Dave Coulier Reflects on Faith and Sobriety: ‘[Christianity Has] Always Been in My Life’
By Movieguide® Contributor
FULL HOUSE star Dave Coulier recently opened up about how his sobriety journey changed his life — and the roles he plays.
Coulier most recently stars in LIVE + LOCAL, a Pure Flix show that tells the story of a veteran radio talk show host who has to navigate the changes that come when a new producer takes over.
According to the Movieguide® review:
LIVE+LOCAL is a fun and funny, faith-filled sitcom that’s filmed like a mockumentary. As the heart of the program, Coulier and Pendergast work well together. The series builds to a heartwarming, satisfying climax in the last two episodes. The episodes are aided by great, inspiring interviews with two Christians, veteran stand-up comic Jeff Allen and THE CHOSEN creator Dallas Jenkins. Besides promoting faith and family, LIVE+LOCAL extols forgiveness and compassionate capitalism.
“I got the script and I saw that it was a real departure for me,” Coulier shared. “I got to wear a nice, big, thick, real beard, my real beard. I got to grow it out and I got to play kind of a very different character than most people are used to seeing me play.”
He continued, “I got to play a little bit of a curmudgeon, who is a host on a faith-based radio show on a very small station, but they’re number one in the market. So he’s a guy who just is not going to change. He doesn’t want to do social media, he doesn’t really want to break it because he doesn’t feel as though it’s broken. My character has a lot of flaws.”
The faith-based show had Coulier reflecting on his own Christian upbringing.
“I went to Catholic schools from grade three through 12,” the actor shared. “I came from a very big Catholic community here in the city of Detroit, so church was the central focus for our lives. It was really our meeting place and a place where we socialize, and it was a place where we helped those in need, and we helped each other. It’s always been in my life in one way or another.”
His sobriety journey also forced him to evaluate his “own spirituality and looking at my own life, to gauge how this was going to affect my life.”
“I thought, ‘Am I still going to be the funny guy? … Am I still going to be the guy who makes everybody laugh?’” he explained. “I thought maybe all these years, I’ve had some liquid courage. … Do I really need that? Is it a crutch? And what have I been missing romantically with my wife, spiritually in my life, psychologically, creatively?”
Coulier has been sober for more than two years, beginning January 1, 2020.
“I never wanted to preach to people. I just wanted to share my story. And if someone can see a little bit of themselves in me, and I can help them that way, then that’s a real plus, that’s a real check in the positive column for me,” the actor concluded.
Movieguide® previously reported on Coulier’s sobriety journey:
Actor and comedian Dave Coulier, known for classic sitcom FULL HOUSE and its reboot FULLER HOUSE, recently celebrated more than two years of sobriety.
In a post on Instagram, Coulier shared a picture of his face, cut and bruised after falling due to drunkenness.
“I was a drunk. Yes. An alcoholic. I’ve been alcohol free since January 1, 2020,” he shared. “When I drank, I was the life of the party. I could make people laugh until they fell down. In this picture I was the one who fell down. Not because I was playing hockey or doing the things I love – like chopping wood or doing construction, golfing, fishing or flying airplanes. I was hammered and fell, going up some stairs made of stone.
“No one loved having ‘beers with the boys’ after playing hockey or a round of golf more than me. I was always the ‘final final’ guy in the room. The 8 hours of drinking, laughter and funny stupidity was followed by two days of feeling like a bowl of dog mess,” he continued. “I loved booze, but it didn’t love me back.”
Coulier credited the support of his wife, Melissa, and other friends for his journey to sobriety.
“I decided to make a decision for my own well-being, my family and for those around me who I love so dearly,” he said. “The mental and physical withdrawal were big challenges for me, but I was supported by @melissacoulier and friends who had already made the journey. The psychological and physical transformation has been amazing. The sky is more blue, my heart is no longer closed, and I enjoy making people laugh until they fall down more than ever before. Thank you, Melissa, for being by my side. I love you.”