Uncle Joey’s Last Name On Full House Was Actually A Very Adult Joke
In many ways, “Full House” is a prime example of a standard 1980s sitcom. It teaches all kinds of morals and values, features a laugh track that won’t quit, and has proven an enduring small-screen favorite in the decades since it came to an end. Not to mention, like any long-running series from the era, it’s easy to pinpoint the exact moment it jumped the shark. With all of that said, there are some aspects of it that don’t exactly sound like they belong in your average family-friendly TV series. A fine example of this is the last name of Uncle Joey (Dave Coulier, who has shared how he really feels about his co-stars on the program).
According to Coulier himself on the “Full House Rewind” podcast, Joey’s last name, Gladstone, comes from a rather adult origin. “I always thought it was a funny name. It was almost like, ‘I’m glad that I’m stoned.’ You know, I’m a comedian, so that was what I thought,” he explained to guest Debra Stipe. Series creator Jeff Franklin let Coulier pick his character’s surname, and that’s what he came up with. Franklin got a kick out of the name, and it was at that moment that the actor knew the idea would stick. Sure enough, he was right.
Before becoming Joey Gladstone, though, Coulier had to make it through the audition process — one he went on to say he thought he totally flubbed.
Before becoming Joey Gladstone, Dave Coulier thought he botched his audition
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Dave Coulier turned out to be a perfect fit for Joey Gladstone on “Full House,” and not just because he came up with his now-iconic last name. From the stand-up comedy routines to the outlandish outfits, Coulier made every element of his character work. This makes it all the more surprising to learn that he had worries about missing out on the part in the wake of his audition. He recalled on “Full House Rewind” that he came in and won the approval of Jeff Franklin immediately, but that wasn’t quite enough.
“[Producer Tom Miller] stops me and he goes, ‘Wait a second. I’d like you to read for the father,'” he said, and that was all it took for Coulier to feel he struck out. He thought that he totally missed the mark for Joey, so they were instead going to test him for Danny Tanner – the “Full House” character who fans feel deserved better, as portrayed by the late Bob Saget. Thankfully, Franklin went to bat for him and reassured him that he was the pick for Joey. Coulier recalled Franklin telling him afterward, “‘I was angry at Tom Miller when he said, “Let’s have him read for the father,” because I was like, “I don’t care who else walks in here today, that’s my Joey. That’s my character.”‘”
Suffice to say, “Full House” would’ve been a vastly different show either without Dave Coulier or with him in the role of Danny Tanner. One has to imagine that in either scenario, Gladstone wouldn’t have been Uncle Joey’s last name.