‘Fuller House’ Star John Stamos Reveals Real Reason Olsen Twins Backed Out Of Reboot

Fuller House, like many of the reboots hotting television, has attracted loyal fans, but it has also captured the interest of the original show’s stars. Except for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The twins, who were a staple of the first series, have created a buzz with their decision not to participate in the reboot. Fans and the media have all wondered why the Full House twins wouldn’t even consider returning for the reboot. Meanwhile, their former co-star says he has an answer.

John Stamos Dishes The Dirt On The Olsen Twins Refusal To Come Back To Fuller House

Following the cancelation of Full House in 1995, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen starred in a series of films and, capitalizing on their popularity with investments and merchandising, the twin sisters built a billion-dollar empire. Now, financially secure young women, they certainly don’t need the work and, according to John Stamos, they no longer define themselves as actresses.

“They seemed very into [Fuller House]; they just were afraid of acting,” Mr. Stamos said in an interview on Howard Stern’s radio show. “They hadn’t acted; they don’t consider themselves actresses.”

While older sibling Elizabeth Olsen seems to have found her calling in acting and will be reprising her role as Scarlet Witch in Captain America: Civil War, it has been more than a few years since the younger twins were seen on screen. Mary-Kate last appeared in the 2011 film, Beastly, and Ashley stopped acting, after she appeared in an uncredited role in I’m Still Here (2010).

As for rumors of drama and fighting between the actors, John says there is very little truth to it. He admits that there were some misunderstandings between the Olsen twins and himself, but after speaking directly with them, everything was ironed out. Stamos added that he understood their reasons for declining to participate in the reboot.

John Stamos Tells Fans What To Expect From Fuller House

It’s already apparent that Fuller House will be noticeably different from the original Full House series, since the Olsen twins will be missing, but Stamos says it could have been even further removed from the original concept. The first idea for the reboot would have had the show seeming much more like Sex in the City than Full House, John says. The idea was to put the girls in a centrally located apartment. Eventually, it was decided that the rebooted series had to take place in the very same house. That house, Stamos says, was as much a character on the show as the roles performed by the actors.

The decision to include the now famous house brought filming back to the Warner Bros. set, where they could recreate the 80s and 90s feel with a live studio audience. The familiar location also allowed them to use many of the same props.

Although there seems to be much that’s familiar in the updated series, many fans are wondering if Fuller House will still be too different for their nostalgic minds. After all, it has been nearly two decades, since Full House went off the air and much has changed in the intervening years. Mr. Stamos, who is also producing the series, says fans have no need to worry.

“There’s no re-doing in this,” Stamos says. “There’s no hidden messages, there’s no tricks, it’s ‘Full House.’ If you like the original, you will like this because we got the same writers, same producers, same directors, same actors. We’re just older.”

John Stamos also told Stern that Fuller House won’t trash the beloved Full House characters, as was a major complaint with Lifetime’s The Unauthorized Full House Story.

Fuller House, starring Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, and Andrea Barber, will begin streaming on Friday, February 26 on Netflix.

[Featured image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]