‘Full House’ star Candace Cameron Bure shares why the Olsen twins were show’s secret sauce

Candace Cameron Bure, the Full House alum and author of four self-help books including Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose, which, you may wish to know before purchasing a copy, is not a tell-all exposé of clown college, stopped by the Hey Dude… The 90s Called! podcast recently to chat with Christine Taylor and David Lascher.

During the conversation, the actress floated her theory as to why Full House clicked, and continues to click, with audiences more so than other similar shows of the era.

“Aside from it being an unconventional family,” she said, explaining, “like, that’s what people related to, having a mom or a dad or grandparents raising them, or aunts or uncles, like, that felt familiar to a lot of people — but we were one of the first [shows] to have a baby on the show that actually stayed a baby, like, grew up on the show. Because usually they have a baby and then cut to a 5-year-old the next [season].”

Bure continued, “We were the first show. Mary-Kate and Ashley [Olsen] were on at 9 months old, and they stayed on the show for eight years, so you literally saw them grow up. Anyway, that’s my theory.”

The Olsen twins, of course, split duties as the youngest Tanner sibling, Michelle.

Then she slipped in one more thought. “And [Uncle Jesse] never goes out of style. Everyone loves John [Stamos].”

It is indeed true that other shows from the era would fudge the ages of child performers, particularly newborns. Bure may not have meant it as a slight, but one of the more notable offenders was Growing Pains, which costarred her brother, Kirk Cameron.

The baby character on that show, Chrissy Seaver, was born at the beginning of season 4, magically became a toddler the next season, and then in season 6 was 5 years old. They grow up so fast!

Another example was Family Ties, in which young Andy Keaton jumped from infancy to around 4 between the fourth and fifth season of the show.

Luckily there’s one television baby who will always remain a baby: Maggie Simpson. This kid’s been sucking on a pacifier for over 35 years. You figure by now someone would say something?

Anyhow, when asked if Bure is still pals with Mary-Kate and/or Ashley Olsen, she said no, not really.

“We don’t keep in touch often, but once a year — the anniversary of Bob [Saget]’s death, which sounds so morbid, but it’s beautiful in that we always have a text moment. It’s about once a year, but other than that, they’re really private people.”

Indeed, the Olsen twins, who have retired from acting, both declined to take part in the Netflix sequel Fuller House. Producers actually approached the other Olsen sister, Elizabeth, hoping she might want to slip into the role of Michelle Tanner, but this did not go over so well. (“This has nothing to do with me,” Olsen said when repeatedly asked by press if she’d join the cast.) Instead, the writers had Michelle living in New York City, away from the story.

For more of Candace Cameron Bure on Hey Dude… The 90s Called! you can click on the link below, then you can get back to reading The Brothers Karamazov.