Program." Show creator Jeff Franklin had to advocate strongly to reshoot the pilot with Saget. Sweetin explained that once Saget's schedule opened up, "we reshot the entire pilot."
"He [Franklin] was like, 'I just know it. I just know this is who we need as the dad,'" Sweetin said, adding, "And he was right."
The original "Full House" series centered on Danny Tanner, a widowed news reporter who enlists the help of his best friends, Joey Gladstone and Jesse Katsopolis, to help raise his three daughters after his wife's death in a car crash. The series propelled its main cast, including Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier, to widespread fame.
Saget was also widely recognized for hosting "America's Funniest Home Videos" from 1989 to 1997. Beyond his family-friendly roles, he was also known for his adult-oriented stand-up comedy and released a memoir titled "Dirty Daddy" in 2014.
Saget was found unresponsive in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Williamsburg, near Orange County, Florida, on January 9, 2022. An autopsy report released subsequently indicated that Saget had sustained blunt head trauma to the back of his head, likely from an accidental fall, which led to a subdural hematoma while he was sleeping. On the day of his death, Saget had posted on Instagram reflecting positively on his recent stand-up performances in Florida. He mentioned his return to comedy and expressed his enjoyment of the craft. He is survived by his wife, Kelly Rizzo, and his three daughters.