The Age Comparison of Full House's Main Cast to Fuller House

The Legacy of Full House and the Arrival of Fuller House

Nearly 30 years after the Tanner family first appeared on television in Full House in 1987, its sequel hit Netflix, showing how much the Fuller House cast and characters had grown up from the original. When it first premiered, Full House was a hit for ABC, introducing one of the most beloved families in sitcom history and launching cast members into stardom. The original series followed a newly-widowed father of three young girls and his attempts to raise them alongside his brother-in-law and their best friend. Fuller House kept the same premise, this time centering around DJ, the oldest of the three Tanner daughters, and her three sons. As a family show, Full House had cast members of all ages, who, along with the audiences, were able to grow up with the series during its 8 seasons. A new generation was able to do the same when Fuller House premiered in 2016 and ran for 5 seasons, introducing a new cast of young stars while bringing back familiar faces. While not everyone from Full House returned for Fuller House, viewers were able to see most of the main cast and how they had grown, aged, and changed since the late 80s and early 90s when the sitcom was airing.

Bob Saget As Danny Tanner In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

The Age Comparison of the Main Cast

Bob Saget, who played Danny Tanner, was 31 when Full House premiered, just a year older than his character. In Fuller House, Saget was almost 60, reflecting the aging process of both actor and character. Candace Cameron Bure, who played D.J. Tanner, was 11 when she started playing 10-year-old D.J. In Fuller House, she took the leading role at nearly 40, mirroring the growth of her character. Jodie Sweetin, who portrayed Stephanie Tanner, was the same age as her character when Full House premiered and remained the same age as Stephanie in Fuller House. The Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, were only six months old when they were cast as baby Michelle Tanner in Full House. They grew up with Michelle and left acting to become full-time designers, not returning for Fuller House. John Stamos, as Uncle Jesse, and the other cast members also aged alongside their characters, creating a nostalgic link between the two series.

Candace Cameron Bure As DJ Tanner In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

A nostalgic journey through the ages of the beloved cast members of Full House and how their characters' ages compared to their real ages in Fuller House.

Candace Cameron Bure was born on April 6, 1976, making her 11 when she first began playing 10-year-old D.J. Tanner in Full House. Full House season 3, episode 13, “13 Candles,” which aired on February 9, 1990, saw DJ turning 13, confirming that she was born in 1977. A nearly 40-year-old Cameron Bure took the leading role in Fuller House, with D.J.’s tragedy mirroring that of Danny’s in Full House. Fuller House season 2 dropped at the end of 2016 and featured D.J.’s 39th birthday, keeping the actress and character about one year apart in age.

Stephanie Tanner was 5 years old during Full House season 1, placed perfectly in the middle between her 10-year-old big sister and baby sister. Jodie Sweetin was born on January 19, 1982, making her the same age as her character when Full House premiered on September 22, 1987. In Full House season 5, episode 16, which aired on January 14, 1992, pop singer Tommy Page performed at Stephanie’s 10th birthday party, making her just barely older than Sweetin. When Full House ended in 1995, the character and actress were just 13, and during Fuller House season 1, both Sweetin and Stephanie were 34.

Jodie Sweetin As Stephanie Tanner In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, famously known as the Olsen twins, were born on June 13, 1986, and were only six months old when they were cast as baby Michelle Tanner in Full House. Though not identical twins, they shared the role of Michelle for 8 seasons to keep the production in compliance with child labor laws. The Olsen twins grew up with Michelle, making them the same age as their character. After 8 years on Full House and spending their whole childhoods acting in their own projects, they left acting behind in adulthood.

Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen As Michelle Tanner Full House Side By Side.jpg

John Stamos began acting on television with a role on the soap opera General Hospital and his role as Uncle Jesse in Full House cemented him as a heartthrob. Stamos was 24 when Full House aired its pilot episode, but it wasn’t until season 2, episode 20, “I’m There for You, Babe,” when Jesse turned 26, that the character’s age was stated. The episode aired on April 14, 1989, suggesting that Jesse was born in 1963, the same year as Stamos, making him the same age as his character. Stamos was almost 53 at the time season 1 came out, meaning Jesse was once again around that same age. Jesse being about 4 years younger than Danny works perfectly for their dynamic as brothers-in-law and helps paint Jesse as the fun, younger uncle.

John Stamos As Uncle Jesse In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

The Full House pilot premiered the day after Dave Coulier, who played Uncle Joey, turned 28. Unlike many other Full House characters, Uncle Joey’s birthday was never celebrated in the series, though it can be assumed that he was close to Danny’s age as they were childhood best friends. This makes him about a year older than Coulier, who was born on September 21, 1959. Coulier was 56 when Fuller House began, which would have made Joey around 57.

Dave Coulier As Uncle Joey In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

Lori Loughlin joined the cast of Full House in season 2 as Danny’s morning show co-host and Jesse’s love interest. She was born on July 28, 1964, a year after her on-screen husband. Like Uncle Joey, Rebecca “Becky” Donaldson’s birthday is never celebrated in Full House and her age is never explicitly stated. However, it can be assumed that she is around the same age as her character through her relationship with Jesse and her friendship with Danny as his younger coworker. As she was almost 52 during Fuller House season 1, Becky was likely around that age as well in the sequel series.

Lori Loughlin As Aunt Becky Donaldson In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

Andrea Barber was born on July 3, 1976 and recurred as Kimmy Gibbler for Full House seasons 1 through 4 before being promoted to the main cast for the rest of the series. Kimmy’s 16th birthday is the subject of Full House season 6, episode 14, “Birthday Blues,” which aired on January 19, 1993 and suggests she was born at the beginning of 1977. This makes Kimmy and her best friend, D.J., the same age, just as Barber is the same age as Cameron Bure. Barber was 39 during Fuller House season 1, making Kimmy around 38.

Andrea Barber As Kimmy Gibbler In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

Scott Weinger didn’t join the Full House cast as Steve until the end of season 5 when he was 16 years old. Weinger was born on October 5, 1975 and played D.J.'s boyfriend who was a grade above her. This would mean Steve was born sometime in 1976, as D.J. and Kimmy were born in 1977, making Weinger a year older than his character. Though they broke up again between the two series, D.J. and Steve end up together in Fuller House, where his character would have been about 40 when 41-year-old Weinger joined the main cast in season 2.

Scott Weinger As Scott Hale In Full House & Fuller House Side By Side.jpg

Conclusion

The journey from Full House to Fuller House was not just a continuation of the story, but a reflection of the passage of time for the beloved cast members. As the original viewers grew up, so did the characters they had come to love, creating a timeless connection between the two series. The legacy of Full House lives on in the hearts of fans, and the arrival of Fuller House brought a new wave of nostalgia and appreciation for the beloved sitcom family.