The Transformation Of Lori Loughlin From 16 To 54 Years Old
Lori Loughlin was once most well-known for her role as Aunt Becky in the hit show "Full House." However, many know that her life and career changed drastically following the college admissions scandal (yeah, the same one that Netflix made a movie about). The event was one of the most talked-about in recent years after wealthy parents made deals that were facilitated through Rick Singer to get their kids into prestigious universities. Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were two of the most well-known names at the center of the controversy, and both actors ended up serving some time in prison for their roles in the scandal.
According to IMDb, Loughlin's career began in 1971 on the television series "The Smith Family." She now has more than 70 acting credits to her name, and she also served as a producer and writer on a few projects. The mother-of-two also made several appearances on her daughter Olivia Jade's YouTube videos and Instagram page, and the resemblance between the two is uncanny.
There's no doubt that Loughlin is one of the most talked-about stars in Hollywood and her career and good looks are definitely something that she can brag about. Keep scrolling to take a look at the head-turning transformation of the actor.
One of Lori Loughlin's first roles was The Edge of the Night
Lori Loughlin was only 16 in 1980, but that's when she scored one of her first big-time roles in a television series. According to IMDb, the actor starred in "The Edge of the Night" from 1980-1983. The show was a crime-focused ABC soap opera and the young actor played the role of troubled teen Jody Davis for three years.
The series began in 1956 and ran through 1984 (per IMDb). Ann Flood and Forrest Compton played the roles of Nancy Carr and Mark Carr, appearing in the show for the longest duration with 3,465 episodes and 3,430 episodes, respectively. In her three years with the show, Loughlin starred in 502 episodes — which is pretty impressive for a teenager who just got her start.
Loughlin chatted with Salon about her role in the series, sharing that it sort of just came to her. "Yeah, I started modeling when I was 11 and then did some commercials, and then when I was almost 16, I got a job on a soap opera. It was very random," she revealed. "They set me in on an audition, and I got it, and I did three and a half years on episode called 'The Edge of Night,' which was phenomenal training for a young actor."
The role that put Lori Loughlin on the map was Full House
There's no double Lori Loughlin's role as Rebecca Donaldson (who later became Becky Katsopolis) a.k.a. Aunt Becky in "Full House" is what she's most well-known for. She starred in the hit show from 1988-1995, appearing in 152 episodes. According to the actor, that's the role that fans recognize her for the most.
"Yes, I get a lot of recognition. I think because 'Full House' has been on television for so many years now. It's been in on in some form whether it was in primetime 30 years ago or over the years in syndication," she told Salon. "We have generations and generations of fans of all different ages, so by far, I get recognize for that."
Of course, Loughlin's role on Full House also made fans wish she would marry her on-screen love interest, Jesse Katsopolis (played by John Stamos). However, fate didn't end up that way. Loughlin married fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and Stamos wed Caitlin McHugh. Still, Stamos has stuck by his friend's side amid the college admissions drama. In an interview with GQ, the actor was asked if he's still close to Loughlin and shared, "Yes. And I'll tell you one thing that has been strange is: Honestly I can't figure it out. It doesn't make sense. I talked to her the morning everything hit. I just can't process it still."
Lori Loughlin's biggest role after Full House was 90210
Following her role in "Full House," Lori Loughlin appeared in various movies and television shows, but "90210" was her longest-running role after her stint playing Aunt Becky. The actor played Debbie Wilson from 2008-2012, equaling 69 episodes in the span of four years (per IMDb). Other big names in the series included AnnaLynne McCord and Shenae Grimes-Beech. The show was a spinoff of the original "Beverly Hills: 90210," which starred Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestly, and Brian Austin Green.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2011, Loughlin revealed that she would be leaving the show because there wasn't much left to do with her role. "It is a very big cast and it is hard to service all of us. The focus of the show is the kids," she said. "The parents were essentially there to service the story lines of the kids, and occasionally we got a few separate story lines, but it just wasn't really working in a way that all of us had enough to do. The CW has a demographic that they appeal to, and they do it very well."
Lori Loughlin reprised her iconic role on Fuller House
Fans of Lori Loughlin were thrilled when she joined many members of the original Full House for the spinoff titled "Fuller House." She appeared in the show from 2016-2019 (per IMDb), alongside Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron-Bure, John Stamos, and several other members of the original cast.
According to Insider, the actor appeared in the series for four seasons before news of her college admissions scandal broke (which happened before they began shooting Season 5). The fifth season of the show also happened to be its final season. Writers addressed her character's absence in an episode (via Entertainment Weekly). "Becky is in Nebraska helping out her mother," John Stamos' character Jesse Katsopolis said. "I don't want to bother her with a tiny little thing like this."
Andrea Barber, who played Kimmie Gibbler, also spoke about Loughlin's absence on Us Weekly's "Watch With Us" podcast. "It's very sad. She was a big part of 'Fuller House.' She wasn't in every episode, but her presence was definitely felt. We loved every single time she came on the set," she told the outlet. "So we have definitely felt her absence this season." In 2020, a source told Us Weekly that Loughlin hopes to go back to acting, sharing Loughlin is a "eternal optimist" who "eventually, [wants to] tell her side of the story" and return to television.
A look at Lori Loughlin's Varsity Blues scandal
Lori Loughlin's most memorable role in television may have been on "Full House," but her most notable role in real life was for her part in the college admissions scandal. The actor and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, came under fire for paying Rick Singer (the mastermind behind the scheme) to get their two children, Bella Giannulli and Olivia Jade Giannulli, into the University of Southern California by posing as athletes.
The case went to trial and during her sentencing, Loughlin expressed remorse. "I made an awful decision," she told a judge via People. "I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process. In doing so, I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass." The judge sentenced the disgraced star to time in prison.
Loughlin checked into the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif. on October 30, 2020 and was released at the end of December, serving two months behind bars. Following that, a judge ordered Loughlin to pay $150,000, and she will be supervised for two years. The actor will also need to do 100 hours of community service. On the other hand, the judge fined Giannulli $250,000, and two years of supervised release, in addition to 250 hours of community service.
Now that she's back on the outside, an insider shared (via Entertainment Tonight) that Loughlin could be gearing up for a television comeback.