Full House might not be hailed as one of the best sitcoms of all time by many, but I have always been a massive fan of the show. I used to watch it every night on Nick at Nite and even own the entire series on DVD. I’ve always adored the Tanners and their extended family and can’t imagine any of them being played by any other actors; but it turns out that Lori Loughlin almost didn’t get to play Aunt Becky.
A majority of the Full House cast reunited at ‘90s Con in Connecticut and appeared on a panel discussing the show. During the panel, John Stamos shared his experience with the show’s creator, Jeff Franklin, when it came to casting Aunt Becky, aka his eventual long-term love interest on the show.
Lori came on at first, and I was like — I think we did some readings together before. I told [series creator] Jeff [Franklin], ‘I don’t know. She’s cute, and she’s adorable. I don’t think she’s tough enough to put Jesse in his place.’
Good casting can make or break a project, especially when it comes to the chemistry between two actors who are playing characters that are romantically linked. At the time, Full House wasn’t considered a hit by any means, so it makes sense that Stamos would want to get the casting right to ensure the show would continue.
While Stamos’ Uncle Jesse and Lori Loughlin’s Aunt Becky eventually became the best couple on the show, their relationship wasn’t always a walk in the park. Jesse was instantly smitten with Becky, as he was with most women on the show, but the same was not true for her character. Thus, it was important that Loughlin be able to play off Stamos’s character in order to build up that will-they, won’t-they tension.
Thankfully, the show’s creator didn’t listen to Stamos and did go on to cast Loughlin in the role. In turn, the When Calls the Heart actress proved Stamos wrong and put him and his character in his place on the first day of set.
Scene one, she came and she put me in my place fast. She had the perfect combination of this adorable, sweet girl. But, when it was time for me to get in trouble, you had no problem [playing] that out.
For those who don’t remember, Jesse meets Becky at the Tanner house and instantly tries to hit on her. Unlike most of the women who swoon at his feet, Becky challenged Jesse’s flirting attempts and even compared him to her baby brother, which gutted him. However, despite Becky’s apprehensions, she did end up falling for Jesse’s charm, and the two got together (for the first time) during the second season’s Christmas episode.
Hiring Loughlin turned out to be one of the best decisions, and the show steadily started to grow its fan base. It’s wild to think that she was initially only hired for six episodes and went on to become a fan favorite character. It turns out Aunt Becky was the missing piece all along.
All eight seasons are available to Hulu subscribers. And if you’re a true Aunt Becky fan, you’ll check out Loughlin’s new Hallmark Christmas movie, What if Christmas, which premiered on the 2026 TV Schedule and can be streamed now on the Hallmark Plus app.
