Whatever Happened To Vicky From Full House?
Following the untimely death of his wife Pam (Christine Houser), it takes single dad Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) some time to reenter the dating pool. In the early seasons of "Full House," the women that he takes an interest in aren't quite right for him. Some of his brief romances include grocery store shopper Denise (Rebeccah Bush), who still has a thing for Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos), and Linda Mosley (Lydia Cornell), the Spanish teacher of D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure).
But his luck changes in Season 5, when Becky (Lori Loughlin) takes a maternity leave from "Wake Up, San Francisco," Vicky Larson (Gail Edwards) is hired to fill in as Danny's co-host. The new colleagues quickly begin dating, though the relationship is far from easy. They must navigate long distance love when Vicky lands a job in Chicago. Then, in Season 6, Episode 11 ("Designing Mothers"), they temporarily break up when Vicky's interior designer mother Liz (Jennifer Rhodes) transforms the bedroom of Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) without Danny's permission.
He and Vicky do get back together, with Danny even proposing to her during a family trip to Walt Disney World. Yet, when Vicky is offered her dream job in New York as a weather reporter, she ultimately chooses career advancement over him.
It's been nearly 30 years since audiences watched Vicky's tearful departure. Let's take a look at what Gail Edwards — the actress who brought the on-air host to life for three seasons — has been up to since.
Gail Edwards moved on from acting shortly after Full House
Prior to appearing as Vicky on "Full House," Gail Edwards landed a slew of small roles in "Happy Days," "M*A*S*H" and "Night Court" (via IMDb), just to name a few. By the early 1990s, the actress was busier than ever, thanks to the recurring part of Danny's love interest, as well as playing Sharon LeMeure on "Blossom." But aside from the 1994 part of Barbara Archibald in "Touched by an Angel," this was the last time Edwards appeared on screen for 23 years.
So what led to her lengthy hiatus from acting? In an interview with "The Fuller House Podcast," Edwards revealed, "I think it was the Northridge earthquake and my husband sort of said, 'Wanna try something different?' We already had a home in Sedona, Arizona that we were going to and we were enjoying."
Ultimately, after years in the industry, Edwards felt it was the perfect time to pursue a "normal life." However, though it would be easy to assume that Vicky was written out of "Full House" because of Edwards' decision to move to Arizona, this wasn't the case — rather, the exact opposite happened. Edwards thoroughly enjoyed her time on set and wanted to stay on the show longer, but her storyline was cut short. It was at that point that the move to Arizona was contemplated. "I think they had a change in direction," she said on the podcast. "I don't know why they changed their mind but they did and wrote me out."
Edwards went on to say that she disagreed with Vicky's decision to choose her career over Danny. She wanted the characters to get married and have a child.
Gail Edwards came out of retirement for Fuller House
Many "Full House" fans still feel strongly about Vicky's abrupt exit, and the beloved couple not getting the happy ending they deserved. On Reddit, u/jdpm1991 said, "The whole show was about Danny and the girls losing Pam, the show should have ended with Danny and Vicky's wedding plus the girls getting a new mother. I'll forever be bitter about this."
Danny and Vicky never got this happy ending, but they did enjoy an exciting reunion on the Netflix sequel "Fuller House," which wrapped up its fifth farewell season in 2020. In Season 3, Episode 18 ("Here Comes the Sun"), the two characters reconnect for a 1980s-themed party at the Smash Club.
For Gail Edwards, it was a no-brainer to come out of retirement for such an opportunity. She told "The Fuller House Podcast" that she was approached by show director and creator Jeff Franklin, who didn't like the way Vicky's story ended on the original series. However, he was doubtful she would agree to appearing on screen after so many years.
"I said, 'Oh Jeff, once an actress, always an actress,'" reflected Edwards.
It was a thrill to be back on the same set with the same cast, who welcomed her with open arms. This was also the last time that Edwards saw Bob Saget before his sudden death in January 2022. On her co-star, Edwards told Fox 13 Tampa Bay, "He was genuine. He was always available. I always knew I would see him again."