It was impossible to grow up in the 90's and not watch Full House on a regular basis. It was also impossible not to want to be part of the fun and loving (and hilarious) Tanner family... and, okay, let's face it: we all wanted to be D.J. Tanner. We watched her grow up from a sweet kid to a lovely young woman, and we don't know if we were more jealous of her adorable fashion sense, close relationships with her sisters Stephanie and Michelle, or her hunky boyfriend Steve. We just loved her so much and we also loved the actress who played her, Candace Cameron.
Today, Candace Cameron Bure is all grown up (she's in her early 40s) and it's definitely been a ton of fun to watch her and the gang return for the Netflix revival, Fuller House. It's almost too much for any millennial to take (almost... but not quite, because we definitely want more and more episodes). But besides the fact that she brought such a great 90's character to life on this long-running TV show, what do we really know about her? Here are 16 facts about Candace Cameron Bure, aka Full House's "Good Girl."
16 She Takes Her Religion Super Seriously
If we look at Candace's Instagram, we can quickly see that she's a spiritual, religious person and that her faith is very important to her.
Whether she and her husband are wearing t-shirts like the ones in this Instagram photo or she's sharing passages from The Bible or celebrating Lent or Easter, it's obvious that faith means a lot to Candace. It's not everyone's cup of tea, of course, since not everyone is religious, and she has gotten some flak and backlash for her beliefs. She told E News that when it comes to being a Christian and a famous person, "It's not [difficult] for me. It's just who I am and I'm just being myself and we all have different viewpoints and different opinions in life."
15 Uncle Joey Played Matchmaker (Kind Of)
Matchmaking can usually go one or two ways: it's the best idea ever and a couple is so glad to have been introduced each other and live happily ever after... or it's a total disaster that neither party ever wants to mention ever again.
We've probably all been set up at one point or another... with varying results. It turns out that Candace Cameron Bure was introduced to hockey player Valerie Bure by none other than Dave Coulier (aka Uncle Joey). Isn't that just so cool and so adorable? Okay, so he didn't suggest that they go on a date, but he did invite them both to get together with a bunch of other people when he played a hockey game for charity in the mid-90's. They literally went on a date the day after and got married a year after. How's that for a love story?!
14 She's Been Open About Her Past Struggles
Many celebrities are candid about their struggles growing up in the spotlight. It must be tough being a child or teenager in Hollywood.
Candace has said that she used to suffer from a common illness and when she was growing up in Hollywood and she told Entertainment Tonight that she "lost her identity." It's always sad to hear that so many young women struggle with these issues, famous or not. What we find truly refreshing is the Cameron decided to open up about her childhood and let her young fans aware that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Cameron was candid about her childhood in the spotlight and how it affected her growing up and going forward, she stated on her IMDB page; "It wasn't always easy at times, having grown up on television and being in the entertainment industry."
13 She Had Her Very First Kiss On 'Full House'
When you're a child actor starring on a TV show or in a movie, it's possible that when you have to kiss someone onscreen, that's actually going to be the first time that you kiss someone. Ever.
After all, it's not like most kids run around kissing other kids (unless it's a dare at a middle school party or something). Chances are, we were at least 12 or 13 before we even had a "boyfriend" (quotes are totally necessary because it's usually a boyfriend in name only). The same thing happened to Candace Cameron Bure. She had her first kiss when she was on Full House and D.J. kissed someone. That must have been a crazy experience and is something that is pretty hard for non-celebrities to imagine.
12 She Believes Wives Should Be "Submissive"
There are many people out there who view marriage in the traditional sense. As it turns out, Candace Cameron Bure has a very traditional view of marriage, and she thinks that wives should be "submissive." In an interview with ABC news she stated the following; "The definition that I'm using with submissive is the biblical definition," she explained. "It's meekness. It is not weakness. It's strength under control. It's bridled strength."
Her opinion on this subject has gotten her a lot of flak and some people aren't that thrilled that she thinks this way. One blogger called it "shady" and quoted Candace's 2014 book, Balancing It All: "I love that my man is a leader. I want him to lead and be the head of our family."
11 It Really Is A 'Full House' For Her
Candace Cameron Bure's character, D.J., grew up with a lot of family members around, from her single dad Danny to her uncles Jesse and Joey, not to mention her siblings and a whole lot of other people (like her BFF Kimmy Gibbler).
Candace Cameron Bure also has a house full of family: she's married with three kids. Her husband is Valeri Bure, a famous hockey player, and they got married in 1996. The couple has three kids: Lev, Maksin, and Natasha. The actress often shares snapshots of her family life on her Instagram account, like this sweet message to her son, Lev, after he wrote her the cutest and most epic letter ever. He thanked her for doing so much for him and it's impossible not to tear up when reading it.
10 She's Super Into Working Out
After only a quick glance at Candace Cameron Bure's Instagram account, it's clear to see that she is super into exercising on a regular basis. Simply put, she looks fit and fabulous.
According to E News, the actress enjoys working out so she can "get through her busy days." If she's not working, she likes to break a sweat five or six times each week, which is definitely very impressive. She told them, "I have been working so hard this whole year but the fitness actually helps me get through my work days." While a lot of celebrities log some serious hours in the gym, it's not always obvious if they actually enjoy it or not. That's not the case with this Full House girl. She seems to genuinely enjoy working out and posts a lot of IG photos with a big smile on her face.
9 She Eats Healthy But Doesn't Like To Cook
There are definitely two types of celebrities: those who adore spending time in the kitchen and getting creative with recipes (or without them)... and those who have their fave take-out places on speed dial.
When it comes to cooking, Candace Cameron Bure shared with Cosmopolitan that she's not that into cooking, although she does stick to healthy choices on a regular basis. The magazine published a food journal that the actress kept for a day and the results are pretty interesting. She likes protein smoothies, poke bowls, kale salads, and snacks like apples. She wrote, "I don’t love cooking, so when I’m on my own in New York, I tend to eat prepared foods, like lentil soup from Juice Press and Whole Foods" and she mentioned that her husband makes dinner a lot.
8 She's A Hallmark Movie Queen
Even if we only know her as D.J. Tanner, the truth is that Candace Cameron Bure has been acting up a storm since those days, and she's been in a ton of movies.
Most specifically, she stars in a lot of movies for the Hallmark Channel, including Christmas movies and a series about an amateur detective named Aurora Teegarden. There are five Aurora movies in total (the fourth and fifth movies will premiere this year). Candice starred in a holiday movie called Switched for Christmas that aired this past holiday season, and it's safe to say that she'll most likely star in quite a few more. She's a staple of television movies and always does an awesome job since she's such a charming and likable actress.
7 She Was On 'Full House' From Aged 10 to 18
If we're wondering just how old Candace was when she was D.J., here's the truth: she started the show when she was 10 years old and she was 18 when it ended. It's kind of like she graduated from high school when the series finale aired and had to go off on her own.
It must be really tough to leave a show like this one behind, especially for someone who was so young when they began. Thankfully for Candace and her costars and the fans, the show really did go on and now we get to watch Fuller House on Netflix. Things just couldn't get any better. If it's a nostalgic experience for us fans to watch the revival, we can only imagine how emotional it must have been for the cast members, right?!
6 She Has Actually Written Many Books
Candace Cameron Bure isn't just an actress -- she also writes books. She has three published books -- Dancing Through Life, Reshaping It All, and Staying Stylish. Her fourth book, Kind is the New Classy, will be published on April 24th, 2018.
Candace gets pretty candid in her books since two of them are memoirs, and she shares moments from her life and her advice for happiness, whether she's talking about working out and feeling good or she's sharing about her faith and what she believes in. If we're a fan of the type of content that she shares on her social media pages, it seems like we would all enjoy her books as well. And with a title like Kind is the New Classy, well, who wouldn't be on board with that?! That sounds like a motto that absolutely everyone should adopt.
5 She And Her 'Full House' Co-Stars Are Super Close
When we really love a television show, we hope that the cast members get along off-screen the way that they seem to on-screen. Sure, they grab a coffee and go for fancy brunches and host fabulous dinner parties together and are always there for each other when something goes wrong... but that's on TV and those are sitcom or drama storylines. Is that really what it's like for them IRL?!
It's totally the case for the cast of Full House, since it's clear that Candace and the gang are still close all these years later. They can be seen talking about each other on Instagram and posting photos all the time. Candace has also shared in a few IG posts that it's been so awesome being back together with the cast. Awww. Doesn't that put a huge smile on our faces?
4 She Was On 'Dancing With The Stars'
Candace Cameron Bure competed on Season 18 of Dancing with the Stars, which aired in 2014.
It's always fun to see a celebrity that you loved on a certain TV show or in a certain movie do something else that is totally and completely different, and DWTS definitely fits into that category. Candace did really well and finished in third, which is nothing to sneeze at and very impressive. It seems like when celebrities go on this show, they just want to have fun or see what happens, and fans might root for them or might be tuning it simply for entertainment value. But it could be argued for sure Candace did really well and definitely deserved to be there. According to Us Weekly, when Jodie Sweeten, aka Stephanie Tanner, was going to be on the show in 2016, Candace told her what to expect and said to "have fun."
3 She Didn't Go To School Like Other Kids
It's probably not that common to be a child star and be on a long-running show like Full House and attend school full-time. Okay, it's definitely not that common since it would basically be impossible. You just can't log long hours on a TV set and also be a normal kid who goes to school like everyone else. You kind of have to decide what's more important to you.
So it's not a huge surprise that Candace Cameron Bure didn't attend school for the most part. Like most child actors, she had a tutor on the set of Full House and that was the majority of her academic training. She did attend middle school, but that seems to have been it. Of course, she's had a really successful career.
2 She Was Bullied Growing Up
Candace Cameron Bure has shared that when she was growing up, she was bullied because of what she looked like.
It's so heartbreaking when we hear bullying stories and that's true whether a celebrity is talking about it or not. It's sad whenever anyone gets bullied at school (or wherever the bullying is taking place). It is absolutely unfair that kids can be so cruel and mean and that they have no regard for other people's feelings. Candace looked like a perfectly normal kid growing up and there was really no reason for her to be bullied, although of course, it was most likely because she was famous. Along with being mean and saying the worst things ever, kids can be jealous, too. Aren't we so glad that we're out of elementary school?!
1 She Had A Great Response When A Stranger Shamed Her
You wouldn't think that anyone would call Candace Cameron Bure fat. That seems totally impossible since look at her. She's fit and looks healthy and happy, which is the most important thing.
Someone commented on the Instagram post shown above and called her large, and she had an awesome response to someone criticizing her looks. Instead of just sitting back and ignoring it, she said, “If a 25-inch waist looks big to you … then you’re looking through an altered lens. Be well." Yup, that was definitely an amazing reply and she couldn't have said anything that would have sounded better. Unfortunately, female celebrities get all kinds of nasty comments about their weight and physical appearance all the time, especially on social media. When a celebrity can be confident and inspiring, they're one to follow for sure, and that's just one reason that we love Candace Cameron Bure.
References: Blog.feelingthevibe.com, Cosmopolitan.com, Eonline.com, Etonline.com, Nickiswift.com, Fame10.com, Heavy.com, People.com, Usmagazine.com, Nationaleatingdisorders.org, abcnews.go.com
