Veteran actor John Posey played Danny Tanner in the original unaired pilot of “Full House.”
“We shot an entire pilot, actually, with a different dad, with John Posey, who was a lovely human being and very sweet and wonderful,” Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on the show, shared on a recent episode of Black Eyed Peas rapper Taboo’s “Taboo’s Comics & Kicks” podcast.
But Bob Saget “was the first choice” to play Danny, Sweetin said.
Jodie Sweetin (seen above) spoke on the “Taboo’s Comics & Kicks” podcast about how John Posey played Danny Tanner in the original unaired pilot of “Full House.” Taboo’s Comics & Kicks/YouTube
Sweetin (pictured above on the podcast) called Posey “a lovely human being.” Taboo’s Comics & Kicks/YouTube
“So when he was no longer doing the show that was conflicting with ‘Full House,’ we reshot the entire pilot,” the actress explained, referring to Saget’s commitment to host CBS’ “The Morning Program.”
Sweetin, 44, said creator Jeff Franklin “had to fight so hard” to reshoot the pilot because it was so expensive.
“He was like, ‘I just know it. I just know this is who we need as the dad,’” she recalled. “And he was right.”
Sweetin explained that Saget (seen above in “Full House”) was cast in the sitcom after his schedule freed up. ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Sweetin said they “reshot the entire pilot” after Saget replaced Posey (who is seen above at the “London Calling” premiere in Los Angeles in 2025). Variety via Getty Images
Saget played the widowed Tanner family patriarch in all eight seasons of “Full House.”
The actor died on Jan. 9, 2022, at age 65.
He was found dead in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida, and his autopsy report revealed his death was “the result of blunt head trauma” after suffering bleeding and contusions to his brain.
In “Full House,” aside from Sweetin, Candace Cameron Bure and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen played Danny’s other daughters, D.J. and Michelle Tanner.
The show also starred John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Lori Loughlin and Andrea Barber.
Saget (seen above in the show with Sweetin and Candace Cameron Bure) played Danny Tanner in all eight seasons of “Full House.” Courtesy Everett Collection
Saget (pictured above) starred alongside Sweetin, Cameron Bure, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, John Stamos, Dave Coulier and Lori Loughlin. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Posey, meanwhile, is best known for starring in “Teen Wolf” with his son, Tyler Posey.
The 70-year-old’s other TV credits include “Cheers,” “ER,” “Boston Legal,” “Criminal Minds,” “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Better Call Saul.”
Posey previously spoke about his audition process for “Full House” in a 2014 Yahoo! interview.
“From what I was told, they were looking all over the country for people and couldn’t find a guy, although I later found out that Bob Saget and Paul Reiser were the two guys they were after first, and they were both unavailable,” Posey explained, noting both actors “were obligated to other shows,” so they couldn’t be in the sitcom.
Posey added, “How you go from those guys to me is kind of a mystery, because we couldn’t be more different.”
Saget (seen above with the cast) died in January 2022 at age 65. Courtesy Everett Collection
Posey (seen above at the “Bandit” premiere in September 2022) said in 2014 he had “never spoken” to Saget. Getty Images
After shooting the pilot, Posey said he learned that ABC had tested Saget for the role and chosen him instead.
At the time of the interview, Posey said he’d “never spoken” to Saget, who died eight years later.
“John Stamos is a friend. Dave Coulier is a friend,” Posey shared. “I know that the young girls were all a little bit shattered when it happened because we developed a pretty good relationship.”
Posey (pictured above in 2019) is best known for starring in “Teen Wolf” with his son, Tyler Posey. Getty Images
Saget (pictured above at the “MacGruber” premiere in December 2021) was beloved by all his “Full House” co-stars. Getty Images
Cameron Bure, in particular, “was very upset” about the recasting, according to Posey.
“It was hard for the kids to have to do this all over again with somebody they didn’t know,” Posey stated.
The “Full House” cast remained close after the show finished airing in 1995.
They all attended Saget’s funeral in 2022.