Jan. 31, 2022
Samantha Mayer
Staff Writer
Stand-up comedian and actor Bob Saget died suddenly at the age of 65 on Jan. 9. He was found in an Orlando, Florida hotel room after delivering a two-hour stand-up performance. The Orange County medical examiner confirmed there was no evidence of drug use or foul play.
After eight seasons on “Full House” playing the kind, single dad Danny Tanner and hosting “America’s Funniest Home Videos” from 1989-1997, Saget’s death left fans and fellow cast members in mourning.
Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel paid tribute to Saget on Jan. 10 when he started his show with a 4 minute, 41 second tribute to his late friend.
“Full House” cast members Candace Cameron Bure, John Stamos and Jodie Sweetin were among those who posted on social media their reflections about Saget’s influence and character. All of them shared the same post on their Instagram accounts with the caption: “He was a brother to us guys, a father to us girls and a friend to all of us.”
Bob Saget and his wife journalist Kelly Rizzo met through mutual friends in 2015 and got married in 2018. Rizzo paid tribute to her husband by sharing an Instagram post featuring a photo of them together and a caption that ended with: “Honey, I love you more than anything, forever.”
Junior Olivia Norcia, who is a fan of “Full House” and the spinoff “Fuller House,” which aired on Netflix from 2016-2020, said these shows put her at ease.
“When I wasn’t able to fall asleep at night, I would watch it, and it would make me happy,” Norcia said. “There was always something learned in the episodes, and they were such a good family, so it was enjoyable [to watch].”
Norcia said she found out about Saget’s death when she came across a post on Instagram.
“Saget was so loved by the public because he was seen as a father figure,” Norcia said. “He was so funny and seemed like an overall good person to be around.”
Sophomore Bryan Intindola said he was first exposed to “Full House” by his family because they would watch reruns of the show on TV in the evenings.
“‘Full House is a classic loved by all,” Intindola said. “I was instantly hooked and amused.”
Intindola is also a fan of “Fuller House” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
“When ‘Fuller House’ was coming out, it made people even more excited because there would be new and more episodes,” Intindola said. “With a compilation of funny videos and Bob Saget being an outgoing host, I think it ended up being popular.”
Intindola said he was shocked when he heard the news of Saget’s death.
“Such a longtime talent passing away unexpectedly is very sad,” Intindola said. “Bob was an outgoing person, and [it] was said by many that he is fun to be around.”
“Saget was so loved by the public because he was seen as a father figure.”
Art and graphic design teacher Mr. Petruzziello said he spent a large part of his childhood watching Saget’s shows.
“I am sure that I have seen just about every ‘Full House’ and ‘AFV’ episode,” Petruzziello said. “Both ‘Full House’ and ‘Fuller House’ were so popular because they were like a real life family.”
Petruzziello said Saget’s death caught him by surprise, and he did not want to believe the news.
“Bob was different. He was like a corny but very funny Dad,” Petruzziello said. “He made you feel comfortable and made you feel like we are all in on the joke.”
Petruzziello said he recently watched on YouTube a behind-the-scenes tour of the “Full House” set, which was recorded in 1994.
“It was so heartwarming, funny and silly. It was just so Bob,” Petruzziello said. “Bob Saget showed us all that it is completely cool to be yourself… to be authentic and truly you.”
