The Truth About Bob Saget's Oscar
Fans were heartbroken to learn that Bob Saget died on January 9 after his body was discovered in an Orlando hotel, per TMZ. Although he was best-known as the affable patriarch Danny Tanner on "Full House" and the host of "America's Funniest Videos," Saget enjoyed an eclectic career. In addition to his ultra-successful career as an actor and comedian, Saget also sat in the director's chair on multiple occasions. "I've always loved directing. I've directed a bunch of long-form things over the years," he told Culturated, while hinting at a number of projects he had in the works.
After watching the hit documentary "March of the Penguins," Saget was inspired to create his own version of the movie, but with a raunchy angle. That led to the creation of his film "Farce of the Penguins," which was released in 2007. Similar to his work on "AFV," the comedian parodied "March of the Penguins" with farcical voiceover while he watched it, which was the impetus for his own R-rated version. "All I wanted to do was take the soundtrack off 'March of the Penguins' and revoice it. Basically, I just wanted to take off Morgan Freeman," Saget told The Chicago Maroon in 2007.
Many were surprised to learn the dad from "Full House" had created a raunchy comedy. "I'm a very sick man," Saget jokingly admitted to The Seattle Times in 2007. Directing was a passion of Saget's that ultimately led to cult status — and even prestigious awards.
Bob Saget's brief film school experience
Long before he gained fame as a sitcom dad, Bob Saget directed a documentary with a serious tone titled "Through Adam's Eyes," which was released in 1977. Directing was a skill that Saget had honed from a young age. "I started making eight-millimeter movies when I was nine," he told Ability Magazine in 2011. "Later I made 60 hours of really bad student movies." While Saget attended Temple University, he released "Through Adam's Eyes," which gave an in-depth look at a close friend "who had reconstructive facial surgery." That 11-minute documentary earned Saget a Student Academy Award.
Later, Saget believed that directing was his calling and he enrolled at USC film school, but that was short-lived. "I quit school after three days," he revealed to Ability Magazine. The "Full House" star focused his efforts on comedy, but returned to directing in 1996 for a television movie on ABC titled "For Hope." Similar to his Oscar-winning student film, "For Hope" tackled heavy subject matter as it was based on Saget's deceased sister.
Saget returned to directing with the 1998 comedy "Dirty Work," starring Norm MacDonald and Artie Lange. Unlike his award-winning documentary, that comedy was maligned by critics, and the film was a financial failure, per Cinema Blend. Over the years, however, it became a cult classic and "Dirty Work 2" almost happened. "We are talking about possibly trying to do a sequel. And we've got some permission from the big cheeses," Saget said on "The Bill Bert Podcast" in June 2020.