Actress Candace Cameron Bure is sweet, funny, and as down to earth as she comes across on-screen. With quite the successful career, she has worked extremely hard to get to where she is today. “I worked my butt off, and to see where I’m at is pretty awesome,” she says.
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Just the Beginning
The Los Angeles born and raised Bure began working in show business at just 5 years old. A few years later, she was cast as D.J. Tanner in “Full House,” a role that would become a defining presence in her life.
“In looking back at that time, I loved it,” she says. “There were challenges that went along with growing up in front of millions of people and having those embarrassing moments of being a kid and having everyone see them. But there were so many positive things about being on the show and doing what I loved with people that I loved, that it outweighed those challenges.”
Her older brother, Kirk Cameron, started in the business a few years before, serving as a role model for Bure. “I think because he was also in the business, it didn’t feel as foreign to me; it was normal in our household,” she says. “I never felt like I was missing out on my childhood because I was able to do so many things I never would have had the opportunity to do if I wasn’t on the show.”
Her Second Act
Not long after “Full House” wrapped up its final season in 1995, the actress married and began a family with now-retired NHL hockey player Valeri Bure. A 10-year hiatus from acting followed as she raised her children.
“It was a challenging experience at the very beginning and took me a few years to adjust to being a full-time mom and not going to work every day,” she says. Thankful to have the time off to devote to her family, she remained hopeful that one day she’d return to acting.
Grateful that door reopened, Bure hit the ground running, appearing in shows like, “Make It or Break It,” as well as working exclusively with the Hallmark Channel. She’s also a New York Times best-selling author, and to date has published three books, with a fourth in the works for release in late 2017.
“All of the books I write are there to encourage and inspire people in some way, shape, or form,” says Bure. “If you can’t already tell, I love doing everything that I possibly can.”
In February of this year, fans of Bure’s alter ego, D.J. Tanner, had something to celebrate with the return of a show that never actually went off the air. “’Full House’ has never been off the air in 30 years,” says the actress. “It’s in syndication, something very few shows have accomplished.”
Stepping Back in Time
“Fuller House,” the show’s sequel, reunites the Tanner family when D.J. returns home as a widowed mother of three young sons. With support from family, she finds herself living in the home she grew up in with both her sister and best friend helping to raise her boys. Reminiscent of the show’s original theme, most of the cast have reprised their roles either as a regular cast member or with guest appearances. Season two premieres on Netflix on December 9th.
“When Netflix gave us the green light to move ahead, it was surreal,” says Bure. “It’s amazing we get the opportunity to do this again, and I hope we can make it as special as the first time.”
With fans hoping for some time that a reunion would occur, Bure couldn’t be more thrilled that the reboot has been successful. “I literally work with my best friends [from the cast to the crew]; I could do this show forever.”
Returning to the same soundstage where it all began more than 20 years ago has been nostalgic. “It’s like stepping back in time and it was flooded with so many memories,” she says.
Another Point of View
Bure is also in her second season as one of the co-hosts of the long-running talk show, “The View.”
“It wasn’t an opportunity that was on my radar,” she says. “I didn’t grow up in a political family, I have never been interested in publicly sharing my political points of view, and so that’s why this show is quite a surprise to me.”
Still, she’s enjoying her time at the table and the opportunity to be the one asking the questions.
Bure has had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of guests, ranging from performers, musicians, authors, and especially during election season, politicians. “I always wish I could spend a little more time after the show because there are other things I’d love to ask,” she says.
Movies and Mystery
On November 25, Bure stars in her fifth Hallmark Christmas movie, “Journey Back to Christmas,” a period piece set partly in 1945. The movie is a bit of a departure from what her fans are used to, she admits. When the Christmas comet appears for the first time in 70 years, her character Hannah is knocked unconscious and transported to present day, 2016. While figuring out the truth about what happened to her, Hannah discovers the kindness she displayed in her time has carried over and she now must find her way back home. “It’s a little ‘Wizard of Oz’ meets ‘Back to the Future,’” says Bure.
Bure’s relationship with the network is a long-standing one. In addition to filming Christmas and additional movies throughout the year, she has also completed four movies for Hallmark’s Movies and Mysteries for the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series based on the books by best-selling author Charlaine Harris, for which Bure also serves as executive producer.
Sitcom actor, talk-show host, and best-selling author–Bure enjoys all of her various roles.
With multiple projects and no plans to stop anytime soon, Bure’s hectic schedule has her commuting weekly from New York to Los Angeles. “My body’s gotten somewhat used to the schedule,” she says. “It’s not easy to fly that much; it’s challenging and I really rely on eating healthy and taking care of my body as best I can.”
Faith and Family
To stay in touch with her family, which includes her daughter and two sons, Bure relies on her phone and FaceTime to stay connected. “I don’t think I would have ever done this had my kids been younger,” she says. “They’re older now and while they don’t need me any less, their needs are different from when they were younger.”
Grounded in her Christian faith, it’s what drives her as a person in all that she does. Her wish for her children, regardless of what profession they pursue, is to work hard, love the Lord with all of their heart, and not to expect things to just be given to them. “You will always value everything so much more when you work for it and have the self-satisfaction of knowing you put in all your effort and did the best job you could do,” she says.
Memorable Moments from “The View”
Most fun interview: “Miss Piggy. I giggled the whole time she was on the show.”
Most embarrassing interview: “Kevin Costner. I was gushing over him and couldn’t even talk. I fan-girled. It was so embarrassing.”
Highlights: “Because of the election year, I interviewed Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, which was pretty awesome. I got to ask her a question that was important to me and one I think the viewers were happy with.”
