There were quite a few main characters to keep up with on Full House, given all the Tanners, Katsopolises, Gladstones (I guess just one of those) and Gibblers (depending on how many siblings Kimmy actually had). Honestly, with the sitcom sporting that title, that’s pretty much to be expected. But in addition to all of those San Franciscans, there were the non-human members of the family, like Comet and Mr. Bear. The latter was a really important keepsake for Stephanie, and it just so happens that Jodie Sweetin knows where Mr. Bear resides today.
For all eight seasons of Full House and then years later on the spinoff Fuller House, Jodie Sweetin portrayed middle sister Stephanie Tanner, and while her childhood toy Mr. Bear only made a handful of appearances, any fan can tell you how important he was. So where is he now? The actress divulged to People:
I have the OG here. This is the original first bear. This is him. He sits in my office and he makes appearances. He's held up rather well over the years though, as most of the Full House cast has. So yeah, it's quite nice.
No need to fret, Full House fans, because Mr. Bear is right where he should be — with Stephanie, still after all these years. The stuffed animal has a pretty heart-wrenching origin story, as it was revealed in Season 2 of the beloved ABC sitcom that Stephanie’s late mother had gifted her Mr. Bear when Michelle was born (DJ got a charm bracelet). That would have been shortly before her mom passed away, making it an even more meaningful gift. (No, I am definitely not crying.)
Jodie Sweetin specified that she holds the “original” bear, because every good cast member needs a stunt double, right? The actress explained:
Here’s what I’ll say ... there were a couple of Mr. Bears that we used on the show. One of them I think we used in a scene or an episode where it was maybe, not a tug of war, [but] he had to get a little messed up.
It’s very appropriate that of all the props the Full House cast took from the set, Jodie Sweetin was able to secure Mr. Bear. It’s also way more practical than John Stamos taking the iconic couch. Dave Coulier revealed that he got to take his woodchuck, while Andrea Barber, who played Kimmy Gibbler, took all of her character’s fun accessories, and Candace Cameron Bure kept her Pillow Person.
I’m proud of all of the cast members for making excellent choices, and maybe it’s because of the whole mom angle, but I still feel like Mr. Bear is the most sentimental.
You can catch Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber talking about the show on their rewatch podcast How Rude, Tanneritos!, and Sweetin’s also got a new Hallmark movie coming out this month. And if you just need some more Tanner goodness in your life, the entire eight-season collection of Full House can be streamed with a Hulu subscription.
