Life right now is pretty good for actress Lori Loughlin. In addition to her successful "Garage Sale Mysteries" movie franchise for the Hallmark Channel, season three of her series "When Calls The Heart" for the same network is about to air. And there's also that little show getting a lot of buzz called "Fuller House" for Netflix coming up.
"I feel really, really, lucky. I'm very fortunate," the 51-year-old actress tells Headlines & Global News in an exclusive interview. "Especially given my age I feel very lucky because, especially for actresses, as you get older a lot of work seems to dry up. I feel super lucky, much to my surprise even, I thought for sure it would."
Loughlin has managed to remain a relevant on-screen fixture since her first regular job on "The Edge Of Night" in 1980, but it was the role of Aunt Becky in 1988 on the now iconic series "Full House" that catapulted her into the spotlight and hearts of the country. It's a role she has no problem being forever identified with. "People still come up to me and say, 'Will you be my Aunt Becky?'," she says fondly. "People ask, 'Doesn't that bother you?' Why would it? It's great!"
What can you reveal about the new "Garage Sale Mystery"?
We're really pushing the envelope with this one. It's about a serial killer, which has been really fun. It's about more than one murder, and we've never done anything like that, usually it's one murder and we solve the case. But this one there's multiples, so it's really different and pushes the envelope for the franchise. It's turning out really good.
So it's like "Murder She Wrote" meets "Dexter"?
Yes! But we are staying in the non-gruesome category, we definitely want to keep it that way, and we have some wonderful local actors from Vancouver that are phenomenal in it.
When is the new one airing?
I think this one airs in June, we are in story development and prepping for number seven, and I think we'll go on from there. I don't think we're stopping at number seven. I think we'll get to at least a dozen if not more. It's just great.
What's your secret to success in a tough business?
I think I just got very lucky with the Hallmark Channel embracing actors of all ages. I found a real home with them, I also think women have a long way to go, but more and more we are seeing some role reversal. Even in the world we are seeing older women with younger men, and I'd like to see more of that on screen. To be really honest, if we're going to show it one way, older men with younger women, we should show the other way too. I believe anything goes nowadays, which is great and there doesn't really seem to be a stigma anymore. I'd like to see more of that represented on television; it's kind of nice were seeing different ages together, and racially different people together, it's really broadened, and I believe that's a really good thing.
Doing "Fuller House," did you feel you kind of got to do that final episode you never got when the original series ended?
Well, with this at least there was some thought put into it. When "Full House" went off the air years ago, it was such a sudden blind-siding decision. We really were blindsided, and it just felt like, "wow." John Stamos said in an interview recently that the show could have gone on for at least another two or three years easily. We were in season eight and could've easily gone to a 10th. We were still in the top 10 shows and very successful. It was a very weird decision that came back from the network. I still don't really even understand it, I'm sure money was at the root of it and it came down to some kind of licensing fee or something or the show is just getting too expensive. But it still had legs and was still successful. So it was nice to be able come back and just have that reunion portion was nice, we never really did get a proper closing episode.
How did you feel about the Olsen twins not coming back for "Fuller House" even though there is that little clever "silent" nod to them?
I know that was funny. You know what, we love them and I think the producers would say for sure if it did get picked up for a second season by Netflix, which it probably will, I think the door would always be open to them if they wanted to come back. The flipside is I can see why they might not want to come back. They haven't acted in a long time and spent a lot of time building this very successful clothing franchise. To put it in perspective, they won the CFD Award twice, that's like winning the Academy Award in the world of fashion, they are at the top of their game in fashion, and I can see that they are busy and their lives have gone in different directions. I don't think any of us took it personally. They know we love them, and I'm assuming they love us, and that door will always be open. So I can appreciate they're busy and doing other things and why they wouldn't want to come back.
Well you had your twins boys from the original show back, Blake and Dylan. How was seeing them again and how much did they remember of the original show?
It was crazy, I haven't seen them since they were babies, so it was really cool to see them actually. They're very sweet boys. I can't imagine they have a lot of memories of the show, probably just what they've watched on television. I think when the show went off the air they were about 3 years old, I don't think they remembered much of it other than what they've seen on TV and what their mom probably told them about it.
How was working with the girls again all grown up. Were they still keeping the guys in line on set?
Oh, it was the same; they still had to keep you guys in line. This time it wasn't so much just me because now I felt like I had a support system. Years ago it was me saying, "Guys, the kids are here, guys," but now... We still had fun in getting together doing "Fuller House," it felt like we hadn't missed a beat in anyway.
So fans won't be disappointed?
If you're a "Full House" fan you won't be disappointed in this new Netflix spinoff because it is "Full House" and has the same feel, it's like watching the old show.
How many episodes did you come back for?
We all came back for the first one and for one by ourselves. So John and I did the first one and then we each came back for one, and John, Dave and I are in the last one. Bob couldn't make it for that one because he was doing his show on Broadway.
You also have the distinction of being immortalized in one of those behind-the-scenes "Lifetime" movies. Did you watch that?
I have to say that I love Lifetime. It's a great network, but I don't think I'm really a fan of those movies. They take a lot of liberties, but honestly for a good laugh. I thought it was hilarious. There wasn't a lot of truth in the story at all. It's weird because there was a thing where I come in, and my character says to John, when I get hired for the part, "I got hired for the part," he asks, "What's new?" and I reply "Oh I got married." That was ridiculous. First of all, when I got the job, I wasn't married, I was engaged. John was with me when I tested as they brought me into test with him because he was part of the decision-making process in me getting that part. Then when I finally got married he was a guest at my wedding. So there was stuff like that where I thought this is ridiculous. So I can't find a heck of a lot of truth in that biopic.
They were just trying to explain why you and John never ended up together in real life?
Oh, we just never had good timing, so that's how it worked out.
And now he's your boss on "Fuller House" as a producer?
Yeah, but not really my boss, I'm not under contract or anything. But I love John; I'd be honored to be on any show that he's a part of or producing creatively because he's incredibly talented, incredibly smart. He knows what's right on the page and knows how to translate that to screen. I think he's very gifted, extremely bright, and anytime he's attached to a project I'd be happy to do it.
So when are you appearing on his show "Grandfathered"?
You know, there were some discussions, but the network wanted to go in a different direction so... But yes they were talking about it.
You've said before that people ask you on Twitter to be their aunt Becky. Is it still happening?
Oh yes, people are obsessed with "Full House," so yes, that still happens a lot.
With the spin-off it'll probably happen more. You and John almost broke the Internet when you re-teamed for Jimmy Fallon's show.
That was fun, you know it's funny, I think it was the president of Netflix said something about that because "Full House" has such a fan base and been around for so long, when it gets released on Netflix on Feb. 26 - it gets released globally. I don't even think Netflix knows what they're in for. There's been nothing like this for them before. With a show that has that kind of history and fan base, and it's been around for almost 30 years. It's been on in so many different countries around the world and is now getting released on Netflix worldwide, who knows what that means?
How are you preparing as the show is already getting so much attention?
I know, I think it's gonna have a big impact for Candace [Cameron Bure] and Jodie [Sweetin] and Andrea [Barber] since it's really their show, but I wonder... I wouldn't know what to expect when it's released for me. How do you prepare for something like that? I guess you just have to wait and see what happens.
You might be on Twitter a bunch more.
I guess I'll be tweeting in my sleep [laughs].
