‘Full House’: Is John Posey Still Mad About Getting Booted From The Famed Sitcom?
Full House is a television icon. The sitcom launched the careers of several household names, but could you imagine the show with a different cast member? It almost happened. Bob Saget played the iconic father in the show for the entirety of its run, but he replaced John Posey as Danny Tanner at the last minute. Posey, still a working actor, never became a household name, but is he still bitter about losing the starring role in such a classic TV show?
How did John Posey get replaced on Full House?
Hollywood moves quick, and it can be ruthless. How Posey was axed from Full House followed that script. A phone call, and then a bunch of radio silence followed. Without anyone saying anything, Posey knew he was replaced.
Posey recalled the moment he found out he lost the show to Yahoo!. According to Posey, he was on his way to California to begin his new life as a sitcom star, when he got a page. When he called his agent, he was informed that they were testing another actor for the pilot that he had just shot. He said his agent told him they were testing someone else out. He recalled saying; “What are you talking about? Why would they do that?” Posey went on to recall; “I didn’t know at the time that he was the guy that they originally wanted, that he was just unavailable. I guess something opened up for him.”
In the weeks that followed, Posey attempted to follow up. After all, he figured, the second pilot had only been filmed. He assumed he was still in the running, but silence followed each follow-up phone call. Eventually, Saget would go on to star on the show that would become a classic.
Why did he get replaced on the sitcom?
Simply put, Posey was never the network’s first choice. According to industry rumors, they had wanted to work with either Bob Saget or Paul Reiser on the show. Reiser had already committed to My Two Dads by the time the Full House pilot was being shot, according to Pop Sugar.
Saget, on the other hand, was working on a morning show and could not commit. To make the show happen, talent agents scoured their Rolodex to find someone who could fit the bill. Posey, at the time, was working in troupe comedy and was seen by a casting agent who liked him. He was pulled to California to read for the part, and allegedly they loved him.
Admittedly, Posey had minimal experience on sitcoms at that point. The syrupy-sweet nature of the show didn’t jive with his expertise either, but regardless, the team liked him. He was going to be good enough until Saget’s schedule opened up. Once the second pilot was filmed, it became apparent that Saget was a better fit.
Is he still mad about losing out on the Full House fame?
While Posey never became the massive star he would have been with Full House, he’s done okay for himself. Posey refers to himself as a “blue-collar actor.” In his interview with Yahoo!, he noted that being Danny Tanner would have certainly made his life more comfortable. It surely would have made his finances much more stable, but he notes that he’s made an excellent living without it.
He’s gone on to appear in several significant sitcoms, including Seinfeld. Posey played a doctor in an episode in which George is convinced he is having a heart attack. He’s also appeared on How to Get Away with Murder and Teen Wolf.
