The American actress and model Lori Loughlin works in both film and television. Before she became well-known in the television and film industries, Lori started her career as a model at a young age and starred in a number of advertisements. Her portrayal of Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on the well-known ABC comedy “Full House” is her most enduring performance. She was originally only supposed to appear in six episodes of the show, but thanks to her endearing personality and positive fan reaction, she continued to perform the part for seven years. She also appeared in a number of big-budget Hollywood films, including “Secret Admirer” and “The Night Before.” In the animated direct-to-video film “Farce of the Penguins,” she gained voice acting experience. She dominated television, aside from “Full House,” with her roles in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Summerland,” and “When Calls the Heart.” She has collaborated with celebrities over the course of her three-decade career, including Keanu Reeves, C. Thomas Howell, John Stamos, Bob Saget, and Shawn Christian. She has won numerous awards for her outstanding performances and is now filming the ‘Full House’ prequel, ‘Fuller House.
Early Childhood & Life
In Queens, New York, Lori Anne Loughlin was born on July 28, 1964. She was raised in Hauppauge, New York, by an Irish-American Christian family. Joseph Roy Loughlin is her father, and Lorellee Loughlin is her mother.
Her mother was a stay-at-home mom, while her father worked for the “New York Telephone Company.” She attended “Oaks Public Elementary School” in Hauppauge before transferring to “Hauppauge High School” there.
She had been obsessed with acting since she was a little child, and at eleven she started modeling for magazines. Her father agreed to let her pursue modeling as long as she had a positive outlook on life and received top grades in school.
She received more opportunities as she gained notoriety as a print model and was hired for various commercials. As high school came to an end, she started searching for entertainment-related jobs outside of the business realm.
Career of Lori Loughlin
She was given her first break in a supporting part in the television movie “Too Far to Go,” and from 1980 to 1983, she was able to garner notice for her lead role as Jody Travis in the CBS soap opera “The Edge of Night.”
After the CBS show’s success, she was offered a number of pictures. She portrayed Susan Baxter in “Amityville 3-D,” and in 1983, she was also cast in two TV movies, one as Candy Cassidy in “North Beach and Rawhide” and another as Linda Craig in “The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery Hour.”
She appeared in two Hollywood movies in 1985. She was given the major part of Abby McWilliams in the horror film “The New Kids.” She was also chosen for a lead role in “Secret Admirer” as Toni Williams.
She co-starred with Keanu Reeves and Billy Zane in the television movie “Brotherhood of Justice” and played Christie in the BMX racing movie “Rad” in 1986.
She appeared in various guest and recurrent roles from 1986 through 1988 on a variety of television programs, including “The Equalizer,” “CBS Schoolbreak Special,” “CBS Summer Playhouse,” and “Great Performances.” She was also chosen to play Tara Mitchell in the 1987 films “The Night Before,” “Empty Cradle,” and “Back to the Beach.”
She was cast as Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis in the ABC coming-of-age blockbuster sitcom “Full House” in 1988 after experiencing financial difficulties. She contributed to the show for seven years, up until 1995.
She continued to show off her versatility after her much praised performance in “Full House” by playing major roles in TV movies like “Doing Time on Maple Drive,” “A Stranger in the Mirror,” “One of Her Own,” and “Abandoned and Deceived.”
She once again rocked the television business with her portrayal as Melanie Clifford in the TV series “Hudson Street” after her enduring performance as Rebecca on “Full House.” She even had a special appearance in 1997’s “The Serenity Now” episode of the venerable television program “Seinfeld.”
She appeared in three successful television movies in 1997: “In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory,” “Tell Me No Secrets,” and “The Price of Heaven.”
She appeared in the Hollywood productions Critical Mass and Suckers in 2001. Additionally, she had a number of cameos in TV episodes like “Cursed,” “Birds of Prey,” “The Drew Carey Show,” and “Justice League Unlimited.”
She received further recognition for her portrayal of Ava Gregory in the 2004 television series “Summerland.” By 2007, she was a recurring character on the ABC sitcom “In Case of Emergency,” and the following year, she played Debbie Wilson on the adolescent drama series “90210.”
She played Rebecca Mayer in the television movie “A Mother’s Rage” and made guest appearances on the shows “Psych” and “Major Crimes” in 2013. She was chosen to play Susan, the main character, in Josh Stolberg’s horror movie “Crawlspace.”
She has been a part of the Canadian-American television program When Calls the Heart on Hallmark since 2014. She portrays Abigail Stanton, who is the primary character in the show.
She has also appeared in two TV movies. She portrayed Kate Harper in “Every Christmas Has a Story” and Mackenzie Warren in “Northpole: Open for Christmas.”
In the 2016 episode titled “The Greater Good,” she made a cameo appearance on the police drama “Blue Bloods.” She was given the opportunity to play Rebecca Katsopolis in the ‘Fuller House’ prequel in the same year.
Bigger Works of Lori Loughlin
For her performance as Rebecca in the sitcom “Full House,” Lori garnered a ton of praise from the critics. The program won numerous accolades and is now ranked among the top American television programs of all time.
She received the second-highest praise for her work on “Summerland” in the television industry. The reviews for the program were positive. She portrays a fashion designer tasked with raising her niece and nephew after their parents pass away.
The success of the TV movie “Empty Cradle” was attributed to her performance, which the weekly magazine “Variety” called “soft and balanced.”
Recognition & Achievements
She received her first honor in 1987 at the “Young Artist Awards” in the Michael Landon Award category for the “CBS Schoolbreak Special.” She was also nominated for a “Daytime Emmy Award” for her role in the 1989 “CBS Schoolbreak Special” as “Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Special.”
She won the ‘PRISM Awards’ for ‘Best Performance in a Drama Series Storyline’ in 2006 for Summerland. She received a nomination for her work in “90210” in the category of “Choice TV Parental Unit” at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.
Personal Legacy & Life
In 1989, Lori wed Michael R. Burns. The two were blissfully married up until 1996, when Michael, an investment banker, filed for divorce.
In 1995, Lori and Mossimo Giannulli first met and fell in love. The Mossimo Clothing Line is owned by Mossimo and is available at Target. They ran away in 1997.
After giving birth to a daughter named Olivia Jade Giannulli a year later, Lori’s first child, Isabella Rose Giannulli, was born in 1998. Olivia has become a well-known “YouTuber.” Additionally, Lori is the stepmother of Gianni Giannulli, Mossimo’s first child.