Bob Saget replaced veteran actor as Danny Tanner on ‘Full House’

Entertainment‘Full House’ nearly went forward with another actor as Danny TannerJohn Posey filmed the original “Full House” pilot as Danny Tanner before Bob Saget took over the role. (Pictured: Bob Saget, from left, Dave Coulier and John Stamos, winners of the award for favorite premium comedy series for "Fuller House," pose in the press room at the People's Choice Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in Los Angeles.) (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)Jordan Strauss/Invision/APBefore Bob Saget became one of television’s most recognizable sitcom fathers, “Full House” filmed an entire pilot episode with another actor playing Danny Tanner.Actor John Posey originally took on the role after scheduling conflicts prevented Saget from joining the cast, according to comments made by Jodie Sweetin on the “Taboo’s Comics & Kicks” podcast, as reported by Page Six.After Saget and Paul Reiser proved unavailable, producers conducted a nationwide search that led them to Posey. The production shot an entire pilot with him in the lead role.Once Saget became free from his CBS hosting duties, series creator Jeff Franklin pushed to replace Posey despite the expense of reshooting. Sweetin recalled that Franklin had to fight for the change.“He was like, ‘I just know it. I just know this is who we need as the dad,’” Sweetin said. “And he was right.”ABC tested Saget for the role after the original pilot was completed and decided to move forward with him instead of Posey. The switch proved difficult for the young cast members, with Candace Cameron Bure particularly upset about building a new relationship with a different actor, according to Posey’s 2014 interview about the transition.Sweetin described Posey as a “lovely human being” during her podcast appearance.Saget played the widowed father for all eight seasons of “Full House,” which aired until 1995. He died at age 65 on Jan. 9, 2022, following blunt head trauma in an Orlando, Florida, hotel room. The cast remained close over the decades and all attended Saget’s funeral, Page Six noted.Posey, now 70, later became known for his work on “Teen Wolf” alongside his son, Tyler Posey. He has appeared in series including “ER,” “Better Call Saul” and “Cheers.”Megan Sims is a viral reporter for cleveland.com and a Cleveland native. She covers topics ranging from celebrity news, national business news, social media and more. Previously, Megan covered various lifestyle...This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.