Full House Actors You May Not Know Passed Away

When ABC launched its TGIF programming block in late 1989, "Full House" became something of a flagship series for the slot. Not only did it launch the careers of several members of the cast, including the Olsen twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley), but it was a ratings giant for Fridays, a night that was typically known as a ratings black hole for networks. It aired alongside other well-known comedies like "Family Matters" and "Dinosaurs," among others, and ran for 8 seasons, eventually moving to Tuesday nights.

Nearly twenty one years after its final episode, Netflix launched the spin-off/follow-up series, "Fuller House," in 2016, which ran for 5 seasons before concluding in 2020. Between both shows, there have been a myriad of present and future well-known celebrities to briefly appear or have starring roles in each series. Like with any piece of pop culture, however, some of these beloved performers have since passed away since their appearances on "Full House" and its Netflix revival/follow-up, "Fuller House."

Some of these unfortunate and sad deaths may have flown under the radar of fans of the shows, so this is a list of some "Full House" actors who have passed away over the years since both the original show and its follow-up have gone off the air.

Musician Tommy Page originally appeared in the "Full House" Season 5 episode "Crushed," where he portrays a fictionalized version of himself. In the episode, Tommy sings a song to Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) at her 10th birthday party. Soon after, he spends more time with D.J. instead of her, which leads Stephanie to become jealous, as Tommy is her favorite singer. Once again, Tommy's appearance on "Full House" was a one-off, but it was a significant appearance for the show, as Tommy was at the height of his popularity after releasing hit song "I'll Be Your Everything" in 1990.

Tragically, Tommy died of an apparent suicide in 2017 at the age of 46 (per Billboard). While performing and releasing music was always a big part of his life, Tommy spent his latter years working for various companies, including Billboard and Pandora, in brand partnerships, often in a vice president capacity. "Full House" and "Fuller House" star Candace Cameron Bure even expressed grief over the loss of Tommy on her personal Twitter. Clearly, Tommy's appearance on "Full House" still resonated with the cast and crew of the series, as well as its many fans.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Though he's more commonly associated with his role on another famous sitcom in the '80s Alan Thicke was on one episode of "Fuller House" in 2016, in what would be one of his final appearances on screen. He played Mike on the Season 2 episode "Mom Interference," and his character was something of a more edgy take on the father figure role he popularized in his role as patriarch Jason Seaver on "Growing Pains." At one point, he even hits on D.J. Tanner-Fuller (Candace Cameron Bure), which is quite a contrast from the more family-friendly type of character he'd been known to play.

Thicke passed away in December of 2016 (per TMZ) of aortic dissection. While playing hockey with his son Carter, he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, where he later passed away. While his role on the show was brief, he was definitely one of the more noteworthy guest appearances on "Fuller House." The fact that one of his last roles was to go against type and play a more depraved version of a character archetype that audiences came to love in "Growing Pains" showed his range as an actor, and his ability to poke fun at his reputation. 

Cosmo was introduced in "Fuller House" as the great-grandson of original "Full House" family dog, Comet. In fact, his birth takes place in the very first episode of "Fuller House," and he's named Cosmo a few episodes later by Max Fuller (Elias Harger). Cosmo's real-life counterpart was also named Cosmo, and the dog appeared throughout the entirety of "Fuller House," even being involved in some of the plot points involving the Fuller family, though the actor dog doesn't actually premiere in the role until episode 5 of Season 1.

Cosmo was only 4-years-old when he tragically passed away (per USA Today) after complications relating to surgery. The entire main cast sent out their condolences, though Harger's was arguably the most touching. The young actor posted a tribute on his Instagram, comparing their journeys into "seasoned actors" and speaking on the fact that the dog never forgot him between productions of seasons. One of the final episodes of "Fuller House" even paid tribute to the late Cosmo by featuring a photograph of the dog being held by Harger himself.