Bob Saget, Comedian and ‘Full House’ Star, Dies at 65

The former ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ host was found at his hotel in Orlando.

Bob Saget, whose comedic, affable portrayal of widowed dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom Full House made him one of TV’s most popular dads, was found dead Sunday (Jan. 9) in his hotel room in Orlando, Florida, the Sheriff’s Department confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 65.

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Saget, who was also the longtime host for America’s Funniest Videos and was on a comedy tour, was found unresponsive in his room at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, authorities said. The actor was pronounced dead on scene, authorities said.

No information was released on the cause of death, but the sheriff’s department said detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use.

“We are devastated to confirm that our beloved Bob passed away today. He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter,” the Saget family said in a statement to THR. “Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world.”

The Philadelphia native got his start with a stint on CBS’ The Morning Program in 1987, just before landing his breakout role as Danny Tanner on ABC’s popular family sitcom Full House.

Saget shot to fame with his potrayal of Tanner, a father of three daughters who recently lost his wife and moves in with his brother-in-law (John Stamos) and his best friend (Dave Coulier). Though the ABC show was hardly a critical success, it struck a chord with audiences and ran from 1987 to 1995. The sitcom was later revived with much of the cast on the Netflix sequel series Fuller House in 2016.

Full House launched the careers of then-child stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Candace Cameron Bure, while propelling the paths of Stamos, Coulier and Lori Loughlin.

“I am broken,” Stamos tweeted Sunday. “I am gutted.  I am in complete and utter shock.  I will never ever have another friend like him.  I love you so much Bobby.”

In 1989, Saget debuted as the original host on America’s Funniest Home Videos, a role he held until 1997.

He was also known for his film work, making his feature directorial debut with the raunchy 1998 Norm MacDonald movie Dirty Work. He later directed 2007’s Farce of the Penguins, a parody of the hit documentary March of the Penguins.

Other notable television work included the voice of the adult Ted Mosby on CBS’ long-running How I Met Your Mother.

Saget was also an accomplished stand-up comic, and his on-stage work, as was the case with projects like Dirty Work, reflected his less family-friendly perspective. During a 2015 Esquire profile, Saget explained that he saw humor as an outlet for life’s difficult moments, including the loss of two sisters who died at young ages.

“When you’ve seen a lot of bad stuff and just want to enjoy your life and be happy and have your kids happy and have your friends happy, you just have a value system where it raises the bar on what’s important,” he said about valuing comedy.

Saget was on tour in Florida, where he performed Saturday night at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, near Jacksonville. In his final tweet, sent early in the morning on Sunday, he gushed about the “appreciative audience” at his show that night. “I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight,” he wrote, in part. “I’m happily addicted again to this s—.”

This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.

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