What Teddy From Full House Looks Like Now

Teddy from Full House was one of the most adorable kid characters on '90s television, and Tahj Mowry played the role. Starring alongside the character of Michelle, played by the Olsen twins in the popular sitcom, the young and talented Mowry is proud of the work he did. "It's such a blessing to, you know, have been a part of a show like that," he told the Today show. "I think it was the family aspect of it. I think nowadays it's hard to find a show that your whole family can sit down and enjoy every week." And it's one that people even continue to binge-watch today!

Though, unfortunately, Mowry was never cast in Netflix's nostalgic reboot Fuller House, which was later canceled, he explained to Life & Style that he knows exactly what Teddy would be up to today: "I would like to think that [Teddy] married Michelle. There's no other route I would want him to go." But it's also got us wondering — what does Teddy from Full House look like now?

Tahj Mowry's transformation into Teddy from Full House

Tahj Mowry began playing Teddy from Full House when he was just 5 years old, according to People. In fact, it was, in part, because of his early endeavors in his acting career that his parents relocated their family to Los Angeles. "My mom became my manager," he explained to AfterBuzz TV of their move. Aside from balancing a career and kindergarten, Mowry lived a pretty normal childhood. When he wasn't working, his parents enrolled him in school rather than homeschooling him, and, because of this, he admits he had no clue his job was making him a serious salary until later in life. "I had no idea how much money I was making at all," he divulged.

Mowry spent four years working on Full House before his exit episode in 1995, when his character's family moves away. It was a sad series ending that he had to portray as an actor at such a young age. However, he admitted to Today to being "hyped for that," adding, "I had to get in touch with the serious side of Teddy." And little did he know at the time, his acting career would only grow from there.

The actor behind Teddy from Full House held many minor roles

After his time playing Michelle Tanner's BFF Teddy from Full House, Tahj Mowry went on to portray even more minor roles in other major television shows. In 1996, he played a young boy named Corin on Star Trek: Voyager and was credited as "Little Boy" during a scene in the infamous Central Perk coffee shop in Friends. Even though he didn't have a large role on the series, he was thrilled to be a part of the show. "Being on Friends was awesome," Mowry divulged to the Today show, adding, "I was in a scene with all of the cast, which was really cool." Not many of the show's guest stars can say that!

Aside from his role as Teddy from Full House, of course, Mowry has said that he often has fans commenting about his appearance in Friends. In the episode, his young character listens to Phoebe sing a musical number about that went over his head when he was young. "I … remember how funny that scene was watching back as an adult," Mowry explained of the Emmy-winning episode. "'Cause, like, I didn't get any of what Phoebe's song was about."

The actor who played Teddy from Full House grew up with famous twin sisters

While Tahj Mowry was growing up on screen, so were his famous sisters, twins Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Tamera Mowry-Housley. While he held down the role of Teddy from Full House, his sisters had their own show appropriately called Sister, Sister, and he's happy they were able to maintain a strong bond during this time. "Having the right people around you is really important," Mowry told AfterBuzz TV. "And I realize not everyone has that family — close-knit family vibe — that, you know, my family has."

Mowry made quite a few appearances on his sisters' show before they all took on a project together. In 2000, the Mowry trio starred in a television movie called Seventeen Again. In the movie, Mowry and sister Mowry-Hardrict portray siblings on screen, while Mowry-Housley played their grandmother who suddenly was transformed into a teenager. Tahj Mowry wishes he and his sisters could work together like that more often. "You don't have to work for chemistry. … You've grown up with this person," he told AfterBuzz TV, adding, "I think it comes out better too, because we're both, like, feeding off of each other, and, you know, that's like being at home." And we're not the only ones who would love to see another project starring the three of them together! "Hopefully in the future," Mowry added.

The actor known as Teddy from Full House starred as a Smart Guy

By the time the actor who played Teddy from Full House had appeared multiple times on his sisters' popular television show and held minor roles on many other Hollywood hits, the adorable young actor knew he deserved a show of his own. When he was just 9 years old, he went into the offices of Warner Bros. and pitched an idea. "I was like, 'Yo, what's up? It's me. Gimme a show. Let's do this!" Tahj Mowry described to MTV News. And that's when Smart Guy was born."It was kind of, you know, the thing that catapulted me," Mowry explained to WhoSay. "I did Full House prior to that, but Smart Guy was, like, my show!"

The series centers around his character, kid genius T.J. Henderson, who skips six grades and must learn to adjust to high school as a 10-year-old kid. Not only did the show teach Mowry what it meant to have a starring role, but it also may have accelerated his education as well. "I learned a lot. I got to use a lot of big words that I still don't know what they mean!" he said to WhoSay, laughing.

The actor who played Teddy from Full House made his debut on the Disney Channel

Though Smart Guy originally aired on the WB, in 2000, the Disney Channel began showing reruns of the three-season series after it ended, as noted by Teen Vogue. It was then that the channel responsible for catapulting many young stars' careers, including those of Demi Lovato and the actress behind Ren from Even Stevens, changed Tahj Mowry's too by introducing him to the network's younger audience.

In 2001, after finishing up the TV movie Seventeen Again with his sisters, Mowry became an even bigger Disney star when he received roles in two Disney Channel original movies, Hounded and The Poof Point. "It was just, like, the same crew, and it was just like a really fun experience," he told Mingle Media TV. Making these movies, he admitted, was his favorite experience with the network, as he got to work alongside other young actors his age. "Those were awesome times," the actor behind Teddy from Full House added. "Back then, they did one every month, I think it was, and now they don't do 12 in a year." Those were the good old days!

The man known for playing Teddy from Full House did voiceover work

Following his role in Disney Channel television movies, Tahj Mowry was chosen to be part of an original series on the network. In 2002, he took a step away from the camera for a new challenge. He voiced the tech-savvy sidekick Wade on the animated series Kim Possible. However, it wasn't that different than acting on screen. "It's the same thing. It's just you're not on camera," he told AfterBuzz TV. Plus, there's an added perk, "And it's just your voice, so you can go to work in pjs," he laughed.

Having spent five years working on the animated series, Mowry also lent his voice to the Kim Possible video games that came along with the popular action-packed series. During those five years, he grew up a lot. "In between, I remember I would have to start pitching my voice back down because my voice was changing during it," the man who once played Teddy from Full House told WhoSay. "So that was interesting because I was playing a 10-year-old kid behind the computer." Now that Mowry is an adult, he hopes to do voiceover work again someday. "Voice is so fun," he told AfterBuzz TV. "It's something that I will never want to stop doing."

The man who once portrayed Teddy from Full House took a break from acting

As Tahj Mowry took a step behind the camera, he slowly decided he needed to take a step back from the spotlight, too. "For me, it was all about taking a break," he told MusicXclusives TV. "I took a break to live life and be like a normal high school kid." Thankfully, finishing up his time on the Disney Channel allowed him the flexibility to live life as an average teenager. "I was doing Kim Possible for the four years that I wasn't really on screen acting," he told AfterBuzz TV. "I was like, 'Okay, I'll still do this because it doesn't take up too much time, and I can still go to school and do all that.'"

Mowry says that being forced by his parents to attend school in person as a child while acting helped to make his life transition from child star to adult a lot smoother of an experience than most former kid actors get. "Now I am so thankful for that — that I can turn off the glitz and glamour of Hollywood," the actor know for playing Teddy from Full House admitted on his sister Tia Mowry-Hardrict's YouTube channel. "That's just how we were raised."

The actor behind Teddy from Full House went to college on a sports scholarship

"Whenever I wasn't working, I had my back in normal school. I went from the [TV] set to football practice, from the set to track practice," Tahj Mowry told Ebony. "My parents separated it and that let me know that TV life wasn't my normal life; that was my job and my hobby." While attending high school, he took up a pretty normal hobby on his Varsity football team. "I actually got a football scholarship to Savannah State," he told MusicXclusives TV. While he enjoyed living the college experience most actors never get to have, Tahj Mowry, also known as Teddy from Full House, missed the world of media, so he quit football and transferred to Pepperdine University to study advertising. "That's what I studied in college before… I dropped out," he admitted to AfterBuzz TV.

Though Mowry was able to experience the best of both worlds, it was stepping away from the spotlight that made him realize he was born to perform. "I just wanted to make sure that acting was something that I really wanted to do," he said of his college experience.

The actor who starred as Teddy from Full House had a web series

Tahj Mowry divulged in an interview with MusicXclusives TV that sometimes the best thing is "stepping away and allowing people to want more of you and miss you." The Disney Channel star explained, "You don't want people to get sick of you." However, it seems his fans did want more, so, when his friend Jeremy Fall asked him to work on a web show, he jumped at the opportunity. "It would just give the fans the chance to feel like they were hanging out with us," he explained to AfterBuzz TV.

The two released weekly episodes of their web series called Space 58, where they would work without a script — detailing their daily lives from the couch and performing random skits when they felt like being jokesters. It quickly became one of the most popular shows on the platform UStream. Though the pair only released episodes for about a year, there may just be more vlogging in Mowry's future. "We've talked about actually sometime in the near future maybe making it more of a TV show type feel where can bring people to interview," he said. Of course, we would love to see more of the man once known as Teddy from Full House!

The man behind Teddy from Full House took on the role of uncle

In the 2010s, the actor who played Teddy from Full House became an uncle for the very first time. As of early 2020, between Tahj Mowry's twin sisters, he has four nieces and nephews to spoil (via People), and his niece Ariah seems to think he's pretty special. "He's the only one in our family that Ariah doesn't give the side eye to," his sister Tamera Mowry-Housley laughed as she divulged on her talk show The Real, noting, "He is an amazing uncle."

As Mowry doesn't yet have any of his own children, the actor once known as Teddy from Full House loves that he is able to still surround himself with kids while fully focusing on his entertainment career. "I always say, it's the best form of birth control because you can just give the baby back," he laughed as he told MusicXclusives TV. However, don't get him wrong — he'd love to have adorable little Teddys someday too. "Maybe in the future," he told Black Hollywood Live. "But not anytime soon. I'm busy with them!"

The guy who played Teddy from Full House starred on another big show

Tahj Mowry's nieces and nephews may have given him major inspiration for his next role on television. Soon after his first nephew was born, Mowry began playing Tucker on the comedy television series Baby Daddy. And as the actor who played Teddy from Full House grew up working on sitcoms, it seemed like the perfect show for him to be a part of as he made his first jump back into television. "It feels like I'm coming back home in a sense," he told Hollywood Life. And, in fact, it truly was meant to be. Baby Daddy director Michael Lembeck also directed Mowry on the episode of Friends on which he appeared when he was still just a kid actor. "So that was sort of a full circle moment," Mowry excitedly told the Today show.

Even after his break from television, Mowry is happy he is able to balance being both a normal family man and a famous entertainer. "I've been able to come and go [in the industry as I please] and it's been a blessing," he told Ebony.

The actor who played Teddy from Full House is constantly asked to do a reality show

Though Tahj Mowry has revealed a lot about his personal life on his web series Space 58, don't expect to see a reality show with his famous family in his future — though we would absolutely be watching it. "I don't want to do the reality show," he told AfterBuzz TV, and he's not budging on that decision.

With his sister Tamera Mowry-Housley as a host of talk show The Real, his sister Tia Mowry-Hardrict hosting the YouTube series Tia Mowry's Quick Fix, and both twins starring in the reality show Tia & Tamera, they may be used to divulging their personal lives on camera, but for their little bro, the answer is still no. "They ask me, like, every day," he said. "I don't find the appeal in, like, having four cameras around you while you're at lunch with your sisters," the man once known as Teddy from Full House admitted, adding, "I'd just rather, like, stuff my face, like, with no cameras around." We do agree with him on that.

The man who portrayed Teddy from Full House has a singing career

When the actor who played Teddy from Full House was on a break from Baby Daddy, he found himself attending multiple concerts. "I just love going to shows," he told AfterBuzz TV. "That's, like, the main thing I do when I'm on hiatus." It was then that he decided to let his voice truly be heard in a much different way. "I've always wanted to sing, and it's just, you know, a timing sort of thing," he said. But, in 2015, it was finally time.

That year, Tahj Mowry released his first album, Future Funk, to the world. Describing it as a mix of Prince and Lenny Kravitz, Mowry wanted people to hear a sound from him they hadn't yet heard before. "I want to make a blend of genres, and do something that no one has done before," he explained to Vibe. "For me, it seems like everything on the radio is the same five songs." To The Wendy Williams Show, he shared, "Music is such a passion of mine, and I feel so blessed to be at a point in my life where I can really show that now."

The actor who gained fame playing Teddy from Full House wants a future in film

At this point, it's obvious that Tahj Mowry can do just about anything. So, what's next for this young star? "In the future you're going to see me doing more film," he told Ebony. "I want to show the more serious side of me as an actor. I just want to be able to showcase my range." And showcase his range, he will. The actor decided to take a break from sitcoms and channel his serious inner "Teddy moving away from San Francisco" side to star in the movie Welcome Matt.

"I play somebody who went through a amazing experience, so he has agoraphobia so he can't leave his home," Mowry told Romper, which definitely sounds a bit different than his days as Teddy from Full House. "That's what acting is all about: challenging yourself and doing things people wouldn't expect," he told Ebony. Mowry has also mentioned perhaps directing or writing his own movie and has dropped hints of releasing another album, so who knows what his future holds! After all, he told AfterBuzz TV, "I gotta stay busy!"

Full House: Things only adults notice in the TV show

Full House is one of those TV series that have stood the test of time and have remained totally beloved by fans even after it went off the air. Shows like Friends, The Office, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air have all had people talking years after they wrapped up, but Full House might just be more iconic than the rest. The series ended in 1995, but the show was so popular that a reboot, Fuller House, ran for five whole seasons on Netflix beginning in 2016.

Full House was known for its endearing cast, heartwarming family moments, and slapstick comedy, but, for many viewers of the show, a lot of details slipped past them when they watched when they were kids. Now, if you were to watch Full House as an adult, there would be more than a few things that would make you shake your head and roll your eyes.

The premise of Full House is seriously dark

As fans of Full House know, the entire premise of the show was that newly-widowed dad Danny Tanner, one of several '90s sitcom dads who are nearly unrecognizable today, needed some help raising his three daughters. And while the show is very careful not to wade too deeply into the darkness of Danny's widowhood, as an adult, you can't help but notice just how depressing the initial plot of the show is.

The fact that this entire family was upended by the depart of their matriarch and that the show is somehow a sitcom is kind of unbelievable as an adult. When you're a kid or even a teenager who watches Full House, it can be easy to forget that the show is all about a family who lost their mother because of all the goofy humor going on. But really, Full House is pretty depressing, especially considering the fact that the youngest Tanner wasn't even a year old when she lost her mom.

How is Full House's Danny Tanner only 30?

For most kids who watch Full House, the men's mishaps in trying to raise three young girls are hilarious. And watching Danny, Uncle Jesse, and Uncle Joey attempt to wrangle the kids is certainly entertaining, but there's one thing that's kind of impossible to grasp and it's that Danny isn't even 30 years old when the series premieres. Yes, in the 11th episode of Season 1, Danny turns 30. That means Danny must have gotten married very young.

In fact, before Danny even turns 30, his oldest daughter, DJ, is starting fifth grade, which means she would be about 10 years old. So, with a little math, Danny must have had his first child at just 20 years old. While that's not entirely unbelievable, it is pretty unbelievable that Danny got married, had three kids, somehow started a successful career, bought a house, and became a widower all before turning 30. Sure, the '80s and '90s were different times, but still — that's a lot of living to do in a short amount of time.

Wow, Full House's Rebecca was a seriously impressive woman

It's clear from the start of Full House that the show was centered on Danny, Jesse, and Joey learning how to relate to and care for three young girls. Of course, there would be love interests along the way, but no one love interest stood out more than Rebecca Donaldson, played by Lori Loughlin, who eventually become known as Aunt Becky after she and Jesse tied the knot.

Loughlin first entered the series at the beginning of Season 2 when Danny started a new job co-hosting the fictional show Wake Up San Francisco alongside Rebecca. As the first significant adult female character on Full House, Rebecca was career-oriented, sharp, and intelligent. Really, Rebecca's character was a powerful and impressive woman, which just showed how progressive Full House was for its time. As Aunt Becky got closer to Full House's main characters, it was clear that she was a force to be reckoned with. Only an adult would notice just how empowering Aunt Becky was on Full House.

Full House really flipped gender stereotypes

For a show that premiered in 1987, Full House was actually quite a bit ahead of its time in terms of gender stereotypes. The entire premise of the show is that Danny is a single father raising his children, but it's still notable that Danny had to handle all the traditionally female roles around the house. In fact, while kids who watch Full House might find Danny's obsessive need to clean everything just funny, it's actually kind of refreshing. The fact that the father is the one cooking and cleaning is kind of a big deal, especially considering its time.

Really, as an adult watching Full House, you'll probably notice just how feminist some elements of the show were. When Aunt Becky entered the scene, she stayed focused on her career and didn't let Uncle Jesse control her. With three men taking care of things on the home front, Full House really showed that women alone don't have to be caretakers.

Uncle Jesse was kind of beautiful in Full House

Full House was definitely ahead of the curve in terms of avoiding gender stereotypes and embracing feminism, but that doesn't mean there weren't a few moments that make you cringe when you watch it as an adult. Specifically, Uncle Jesse definitely had some amazing tendencies, especially when it came to the behavior of his twin sons, Nicky and Alex. In one episode, Jesse gets seriously frustrated when his sons want to play with a doll — something he deems to be "wrong" — instead of a more traditionally masculine toy. In fact, Jesse even goes so far as to buy the boys new toys like a monster truck and a football to sway them from playing with the doll.

It's a seriously outdated mode of thinking, and Aunt Becky has no time for it. "Do you know what a little boy who plays with baby dolls could grow up to be?" Becky asks Jesse in the episode. She then gives him the wisest answer: "A terrific father." Clearly, Uncle Jesse was in the wrong, and his amazing way of thinking is frustrating for adults to see while watching Full House.

Full House actually had a lot of heartwarming moments

One of the things that Full House is most well-known for — even years after it went off the air — is those heartwarming moments between characters that should honestly be trademarked. If you watch Full House as an adult, you'll immediately start to recognize the music that begins to swell and the endearing looks in the characters' eyes as they go in for a hug. Then, of course, a very important life lesson is explained that just so happens to perfectly coordinate with the plot of the episode. Yes, Full House has perfected the art of the heartwarming moment, as noted by HelloGiggles.

From sweet and tender father-daughter moments to tricky situations the girls go through with their friends, Full House actually had a lot to teach viewers. As a kid, you might have just brushed off all those lessons in favor of noticing the humor more, but, as an adult, you can't help but notice that the show's messages were super powerful.

Full House dealt with body image issues well

With three daughters, it's not exactly surprising that Danny and the uncles would eventually have to deal with body image issues. As a kid who watches Full House, you might not really notice when DJ was struggling with her weight and how her body looked. But as an adult, on the other hand, the way that the show portrayed DJ's struggles really stands out.

In one episode, titled "Shape Up," DJ's best friend, Kimmy, invites her over to a pool party, and DJ starts to panic about wearing a swimsuit in public, which is all too relatable for a lot of teenage girls and adult women. DJ starts to exhibit some seriously worrisome behavior, such as skipping meals and working out too hard, which all leads up to her collapsing at the gym. It's a tough lesson, but Full House actually nailed how hard it is for women to deal with societal expectations for what they should look like, and that's important.

How did those girls get away with smoking in the bathroom in Full House?

Since Full House premiered in the late '80s and continued throughout the '90s, it makes sense that the show featured a lot more smoking than modern shows do. After all, at that time, some people considered it to be cool to smoke, and, in the Full House episode "Fast Friends," where Stephanie makes new friends, that's exactly what Stephanie is pressured into doing. Of course, Full House handled the peer pressure issue with all the grace and maturity it's known for, but one question remains for adults who rewatch the show: just how did all those girls get away with smoking at school?

Seriously, not only were they smoking in school, but they were smoking indoors. How was it even possible for them to not get caught because of the smell? It truly makes zero sense, and, as an adult, you can't help but wonder why they would even want to smoke in the bathroom anyway. Couldn't they have gone outside?

How is the Tanner family home so big in Full House?

For a kid who watches Full House, the fact that so many people live under one roof is likely just entertaining. And it certainly is to adults, as well, but for an entirely different reason. Only adults would notice just how outlandishly huge the house is in Full House. Seriously, it almost doesn't even make sense for a house to be that big in a city like San Francisco.

Nevertheless, the show continued on with the pretense. The house apparently had four bedrooms with an attic and a basement that were both fully livable spaces. The home in Full House was certainly full, but there's a reason why it never really felt all that crowded watching it on TV — because the show actually filmed the interior of the house on a soundstage, as noted by. Basically, the Full House home doesn't exist as you know it.

How is holding a child hostage family-friendly Full House content?

Full House is definitely a family-oriented show, and, for the most part, it's pretty family-friendly. Of course, there are moments of adult humor that no child would ever notice but that parents watching along with their kids would appreciate. Still that doesn't mean the show was ever inappropriate. However, there was one episode that was seriously disturbing for more than one reason.

In the episode "Detain Ye Merry Gentlemen" from Season 8, Michelle and Uncle Jesse go out on an adventure to return the gift Michelle bought for Danny because she was upset her dad wouldn't like what she got him. It could have been a super sweet episode, but instead the owner of the shop refuses to exchange the gift and literally locks them in the store to wait for the cop to arrive when Jesse demands he accept the returm. In what world is holding a little girl against her will okay? Especially when she was just trying to get a nice gift for her father! Only an adult would notice just how insane this is while watching Full House.

Remember when there was a child bride in Full House?

Fans of Full House know that, much like the actor who portrayed him, Uncle Jesse was Greek. In a few key episodes of Season 4 of the series, Jesse's Greek family came to San Francisco to visit him. Of course, that meant the house got fuller, and that there were plenty of shenanigans to get into. However, one plot point was seriously twisted, and only an adult would notice it. During the "Greek Week" episode, DJ gets totally charmed by a boy from Greece, Sylvio. (Don't worry — they aren't related.)

It's cute and totally fine for DJ and Sylvio to flirt, but, when Sylvio asks DJ to go for a walk around the kitchen table, it turns out they were actually marrying in a Greek wedding. So, with that scene, there was a literal child bride in Full House, which just seriously isn't cool. Fortunately, the wedding is nullified by the couple walking backwards around the table, and no, that's not a joke. As cute as Full House was, the show also had some seriously twisted moments.

How did Danny afford his home in Full House?

Obviously, the Full House home was big. Like, really big. But aside from that fact, there's just one little plot hole that makes zero sense in the show. Much like fans wonder how the friends in Friends were able to afford their spacious apartments in New York City, adults who watch Full House have to wonder how the heck Danny could afford such a huge home before the age of 30.

It's honestly ridiculous. In fact, according to the real estate listing for the house that was used for Full House's exterior shots that went up for sale in 2019, the home is worth around $5.75 million. If that number seems high, it obviously is, as San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States. But still, even back in the '80s and '90s when Full House took place, that home would have cost a lot more than a local reporter would have made, especially one with three kids. It doesn't make sense how Danny was able to afford such a huge house — period.

Papouli's came out of nowhere and was way too dark for Full House

Few things on Full House were as charming or adorable as the bond between Michelle and Uncle Jesse. From their tender moments to their hilarious jokes, the two had a connection like no other. However, when Uncle Jesse's grandfather comes back to San Francisco in the episode "The Last Dance," Michelle instantly connects with his grandfather, Papouli.

Sadly, Papouli loss in his sleep while visiting San Francisco, and poor Jesse, who is already the loss of his grandfather, has to inform little Michelle that Papouli is no longer alive. It's sad to see Michelle, who was so young at the time, have to sad yet another loss in her life. At that point, Full House had seriously taken things way too far and had veered way off track from the funny yet heartwarming show it was supposed to be. As a kid watching Full House, Papouli's might not have even registered much, but, as an adult, it's clear that it was way too intense for a family show.

Was Full House's series finale even an ending?

As Full House was such a successful series, with the Olsen twins making $80,000 per episode during the final season, according to The Washington Post, it's interesting to look back at the series finale as an adult. The series actually ended over a two-part episode centering on Michelle getting amnesia after falling off her horse. The entire family has to help her put the pieces of her life back into place, and things are kind of dark for a while. Of course, it ends as happy as ever, but it didn't really feel like much of an ending for a series.

MTV News reported of the show's ending, "Both DJ and Stephanie are lucky in love. Kimmy is, too, with Duane ('whatever') as her boyfriend and prom date. Everyone makes peace with Michelle after she recovers from her amnesia. It's a bit of a crucible for the Tanner family, but one they're able to survive with each other's help." Full House had a such a great run, but the show's final episode just didn't feel like it lived up to the rest of the series, which is really only something an adult would notice.

90s sitcom dads who are unrecognizable today

In the '90s, there were no streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, and certainly no websites like YouTube — those were dark times, indeed! But fortunately no one knew what they were missing, and there was television, both network and cable, which meant that there were plenty of sitcoms to keep viewers entertained. From Friends to Full House to Married with Children, these shows covered all kinds of issues, from non-traditional families, burgeoning romances, gender and yes, even smelly cats. It was a different time, for sure.

At the heart of many of these sitcoms was the all-American dad, an authority figure to his children and a source of wisdom for his wife — well, sometimes. These memorable characters, be they brilliant or buffoons, kept American audiences laughing while simultaneously serving as a virtual father figure for anyone who tuned in. Have you ever wondered what your favorite '90s TV papa looks like today, or if you'd recognize him after all these years? Read on to catch a glimpse of '90s sitcom dads who are unrecognizable today.

Bob Saget - Danny Tanner (Full House)

One of the first sitcoms to feature a non-traditional, blended family with several different father figures was Full House, which ran from 1987 to 1995. Bob Saget played Danny Tanner, a sports anchor and widower who calls upon his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and best friend Joey Gladstone to help him raise his three daughters. Of course, there were plenty of hi-jinx on the show, but there were also a lot of tender teaching moments between father and daughters.

Even though the show is long off the air, the cast of the program has stayed close, even though it's been decades — something Saget acknowledges is rare. "Normally actors don't stay with an ensemble, and stay friends, but… we stayed really close," he shared in an interview with Steve Harvey on his eponymous talk show Steve. "We went to dinner once, years ago, in Malibu, the entire cast… and Tony Danza walked in with his wife, and he said, 'What are you all doing together?' and I said, 'What? Who's the Boss? doesn't go to dinner?'" Hilarious! The seminal sitcom was rebooted in 2016 as Fuller House, with many of the same cast members all grown up.

Reginald VelJohnson - Carl Winslow (Family Matters)

Believe it or not, Family Matters, which chronicled the daily life of the Winslow family, was actually a spin-off of Perfect Strangers. In the show, which ran from 1989 to 1997, Reginald VelJohnson played Carl Winslow, a officer living in Chicago, Illinois with his family and neighbors. The show was also notable for the role of Steve Urkel, played by Jaleel White, who was so popular with fans that he often became the focus of the show, especially in later episodes.

The cast of the show reunited in 2017 to celebrate their 20 year reunion, an experience that made VelJohnson especially emotional. "I love these people. …Every one of them," he gushed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I didn't realize I was going to see everybody. …To see them now, the way they are, is wonderful. It's heartwarming. It makes me cry." Awww, someone is cutting onions in here! The cast enthusiastically expressed interest in a reboot at the reunion, so maybe it's in the cards — though White shut down the idea in a post on his Instagram page. Maybe someday!

Tim Allen - Tim Taylor (Home Improvement)

Tim Allen was the comedic heart of the wildly popular sitcom Home Improvement, which was broadcast from 1991 to 1999, and arguably launched his career as a comedic actor. The show, which focused on the life and work of Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, was consistently nominated for a host of awards. Allen himself managed to snag the Golden Globe for best actor in 1995, showing just how lauded his work was on the program. The guy knew how to get a laugh!

As to whether or not fans can count on a revival of tool time, Allen says he and most of the original cast would be on board for a reboot. "I can't say everybody, but it has been floated," he explained in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "And more than I would have expected said, 'Yeah, that would be cool to do it years later,' like Roseanne." Allen also added that he would take on a leadership role in getting the proverbial band back together, given the opportunity. Fingers crossed!

Charles Shaughnessy - Maxwell Sheffield (The Nanny)

From 1993 to 1999, you could catch '90s it-girl Fran Drescher as Fran Fine in The Nanny, a sitcom about a Jewish fashionista who becomes nanny to three children — and eventually the wife of their father, Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield. Charles Shaughnessy starred opposite Drescher in the role, serving as a foil to her spirited and humorous temperament.

While Drescher has expressed her desire for a reboot, starring Cardi B (!), Shaughnessy seems less than excited about the prospect. "I'm not sure how it would work," he said frankly in an interview with Soap Opera Digest. "The whole concept of The Nanny is a nanny to these three kids. When those three kids are all grown up, there is no need for a nanny." That's one way of looking at it, but he does have a point. In fact, Shaughnessy isn't a fan of reboots in general. "Nostalgia is remembering things as they were. You can't re-create it," he continued. "It doesn't work like that." Sound like there might be a need for a new dad if a revival ever happens.

William Allen Young - Franklin "Frank" Mitchell (Moesha)

Moesha was the sitcom vehicle for '90s pop star Brandy, who starred in the titular role as a teenager trying to find her place in the world. Her father, who was played by William Allen Young, was a tough but loving dad, who bordered on overbearing at times. But he also managed to get laughs fairly frequently, even in a show that dealt with serious issues like race relations, substance and teenage pregnancy. They didn't shy away from the heavy stuff!

Young looks back fondly on his time on the program, which he sees as a seminal contribution to television history. "It was beautiful to be a part of it, even when I step back as an audience. …I realize how important that series was in the whole scheme of television, period," he recalled in an interview with Afterbuzz TV. Young also appreciated the way the show depicted African-Americans, something he said was "beautiful." As for a reboot? Literally the entire cast is a resounding yes. Given how the show ended without being fully resolved, it would be amazing to finally get some answers!

Patrick Duffy - Frank Lambert (Step by Step)

If you thought the premise of Step By Step, which focuses on two single parents who each have three kids of their own when they marry, sounded a bit familiar, you'd be right. A page out of The Brady Bunch playbook, the sitcom ran from 1991 to 1998, and starred Suzanne Sommers and Patrick Duffy as the mother and father. The couple spontaneously get married on a Jamaican vacation early on, and the rest of the series follows the integration of their respective families.

When the role of Frank Lambert landed in Duffy's lap, he welcomed it with open arms. "Well I'd been working for 17 years playing the most, not downer characters, but never frivolity, never fun, never joyful. It was always serious, heavy drama," he shared in an interview with Sidewalks Entertainment. "And to walk out the Dallas door and walk in the Step By Step door… was such a joy." It must have been a breath of fresh air to finally be a little less severe. Duffy said that he and Somers would like to see a Step By Step reboot in a Reddit AMA. Anything is possible!

John Lithgow - Dick Solomon (3rd Rock from the Sun)

Who could forget 3rd Rock from the Sun, the zany, off-the-wall comedy that followed the lives of aliens inhabiting human bodies? The show, which starred John Lithgow in the leading paternal role, ran from 1996 to 2001 on the NBC network. The sitcom poked fun at human beings and society in general, using the alien characters to point out how silly life on earth really is — and how easy it is to get caught up in it, too.

Lithgow didn't hesitate when he was asked what, of all of the comedic roles he played, was his favorite character. "Oh, Dick Solomon," he revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "Dick Solomon was not just Dick Solomon! He was a man trying to figure out what kind of a human being he was! So it allowed me to just act and act and act and act." Sounds like he had a total blast on set. Lithgow remains open to a reboot of the show, according to E! News, though he admits it would be difficult to be that energetic. We totally get that.

Ray Romano - Ray Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

When it comes to sitcom depictions of the lives of Italian-Americans in New York, the first show that pops to mind is Everybody Loves Raymond. From 1996 to 2005, viewers followed the trials and tribulations of Ray Barone, played by Ray Romano, and his extended family. Barone was a sarcastic and often indecisive patriarchal character, who seldom took sides in an argument or did much around the house. It's a miracle everyone ended up loving him then, huh?

By the time the sitcom ended, Romano was the highest-paid sitcom actor on all of television. But that didn't mean he was looking for a repeat of the show's success, or even another sitcom role. "I didn't want to have to follow Everybody Loves Raymond with another sitcom," he revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair. "Let it be my sitcom legacy, and leave it at that." Fair enough — he clearly put in his time. Given his resolve to avoid sitcoms, a reboot is highly unlikely. Plus, he can't imagine the show without the actors who played his parents, who are deceased, according to an interview with UPI. Reruns it is, then!

Ed O'Neill - Al Bundy (Married with Children)

Arguably one of the most memorable sitcoms from the '90s was Married with Children. Ed O'Neill starred as Al Bundy, a women's shoes salesman who's often miserable, and always pining for his glory days when he played high school football. The show, which was reviled by conservatives, ran from 1987 to 1997 — an impressive run, for sure. And though it hasn't aged well in some aspects, it's definitely considered to be sitcom canon now.

Believe it or not, O'Neill was performing in a dramatic role on Broadway when the casting director first saw him. A year later, when they needed to fill the role of Al Bundy, that director suggested O'Neill — not an obvious pick in the least. So when O'Neill read for the role, he stood out. "Apparently most of the guys that read for it were doing it like Jackie Gleason… you know, yelling and mad," he recalled on an interview with The Rich Eisen Show. But inspired by an uncle of his, O'Neill read it as resigned — and got the part. TMZ reports that the cast is game for a reboot, but who knows if it will come to fruition.

Kurtwood Smith - Red Forman (That '70s Show)

In the same vein as The Wonder Years, The '70s Show did a bang-up job depicting another era, quenching viewers' need for nostalgia for seemingly simpler times. While Kurtwood Smith played Red Forman, one of the show's fathers, the sitcom mainly followed the adventures of six teenagers coming of age in Point Place, WI in the latter part of the decade. Still, Smith's character was notable — a combat veteran who could be hard on his son, but not without a tender side.

Smith looks back at his time in Point Place with a genuine fondness. "It was just a pleasure doing that show," he gushed in an interview with AV/Film. "I mean, even if we had a day or two here and there that wasn't fun for whatever particular reason, by and large it was just a pleasure. I loved working with all those folks." Sounds like they really connected during their time on set! Some cast members have said they'd totally do a reboot, like Topher Grace, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Netflix, take note!

Bill Cosby - Cliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

One of the most important sitcoms in television history for its impact on race relations alone was The Cosby Show, which was on the air from 1984 to 1992. The show chronicled the exploits and adventures of the Huxtables, a well-off African-American family wherein the matriarch was an attorney and the patriarch was a medical doctor — the first show of its kind to buck stereotypes in that manner. Of course, it was helmed by Bill Cosby, who played Cliff Huxtable, alongside Phylicia Rashad's Clair Huxtable.

Unfortunately, the show's invaluable legacy is marred by the multiple charges of ravishment that have been leveled at Cosby. "There was no knowledge on my part about his specific actions," said co-star Lisa Bonet in an interview with Newsweek. "There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed." Yikes. Cosby is serving a three to ten year sentence in coustdy for drugging Andrea Constand, according to CNN. But despite Cosby's actions, the show's importance and impact remain significant.

Tony Danza - Tony Micelli (Who's the Boss?)

Just as The Cosby Show aired from 1984 to 1992, so too did Who's the Boss?, a much different flavor of sitcom. Tony Danza played Tony Micelli on the show, a retired baseball player who becomes a live-in housekeeper for an advertising executive, played by Judith Light, and her children. Danza's character was remarkable at the time, as it showed that a man could serve in the role of a stay-at-home father figure while the woman in the partnership was the breadwinner. We are so here for that!

Danza won a lot of hearts on the program, and isn't surprised that it's still in syndication on television. "It's a good show for kids to see," he explained in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "It was about trying to be there for people, and about supporting each other… and love and trust and all the things that we don't highlight in TV too much anymore." Welcome to wholesomeville, from its mayor, Tony Danza. In an interview with Uproxx, Danza said he'd rather "look forward than backward," so it's doubtful there will ever be a reboot.

Craig T. Nelson - Coach Hayden Fox (Coach)

When it comes to sitcom characters who love football, Coach Hayden Fox on Coach makes Al Bundy look like a mere football tourist. Played by Craig T. Nelson, Fox is consumed by football, though he obviously cares about his family and friends as well. He was also deeply concerned about his daughter's imminent transition to full-blown womanhood in earlier seasons of the show, something he had to adjust to as a father.

The sitcom endured for many years, running from 1989 to 1997. And even though Nelson was a fantastic fit for the role, he thought his audition went — so he left early. "I just said, 'You know what? You guys are not enjoying this, and I'm not really doing a very good job,' and I left," he revealed in an interview with AV/Film. "And the next day, they wanted to give it to me." He said yes, and the rest is history! The show was supposed to be rebooted in 2015 by NBC, according to Variety, but the network cancelled it before it came to fruition. Who knows what could have been?

John Goodman - Dan Conner (Roseanne)

From 1988 to 1997, the then-cutting-edge sitcom Roseanne, which centered on Roseanne and Dan Conner, played by Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, respectively, was a staple of network television. It was groundbreaking not only in its depictions of LGBTQ+ characters, but also of overweight characters whose size wasn't relegated to a punchline. Goodman was a very human patriarch of the working-class, blue-collar family, which often dealt with real life situations that viewers could identify with.

The program was rebooted in 2018, but was only a few months into its run when Barr posted a tweet, which led to the show's cancellation — and left its cast members reeling. "There was the feeling of not wanting it to go away until we were ready," Goodman confessed in an interview with People magazine. "There was a debt owed to this fictional family. We want to finish telling this story." Fortunately for Goodman and the rest of the cast, ABC created a spin-off called The Conners, which follows the family's exploits after their matriarch's sudden passing. Phew!

This Article Was First Published on thelist.com