New Interview w/ Scott Weinger Looking Back on "Full House"

[JamesG]

"Full House" Cast: Where Are They Now; Interview with Scott Weinger
9/24/12



Scott Weinger (Steve Hale)






A young Scott Weinger earned his first regular series role in CBS' "The Family Man", produced by Miller-Boyett Productions, from 1990 to 1991. Clearly, the producers liked him because the next year, he won the role of Steve Hale on "Full House" and appeared on the show until 1995.

While starring on "Full House" as D.J.'s studly boyfriend, Weinger earned his first motion picture role as the voice of Aladdin and reprised the role numerous times in video games, animated series, made-for-TV movies and the like.



In 1994, he left LA to study at Harvard, where he studied English and served as "Good Morning America's" youth correspondent. Weinger graduated magna cum laude in 1998 and then did a few guest stints, but turned his attention to writing.

Weinger has written for "What I Like About You", where he also made appearances, and The CW's "Privileged". He's currently writing and producing "90210", which starred "Full House" alum Lori Loughlin, which he talks about below.









Can you tell me how you got cast on "Full House"?

What happened was, I had done a guest spot in one season as Steve Something-or-other, playing the hunky guy from high school. Now that I'm an old man, I can call myself the hunky guy in high school.

But they had cast me just for this one episode where I think D.J. was supposed to be babysitting, but she really wanted to go out with this guy so she took the kids with her or something. But it was just supposed to be that one episode and then, they wanted to add a character for the following season as D.J.'s permanent boyfriend, a regular character, and they asked me to play him.

Of course, I was very excited.



I think I had done a pilot that year or had been asked to do a pilot that year and I remember it feeling like this huge momentous decision. I was like, "Do I do the pilot or 'Full House'?" And then I realized, "What am I? An idiot?"

It's this hugely successful show so it was an obvious choice and it ended up being great.









Awesome. Do you remember, in either watching it or filming it, a favorite episode?

You know, I really enjoyed doing the two episodes we did down in Florida at Walt Disney World. And that was a lot of fun for me because I'd been down there a lot because of doing Aladdin. It sort of felt like a second home at that point.

So we got to spend nearly a month down there in Orlando and I remember really enjoying the episodes and production. It was a lot of fun.









In one of them, didn't D.J. keep seeing Steve's face on every Disney prince?

Yeah, that's exactly right. Then we did an inside joke one when she saw him as Aladdin. We did Indiana Jones, Prince Charming ... it was really fun.

It was fun because of the work and it was fun because it was a huge ensemble thing and I didn't have to be shooting too much so I got to spend all this time in Disney World. [Laughs]









I'm jealous. You had so many comedians on the "Full House" set too. Which co-stars made it most difficult to keep a straight face when doing scenes?

Bob Saget and Dave Coulier were very, very funny -- I mean, hilarious on the set. And there were plenty of scenes where they would try to tank your take by whispering a joke under their breath.

They had a series of recurring jokes that we knew, so even if they just whispered it in a barely audible way and no one else knew, we knew what they were saying. They ruined a lot of takes by making us laugh hysterically.









That's funny. Do you have a favorite guest star that you had fun working with?

God, you know, that question makes me realize how long it's been because I can't even remember ...





Some people said Little Richard.

I think I was there for Little Richard. I think the episode was called like 'Too Little Richard Too Late' and I think I was in it.

[Editor's note: Weinger was right on both fronts.]



It's really funny. You know, I never do this, but the other day I did a talk at this thing for Disney fan and they showed a clip of "Full House" before I went up to talk.

I couldn't remember shooting that scene and I realized, "Wow. I'm freaking old!" [Laughs]









Lori Loughlin said her kids will be watching and they'll ask her what happens in an episode and she has to watch a little before she can remember.

That's exactly right.

You know, Lori is on "90210". She used to be a regular so it's fun that I get to see her periodically.









You left LA to go to Harvard, which is really impressive. Were you ever filming and going to school simultaneously?

Well, thank you. Yeah, it's funny. I had a great college experience, but I had to leave to work a lot. The only "Full House" episode I shot during that time was when I was a freshman or sophomore -- they flew me out to be in the finale where I showed up -- it was a big surprise -- to take D.J. to the prom.

That was a lot of fun because they literally surprised everybody. I was hiding out in the trailer and then, when she opened the door, I was her prom date.



And I continued to work when I was in college. I had a really cool job as the youth news correspondent for "Good Morning America". It was amazing. It was so cool.

My roommates would always see me throw a bunch of stuff in a backpack and head out and after a while they stopped asking where I was going. [Laughs]

I also continued to do Aladdin recording stuff while I was in Boston. You're making me miss college.









[Laughs] Did you every think you would do something besides working in Hollywood?

I thought about going into journalism after my experience with "Good Morning America". I got into Columbia and had put down a deposit, but at the last minute, I changed my mind. I wanted to go into writing and I'm glad now because I really love what I do.

There were times when I was starting my writing career where I thought, "Man, why didn't I go to law school?" But I don't regret it.









Looking back, which was worse on "Full House" -- the hair or the clothes?

Now that I'm in my mid 30s -- I'm 36 -- I would do anything to have that hair back, even though it was sort of a 'fro. You know, I get a kick out of watching the show once in a while, I'll catch a minute of it and I think the clothes were pretty ridiculous, especially the jeans up to my armpits.

I think I went through a cowboy boots phase too. But Steve was sort of the classic American boyfriend with the letterman jacket and everything so that's sort of timeless.

It holds up. But that big giant head of air that I had was pretty awesome.









I'm sure "Full House" fans come up to you often. What do you hear the most?

You know, the "Full House" thing I understand. It's a live action show so I get it if people recognize me, even though I look like I could be Steve's dad now. [Laughs]

I'm exaggerating a little, but it always freaks me out when people say, "Hey. You're Aladdin!" And it happens, weirdly, all the time ... even at supermarkets. I have no clue how people look at me and recognize me as a voice.









That's so funny. And where do you think Steve would be now? Do you think he would still be with D.J.?

I hope so. She was really good for him. They would've been a good couple. They broke up so that I could go off to college. She was a smart kid with a good head on her shoulders and a bright future and he was a little bit dense and really fell back on his athletic ability.

So I think, if he was a smart man, he would've stuck with D.J. He would have hitched his wagon to her star.









I know a lot of the former castmembers keep in touch. Who do you still talk you?

Oh yeah. The group actually does a pretty good job of keeping in touch. I was especially close for a while with Bob. But I think everybody's still really good friends. We have a lot of fun email chains going around all the time. And every few years, we have a bit of a reunion and get together and hang out and it's like no time has passed.

I gotta say, I've worked on a lot of shows, and that closeness is definitely unique. After tape nights, we would always go out to dinner. Dave would push the check in Bob's direction. [Laughs] He'd go, "Bob. You got this one." [Laughs] And it's really funny.

On rare occasion that we all are together, you wouldn't believe the looks that we get.









Oh I bet. The show really means a lot to people .

The funny thing, as we get more distance from it, "Full House" really has come to represent an era. It went from being a very popular family TV show and has become something else altogether.

I feel like it's up there with Kurt Cobain, flannel shirts and "Reality Bites."









And what's next for you?

I'm writing for "90210" and we're shooting the 100th episode right now, which I wrote so I'm stuck on the set this week. It's going really well so far ... it's only been an hour. [Laughs]

And I have a movie that I'm working on. There are definitely some exciting things coming up around the corner, but I don't want to say too much because I'm superstitious.

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