| Lori Loughlin | |
| |
| General information | |
| Birth: | July 28, 1964, Queens, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s): | Actress, model, producer |
| Series information | |
| First appearance: | Tanner vs. Gibbler |
| Last appearance: | Full House: Michelle Rides Again (Part 2) Fuller House: Fullers in a Fog |
| Portrays: | Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis |
| Other information | |
| Spouse: | Mossimo Giannulli (m.1997) |
| Education: | Hauppauge High School |
Lori Anne Loughlin (pronounced: LOCK-lin) is an American actress who played the role of Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis in Full House and in Fuller House (with guest-starring appearances). She also starred in the spin-off series 90210, and the Hallmark family drama series When Calls the Heart.
Early life and education[]
Loughlin was born in Queens, New York and moved with her family to Long Island. First, she lived in Oceanside, New York, where she attended Oaks Public Elementary School #3, and then Hauppauge, New York, where she attended Hauppauge High School.
Career[]
She began her career at age 12 as a print model. During her early teen years, she appeared in television commercials and was frequently seen in national print ads like the Sears catalog and Bradlees weekly flyers. In 1979, she received her first recognizable national television exposure playing a cheerleader with a cast on her leg in a Tab Cola commercial.
At the age of 15, Loughlin was cast on ABC's soap opera The Edge of Night, playing the part of Jody Travis, an aspiring dancer. In 1982, she and The Edge of Night competed against other ABC daytime soaps (Ryan's Hope, All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital) on Family Feud.[1]
After three-and-a-half years, prompted by the urging of Joel Crothers, Loughlin decided to try her luck in feature films and television. She came back to ABC when she was cast on the sitcom Full House playing the role of Rebecca Donaldson, who was Danny Tanner's co-host from work and Jesse Katsopolis's love interest. Her character went from recurring to regular as Rebecca and Jesse married on the show, and this would be her most notable role to date.
In 1992, she had a cameo role in the Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen TV movie To Grandmother's House We Go, playing the hostess of the Win-O-Lotto game show.
In 1993, she starred in the TV movie A Stranger in the Mirror (based on Sidney Sheldon's best-seller), playing Jill Castle, a young woman who goes to Hollywood with dreams of making it big, only to be drugged and raped during a shoot. In a split-screen, she does a promo during the end credits of "Smash Club: The Next Generation"[2]
After Full House, she starred alongside Bruce Campbell in In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory, which was released in 1997. In 2000, Loughlin co-starred opposite Treat Williams in the Fred Olen Ray-helmed thriller Critical Mass.
She also made cameos on other sitcoms including Spin City, Seinfeld, and The Drew Carey Show. She also played the superhero Black Canary in the short-lived Birds of Prey series.
From 2004 to 2005, Loughlin co-created, produced and starred in the WB drama series Summerland. She played Ava, the aunt who raises three children after their parents die in a car accident. The series was canceled due to low ratings on July 11, 2005.
From 2008 to 2012, she starred in the Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff 90210 as Debbie Wilson.
Loughlin was in attendance at Comedy Central's The Roast of Bob Saget, which was hosted by John Stamos and premiered on August 17, 2008. At her table were Full House co-stars Dave Coulier and Jodie Sweetin.
In 2013, she began working with Hallmark Channel as the lead role in the Garage Sale Mystery film series, then the following year, starring in the drama series When Calls the Heart as Abigail Stanton (2014–2019).
In March 2019, Hallmark Channel severed ties with Loughlin after she was arrested in the college admissions bribery scandal. The following day, it was reported that she would not be appearing in season five of Fuller House.[3]
Personal life[]
In May 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. In August 2020, she was sentenced to two months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and 250 hours of community service (her husband was sentenced to five months in prison).[4] In November 2020, it was announced she would be released in time to celebrate Christmas.[5]
Awards and nominations[]
Young Artist Awards
- 1983: Nominated for "Best Young Actress in the Daytime Series" – The Edge of Night
- 1987: Won "Michael Landon Award" – CBS Schoolbreak Special
Daytime Emmy
- 1989: Nominated for "Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special" – CBS Schoolbreak Special
TV Land Award
- 2004: Nominated for "Best Quintessential Non-Traditional Family" – Full House
PRISM Award
- 2006: Won "Best Performance in a Drama Series Storyline" – Summerland
Teen Choice Award
- 2009: Nominated for "Choice TV Parental Unit" – 90210
Trivia[]
- Was only supposed to be on the show for six episodes, but the producers, cast, and audience liked her so much, she ended up staying on the show for seven seasons
- As a practical joke, John Stamos would eat Doritos and smoke a cigar before the kissing scenes with Becky, just to annoy her
- Is still very tight with the whole cast (minus the Olsens) to this day
- Her daughters, Isabella and Olivia, are good friends with Candace Cameron Bure's daughter, Natasha Bure
- Jodie Sweetin and Candace Cameron have highly praised Lori for picking up the motherly role:
- When they were shooting the episode where D.J. has an eating disorder ("Shape Up"), Lori made sure the kids knew that D.J.'s eating disorder was a storyline for the character, and not about Candace in real life
- If the kids were working too hard, or if any of them were not well, she was the first to take care of them
- Candace had her first kiss on set ("13 Candles"), so before the taping, she asked Lori if she should keep her eyes open or closed (Lori said, "closed")
- In response to her role in the 2019 college scandal, some people on social media (even YouTube)[1] have commented that she (with her husband) may have been influenced by the episode "Be True to Your Preschool", where Becky and Jesse lie on the application to try to get the twins into a prestigious preschool
